September 2001
June 30, Nixon, Nev. / Bellanca Scout
Subscribers Only At about 17:45 Pacific time, a Bellanca 8GCBC nosed over during landing rollout on a road near Nixon. The pilot was not injured. The pilot said he was landing on the road to tow out a glider that had landed there. The ground crew indicated via radio that the road was long enough for him to land. The pilot said his approach may have been slightly fast, and he touched down on the downhill road with a slight tailwind. As the tow plane approached the stationary glider, the pilot applied heavy breaks, and the tow plane nosed over....
June 30, Warrenton, Va. / Cessna 152
Subscribers Only At about 09:30 eastern time, a Cessna 152 struck a deer while making touch-and-go landings at Warrenton-Fauquier Airport. The student pilot was not injured. The pilot said he was on the “go” portion of a touch-and-go and was rotating the airplane for takeoff when a deer struck the airplane’s left horizontal stabilizer. The stabilizer buckled and the left elevator was torn off. The student pilot continued the takeoff and performed an uneventful emergency landing in a field adjacent to the airport. The pilot reported 39 hours of total flight experience, of which 17 hours were in make and model....
June 28, Tucson, Ariz. / Mooney M20C
Subscribers Only At about 13:30 mountain time, a Mooney M20C taxied into a motor vehicle traffic sign at Tucson International Airport. The pilot was not injured. After the pilot landed he inadvertently taxied onto a 20-foot-wide road designed for cars and struck a road sign....
June 28, Uvalde, Texas / Piper Comanche
Subscribers Only At approximately 18:45 central time, a Piper PA-24-250 was damaged during a wheels-up landing on runway 15 at Garner Field Airport. The pilot was not injured. The pilot said his approach was “too high and too fast.” He did not select the gear down until he was on final approach and did not check for a gear down-and-locked indication until he was on short final. He noted it was not illuminated and added power to go around but the engine sputtered. He elected to reduce power and land gear up. The aircraft caught fire and the rear portion burned....
June 26, Soldotna, Alaska / Cessna 150
Subscribers Only At about 09:15 Alaska time, a Cessna 150D struck trees during a forced landing near Soldotna. The solo student pilot was seriously injured. The airplane was flying near the airport when the engine lost power. The airplane descended rapidly and struck trees. Investigation showed the fuel tanks were intact but contained a less than usable quantity of fuel....
June 26, Hudson, Mich. / Bellanca Decathlon
Subscribers Only At 20:30 eastern time, a Bellanca 7KCAB lost engine power in cruise flight and was damaged during a forced landing on a road in Hudson. The pilot reported no injuries. The flight originated in Rochester, Wisc., and was en route to Wilmington, Del. The pilot said the airplane had just had new wings installed at the American Champion Aircraft Co. and he was taking the airplane to Delaware. The airplane lost power and he landed on a road, but a wheel went into a pothole and the right main landing gear was pushed aft. Examination showed the right fuel tank was empty and the left tank was full. The airplane is equipped with only an on/off fuel selector. The two fuel pickup ports in the left fuel...
June 25, Lakeside, Calif. / Beech Bonanza
Subscribers Only At about 09:54 Pacific time, a Beech 35-B33 crashed into a residential area about 3.3 miles from Gillespie Field, where the flight had been cleared to land. The pilot was killed. The flight was en route from El Cajon to an undetermined destination in Arizona and was cruising at 7,000 feet when the pilot said he needed to return because he “was not feeling well.” Several witnesses reported observing the airplane descend in a steep bank until it collided with residential property and terrain....
June 25, Hammond, La. / Vans RV-6
Subscribers Only At approximately 10:53 central time, a Vans RV-6 homebuilt airplane lost power on initial climb from a field and struck trees near Hammond, killing the pilot. Witnesses said the flight departed the airport, lost power and landed in a field about a quarter-mile from the runway. The pilot walked back to the airport and asked people there who owned the field he had just landed on. He said the airplane “had a fuel problem.” Subsequently he tried to take off from the field. The engine lost power and the airplane spun into the trees....
June 25, Greenwood, Miss. / Lockheed P-38 Lightning
Subscribers Only At about 09:20 central time, a Lockheed P-38L-5LD made an emergency landing in a field due to a fire in the left engine in the vicinity of Greenwood. The pilot was not injured. The pilot said he was on approach to Greenwood-Leflore Airport when the left engine backfired and started running roughly. The cockpit filled with smoke. Due to the cockpit visibility, he over flew the airport, and conducted an emergency, gear-up landing in a field about five miles west of the airport. Post-crash examination revealed the smoke and flames emanated from the left engine turbocharger....
