Aircraft: Cirrus SR22. Injuries: 1 Minor. Location: Bennett, Colo. Aircraft damage: Substantial. What reportedly happened: The pilot was practicing instrument approaches in night VFR conditions. He was in a right turn and had turned his head to the right to look at some instrumentation when he felt the airplane accelerate. He looked at his flight […]
NTSB
Piper pilot goes wrong way
Aircraft: Piper Cherokee. Injuries: None. Location: Atlanta, Ga. Aircraft damage: Substantial. What reportedly happened: The pilot was holding short of a runway intersection awaiting further clearance from the ground air traffic controller. After receiving clearance to cross the runway, he mistakenly turned left onto a grassy area. The right wing hit a sign, resulting in […]
Poor landing, poor go around for student pilot
Aircraft: Mooney M20R. Injuries: 1 Minor. Location: Cypress, Texas. Aircraft damage: Substantial. What reportedly happened: The student pilot was practicing landings. He realized that he had touched down too far down the runway to be able to stop in the distance remaining, so he applied full power to go around. The airplane lifted off but […]
Seat position leads to accident
Aircraft: Cessna 182. Injuries: None. Location: Meeker, Colo. Aircraft damage: Substantial. What reportedly happened: The pilot was attempting to taxi to the runway. The airplane began to move left faster than the pilot wanted it to, so he attempted to apply right rudder, but the airplane did not respond. He then applied the right wheel […]
Wind gust catches taildragger
Aircraft: Cessna 180. Injuries: None. Location: Helena, Mont. Aircraft damage: Substantial. What reportedly happened: The accident happened during a training flight. During the first part of the flight, the pilot receiving instruction made four takeoffs and landings on a runway that was almost directly aligned with the oncoming wind. The CFI then took over and […]
Pilot loses control in IFR conditions
Aircraft: Cessna 172. Injuries: 2 Fatal, 1 Serious. Location: North Myrtle Beach, S.C. Aircraft damage: Substantial. What reportedly happened: The private instrument-rated pilot had logged approximately 388 hours, including 21 hours of actual instrument experience. He was practicing instrument approaches at the time of the crash. Prior to takeoff he advised an air traffic controller […]
Failure to set altimeter results in off-airport landing
Aircraft: Cessna 172. Injuries: 1 Serious. Location: Clarendon, Texas. Aircraft damage: Substantial. What reportedly happened: The pilot was attempting to land at night. He saw the airport’s rotating beacon but was unable to activate the runway lights. He maneuvered the plane onto the downwind leg of the traffic pattern, extended the flaps and reduced engine […]
GA accidents fall slightly in 2011
According to just-released statistics from the National Transportation Safety Board, there was a slight drop in general aviation fatalities in 2011. The total number of deaths in aviation increased from 476 to 494 in 2011, with about 90% involving fatalities in general aviation, according to NTSB officials. Although general aviation fatalities account for the majority […]
Cessna creased by crosswind
Aircraft: Cessna 210. Injuries: None. Location: Crestview, Fla. Aircraft damage: Substantial. What reportedly happened: The pilot was attempting to land in a crosswind. The winds were from the left at 11 knots with gusts to 20. Upon touchdown the airplane veered to the right, hitting a runway sign. The right main landing gear collapsed. Examination […]