Aircraft: Piper Arrow. Injuries: None. Location: Spring Texas. Aircraft damage: Substantial. What reportedly happened: Shortly after takeoff, the airplane experienced an electrical failure. The pilot elected to return to his departure airport for landing. He performed an emergency landing gear extension, however, with no electrical power remaining, he could not verify that the landing gear […]
NTSB
GA continues on NTSB most wanted list
WASHINGTON, D.C. — General aviation continues on the ‘‘10 most wanted” list issued by the National Transportation Safety Board, but GA organizations point out strides made in advancing the safety rate. The general aviation accident rate has remained relatively steady over the past 10 years at 6.8 per 100,000 flight hours. However, components of general […]
Engine failure on takeoff results in four fatalities
Aircraft: Piper Seminole. Injuries: 4 Fatal. Location: West Palm Beach, Fla. Aircraft damage: Destroyed. What reportedly happened: The commercial pilot’s most recent flight in a multi-engine airplane was about one year before the accident. He had a total of 298.2 hours of which 46.7 hours were in multi-engine aircraft. He was flying with an instructor […]
Wind gust bends LSA
Aircraft: FlightDesign CTSW. Injuries: 2 Minor. Location: Fullerton, Calif. Aircraft damage: Substantial. What reportedly happened: The pilot, who was practicing landings, aborted the first two approaches because the airplane was too high and fast. On the third landing, he descended to about 10 feet over the runway, when a gust of wind blew the plane […]
Currency flight ends with crash
Aircraft: Beech Bonanza. Injuries: 1 Fatal. Location: Theodore, Ala. Aircraft damage: Destroyed. What reportedly happened: The accident happened during a night currency flight in marginal VFR conditions. The 164-hour pilot did not file a flight plan or obtain a weather briefing prior to departure from an airport in a sparsely populated area. About four minutes […]
Unsecured load results in flat spin
Aircraft: Mooney 20R. Injuries: 1 Fatal. Location: Hollister, Calif. Aircraft damage: Destroyed. What reportedly happened: The pilot departed for an 11-hour ferry flight across the Pacific Ocean. The aircraft had been outfitted with a ferry fuel system in the form of a 238-gallon collapsible bladder tank located in the cabin behind the pilot’s seat, above […]
Over-water approach ends badly
Aircraft: Piper Malibu. Injuries: 3 Fatal. Location: Destin, Fla. Aircraft damage: Destroyed. What reportedly happened: The instrument-rated pilot m who had logged 407 hours, was attempting to execute a GPS approach over water at night. The published minimums for the GPS approach were 460-foot ceiling and one-mile visibility. Recorded air traffic control voice and radar […]
Clogged fuel filter brings down Tiger
Aircraft: Grumman Tiger. Injuries: None. Location: Navada, Texas. Aircraft damage: Substantial. What reportedly happened: According to the pilot, the airplane was at cruise flight at 3,000 feet when the engine sputtered and lost power. Attempts to restore engine power were unsuccessful, so the pilot made a forced landing in a plowed field. The post-accident engine […]
Failure to refuel leads to engine failure
Aircraft: Cessna 172. Injuries: None. Location: Winter Haven, Fla. Aircraft damage: Substantial. What reportedly happened: The pilot reviewed the weather prior to departing on the 416-nautical mile cross-country flight. He fueled the airplane with 30.1 gallons of fuel the morning of the flight but did not refuel en route. About three miles from the destination […]