June 24, Rock Hill, S.C. / Beech Skipper
Subscribers Only At about 11:45 eastern time, a Beech 77 overran the runway and struck a ditch while landing at a private airstrip named County Squire Field. The pilot and passenger were not injured. The pilot said he was making his first flight into the grass airstrip. The flight touched down about a third of the way down the 2,700-foot-long runway but rolled about 100 feet before all three wheels were on the ground. He applied the brakes and the airplane skidded to the left, which he corrected back to the runway centerline. He thought about performing a go-around but didn’t think the airplane would clear trees ahead. The airplane went into the ditch at about 20 mph. Winds at the departure airport five mile...
June 23, Houston, Texas / Cessna Skylane
Subscribers Only At 11:58 central time, a Cessna 182Q crashed after losing engine power during initial climb near Houston. The pilot sustained serious injuries. The flight was a post-maintenance test flight. Witnesses said the airplane was climbing through 300 feet when the engine failed. The pilot attempted to make a steep, 180-degree turn back toward the airport when the airplane stalled and spun into the ground....
June 22, Lynn Center, IL / Renegade Spirit
Subscribers Only At 20:00 central time, a Renegade Spirit was damaged during a forced landing in a field near Lynn Center. The student pilot was performing aerobatics when he heard a bang, at which time the airplane exhibited a left rolling tendency. He then activated a ballistic parachute system aboard the airplane. The pilot reported no injuries....
June 19, Oak Hill, Fla. / Grumman AA-1B
Subscribers Only At about 09:45 eastern time, a Grumman American AA-1B crashed while making a forced landing near Oak Hill. The pilot and passenger were not injured. The flight originated from Titusville about 25 minutes before the accident. The pilot said he switched his fuel source from the left tank to the right tank and shortly thereafter began losing rpm and fuel pressure. He said he was at 1,200 feet msl and did not have time to accomplish the whole “engine failure in flight” checklist. He did not try using carburetor heat. The aircraft is STC’d for automotive fuel and he was using 87 octane automotive fuel....
June 17, Munster, Ind. / Cessna 150
Subscribers Only At 13:30 eastern time, a Cessna 150L lost power on initial climb after taking off from a soybean field near Munster. The pilot was not injured. The pilot was attempting to fly the airplane out of the field after it was force-landed there by another pilot who lost power in cruise. The airplane’s engine was retained for further examination....
June 16, Manteo, N.C. / Cessna 150
Subscribers Only At about 13:39 eastern time, a Cessna 150L operating as a banner tow flight crashed during a banner drop off at Dare County Regional Airport. The pilot was killed. Two witnesses said the accident pilot released the banner in the sod area adjacent to runway 23 and the nose of the airplane pitched up to greater than 45 degrees. One witness then saw the airplane descend at a nose-down attitude greater than 45 degrees. Both heard the pilot state on the Unicom frequency, “Oh my God, I’m dead, I’m dead.”...
June 16, Oswego, N.Y. / Cessna Skylane
Subscribers Only At about 05:55 eastern time, a Cessna 182P crashed into Lake Ontario near Oswego, killing the pilot. The pilot was en route from Holley, N.Y., to Rochester when he buzzed some fishing boats two or three times at low level. During the last low pass the left wing struck the water. A friend of the pilot said the two had flown the airplane late the night before, then went to a nightclub until 03:00. At 04:15 the pilot decided to fly the airplane back to Rochester so it would be there at 8 a.m. The friend added that the pilot buzzed his house at 5 a.m. to make him aware he was on his way back to Rochester....
June 15, Ottawa, Ill. / De Havilland Twin Otter
Subscribers Only At 23:15 central time, a passenger was seriously injured after walking into the propeller blade of a De Havilland, DHC-6 Twin Otter after the airplane landed at the Sky Dive Chicago Airport. The pilot and additional five passengers were not injured. Witnesses said the aircraft was stopped on the ramp and the pilot was in the process of shutting down the engines when a passenger departed from the airplane, went toward the front of the airplane, and was struck by a rotating propeller....
