The National Aeronautic Association has selected former NTSB Chairman Robert Sumwalt as the 2026 recipient of the Wright Brothers Memorial Trophy for his more than four decades of service advancing aviation safety.
NTSB
Bad Math Leads to Forced Landing On A Beach
Probable Cause: The pilot’s inadequate preflight inspection of the airplane’s fuel quantity, which resulted in total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion.
Maintenance Error Bends Cirrus SR22T
Probable Cause: Maintenance personnel’s inadequate adjustment of fuel flow, which resulted in an excessively rich mixture, a rough-running engine, and a subsequent partial loss of engine power.
Pilot and Passenger Fatally Injured in Crash Following In-Flight Engine Issues
Probable Cause: The pilot’s failure to maintain sufficient airspeed following a loss of engine power, which resulted in an inadvertent aerodynamic stall/spin at low altitude.
NTSB Releases Safety Alert on Hazards of Ballistic Parachute Recovery Systems
The NTSB recently issued a safety alert and video highlighting the hidden dangers of ballistic parachute recovery systems at an accident site.
Two Seriously Injured When Hoses Improperly Installed in Experimental
Probable Cause: Improper installation of the electric-driven fuel pump inlet hoses, which resulted in a hose failure and subsequent loss of engine power due to fuel starvation.
Pilot Loses Control During Attempted Go-Around
Probable Cause: The pilot’s failure to maintain aircraft control and his exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and spin during an attempted go-around.
New Video Analyzes Loss of Propeller In Flight
The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association’s Air Safety Institute has released an Early Analysis video looking at a recent incident with a Cessna 172S that included the loss of the propeller in flight.
Corrosion and Debris in Carburetor Brings Down Piper
Probable Cause: A partial loss of engine power during initial climb due to fuel contamination that resulted from corrosion and loose corrosion debris in the carburetor, which restricted fuel flow to the engine.