June 15, Baytown, Texas / Cessna Skylane
Subscribers Only At 04:10 central time, a Cessna 182A struck power lines and crashed near Baytown, Texas. The two individuals, who were not pilots and were flying the airplane, were not injured. It was reported by local authorities that the two individuals had stolen the aircraft. The local flight departed a private grass airstrip at 03:30....
June 14, Key West, Fla. / Cessna Centurion
Subscribers Only At about 10:37 eastern time, a Cessna 210L lost power shortly after takeoff and was ditched near Key West. The pilot, and three passengers were not injured. One passenger sustained minor injuries. The pilot said she was level at 700 feet agl and reduced power to 25 inches and 2500 rpm when she heard a loud bang. The rpm and oil pressure gauges indicated zero but the propeller continued to rotate. The doors were opened and the passengers were advised to “brace” before ditching. After the ditching, she got her daughter who was one of the passengers out of the airplane and she believes that the other adult passenger assisted the other two passengers out of the airplane. Preliminary examination...
June 14, Lancaster, Texas / Cessna 340
Subscribers Only At 11:30 central time, a Cessna 340B suffered a collapsed right main landing gear during a single-engine landing at Lancaster. The pilot suffered minor injuries. The pilot said he was descending for landing and switched tanks and reduced power. The right engine quit. He tried to restart the engine but failed, so he feathered the prop. Within two minutes, the left engine quit. The pilot was able to restore power to both engines, but the right engine did not run smoothly. About seven miles from the airport the right engine quit again and the pilot again feathered the prop. When the pilot completed the before-landing checklist while on final, he noted the gear warning lights did not show all th...
June 13, Fort Lauderdale, Fla. / Beech King Air
Subscribers Only At about 21:22 eastern time, a Venezuelan Beech C-90 crashed while on final approach to Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport. One passenger was killed and the pilot and another passenger were seriously injured. The flight had originated in Caracas more than six hours earlier. When Miami Approach handed the flight off to the FLL Tower controller five minutes earlier, the flight was No. 1 for landing. The flight was cleared to land two minutes before the accident. One minute before the accident, the pilot transmitted “I need the field, I have difficulties here … small problem with engine.” At that point the aircraft was about 500 feet agl and 3/4 –mile from the landing threshold. Th...
June 12, Bennettsville, S.C. / Cessna Skyhawk
Subscribers Only At about 10:55 eastern time, a Cessna 172M slid off an embankment after landing at a private landing strip near Bennettsville. The pilot was not injured. The pilot said he landed normally on runway 12 and then did a fast taxi to get to the opposite end of the runway. A gust of wind lifted the right wing, the nose weathercocked into the wind and the airplane slid sideways, left side first, over an embankment....
June 11, Honesdale, Pa. / Cessna Centurion
Subscribers Only At about 10:10 eastern time, a turbine-powered Cessna P210N crashed during a forced landing in Honesdale, killing the two pilots and one passenger. The airplane was equipped with an STC’d Allison 250-B1F2 engine that had been installed in 1992 by O&N Aircraft Modifications. The company was handling the sale of the airplane after the owner lost his medical. O&N had had the airplane for about a week before the accident. An O&N pilot wrote up some maintenance discrepancies, including an engine vibration at high rpm, but none of the squawks appeared noteworthy and the previous owner had not reported any engine difficulties. The airplane had not flown again since its arrival. Several witnesses re...
June 10, Cerrillos, N.M. / Mitsubishi MU-2B
Subscribers Only At approximately 12:15 mountain time, a Mitsubishi MU-2B-20 crashed and burned near Cerrillos while on landing approach to Santa Fe. The pilot and passenger were killed. The pilot was instructed to enter a holding pattern, at which time he canceled his IFR flight plan. He was then told he would be following two other airplanes for landing. Witnesses reported seeing the airplane in a spin and ground scars were consistent with a 45-degree nose down right spin....
June 07, Victorville, Calif. / Learjet 24
Subscribers Only At about 11:40 Pacific time, a NASA Gates Learjet 24A was damaged during a hard landing at Southern California Logistics Airport. The two pilots and one passenger were not injured. The flight was conducting touch-and-goes. The pilot made the first touch-and-go. The copilot made the second touch-and-go. The copilot attempted the third touch-and-go but the airplane bounced twice and the right tip fuel tank dragged and separated from the airplane. The right main landing gear collapsed and the airplane skidded to a stop....
June 06, Monroe, N.C. / Mooney M20J
Subscribers Only At about 17:35 eastern time, a Mooney M20J crashed in Monroe, killing the pilot and two passengers. The pilot had departed IFR from Charlotte about 15 minutes earlier. About 10 minutes after takeoff, the pilot told controllers he was having electrical problems and wanted to divert to the nearest airport. The controller offered the option of an airport two miles behind him or one six miles ahead that had more facilities. The pilot chose the farther airport, stating he did not yet have an emergency. The pilot reported the airport in sight and was cleared to descend and land at his discretion. He acknowledged the instruction but crashed short of the airport....
June 06, Pomaria, S.C. / Piper Tri-Pacer
Subscribers Only At 11:30 eastern time, a Piper PA-22 crashed during an attempted takeoff from a field near Pomaria. The pilot said he made a forced landing to the field earlier in the day after losing engine power. He refueled the airplane and attempted to take off, but the airplane struck rising terrain during the initial climb....
June 05, Louisville, Ky. / Grumman Tiger
Subscribers Only At 18:08 eastern time, a Grumman American AA-5A was damaged during landing at Bowman Field but the two pilots aboard were not injured. The pilot said he had been undergoing instruction for the instrument rating and had completed a lesson. He and the flight instructor were returning to the airport and were cleared for a straight-in approach to runway 19. On final approach, the pilot was instructed to do a go-around due to traffic on the runway. On the downwind leg, he surrendered the flight controls to the CFI. After the CFI landed, the airplane veered to the left, departed the runway and struck railroad ties used to block off a closed taxiway. The CFI said, “I don’t know if it’s something I...
June 04, North Las Vegas, Nev. / Piper Chieftain
Subscribers Only At 19:32 Pacific time, a Piper PA-31-350 suffered a collapsed right main landing gear after landing at North Las Vegas and departing the runway. The pilot and nine passengers were not injured. The pilot said he departed Grand Canyon and noted the right gear unlocked light was illuminated. He cycled the landing gear and got three green down-and-locked lights. The gear was cycled up again and the nose and left main retracted but the right main was still showing down and locked. The pilot extended the gear again and received a down-and-locked indication for all three landing gear. He left the gear extended and he completed the flight. The touchdown was gentle but the right gear collapsed on lan...
June 03, Tulare, Calif. / Cessna 150
Subscribers Only At 10:00 Pacific time, a Cessna 150L crashed into a farm equipment yard shortly after takeoff from Mefford Field, killing the student pilot. Witnesses flying remote-controlled airplanes nearby watched the accident airplane take off and noted the flaps appeared fully extended. As the airplane climbed through about 250 feet and began a left turn, the airplane stalled and spun into the ground. The wreckage showed the flaps were fully extended....
June 03, Lyons, Colo. / Cessna Turbo Centurion
Subscribers Only At 09:55 mountain time, a Cessna T210G crashed on top of a mountain approximately seven miles northwest of Vance Brand Airport. The pilot and his two passengers were killed. IMC prevailed and the pilot was instrument rated, but no flight plan had been filed. The flight had departed Vance Brand about 10 minutes earlier, en route to Lexington, Neb. Witnesses said the aircraft disappeared into the clouds at about 500 feet agl, then descended out of the clouds and continued on its way. Witnesses at the accident site said the ceiling was about 100 feet at the time of the crash....
June 03, Arlington, Wash. / Cessna 150
Subscribers Only At about 15:30 Pacific time, a Cessna 150 was damaged following an engine fire during start at Arlington Municipal Airport. The two occupants were not injured. The pilot said he attempted to start the engine and it ran briefly then died. He primed the engine and hit the starter, which caused smoke to pour from the engine compartment. He pulled the mixture and continued to crank, but the smoke continued. The two occupants abandoned the airplane and the engine compartment and cockpit burned....
June 02, Elkton, Md. / Cubby Sport Trainer and Bellanca 7ECA
Subscribers Only At about 17:35 eastern time, a homebuilt Cubby Sport Trainer collided with a Bellanca 7ECA on landing roll-out at Cecil County Airport/Raintree Airpark. The pilot of the Cubby and the two aboard the Bellanca were uninjured. The pilot of the Cubby said he flew a normal traffic pattern behind a Piper Lance to runway 31 and made a normal three-point landing within the first third of the runway. Suddenly the Bellanca appeared on his left side going the opposite direction and the two airplanes struck wings. The flight instructor of the Bellanca said the wind was favoring 13 and the Bellanca made a normal approach and landing. He saw the Cubby on short final but thought the other airplane was maki...
June 01, Ogden, Utah / Questair Venture
Subscribers Only At 12:08 mountain time, a homebuilt Questair Venture caught fire following landing at Ogden Municipal Airport. The pilot was seriously burned. The tower controller said the pilot reported fuel fumes in the cockpit and was cleared to land on any runway. After an unstable, fast landing, the airplane groundlooped on the runway and caught fire....
Circle, But How?
Subscribers Only Last night I took off from runway 9 when an airplane was turning base for runway 27, forcing a go-around to save the situation. How could I have made such an egregious error? Quite easily, I’m afraid. Now I can readily appreciate how some of those mid-air collisions at non-towered airports (or airports after the tower closes). I am a 200-hour pilot and was out getting some night experience at an unfamiliar airport. The AWOS reported the winds were calm, so I had my choice of runway 9 or 27. The airport’s calm wind runway was runway 9 and an airplane had just taken off on 9, so I thought I would stay with the flow. I taxied to the end of the runway and was conducting my runup when a...
Future Foible
I thought “Future Flight” [Reality Check, July] contained great visions, however, I didn’t read anything in the article about spatial disorientation. All the fancy new tools for navigation, weather and etc. still leave the vertigo problem unsolved. A new advanced instrument panel should have some means of addressing the problem. Maybe an attitude display that has real depth to it, instead of perceived depth. -Lester Zinser Via e-mail The advanced displays typically include large display screens with an artificial ground profile derived from the GPS database. Research shows the design works much better than traditional attitude indicators at enabling the pilot to “...
Hot Stuff
Subscribers Only The following information is derived from the FAA’s Service Difficulty Reports and Aviation Maintenance Alerts. ---------- An FAA certified repair station received a Janitrol cabin heater combustion head in exchange for a new part purchased by a customer. The trade-in combustion head had a hole approximately 0.4375 inches in diameter burned through it and the entire part was severely corroded. Clearly cabin heaters are operated with minimal maintenance until they fail. A pressure decay test of this unit would have made its deficiencies obvious. Cabin heaters are neglected during the summer, then expected to perform perfectly during the first cold snap. However, cabin heaters tha...
NTSB Preliminary Reports
Subscribers Only The following briefs were selected from the 208 preliminary reports filed with the NTSB in June 2001. Statements in quotes were taken directly from the NTSB documents. The information is subject to change as the investigations are completed. ---------- June 01, Ogden, Utah Questair Venture At 12:08 mountain time, a homebuilt Questair Venture caught fire following landing at Ogden Municipal Airport. The pilot was seriously burned. The tower controller said the pilot reported fuel fumes in the cockpit and was cleared to land on any runway. After an unstable, fast landing, the airplane groundlooped on the runway and caught fire. June 02, Elkton, Md. Cubby Sport T...
Time Shortage = Human Error
Subscribers Only Getting rushed or falling into situations where a time shortage rears its head is one of the leading causes of inducing errors. If you are rushed for time, you are eleven times more likely to commit an error. You are more likely to skip critical items, overlook important details or jump at the first idea that enters your mind without fully looking at other options. You’ll ignore important warning signs and generally get that “deer in the headlights” look. It’s prevalent in all segments of aviation. During my recent research into EMS helicopter accidents, I found that time pressure was one of the leading error-causing conditions. Some time shortages are self-induced. Others are created...
Wheelie or Three?
Subscribers Only Some tailwheel pilots believe there are two kinds of landings: wheel and three-point (also called full-stall landing, even though most pilots make them above stalling speed). But just as you don’t see airshow pilots wheeling their high-performance mounts onto the runway, you don’t see Ford Trimotors touching down on all three simultaneously. For some taildraggers, there’s only one kind of landing. Unfortunately, which kind of landing that is depends on both the pilot and the airplane, but more on the airplane. The key to understanding tailwheel dynamics is to recall that the center of the airplane’s gravity resides behind the main landing gear. This means that when the aircraft is dece...
Safest Fixed-Gear Cruisers
Subscribers Only Most airplane owners who’ve been in the game awhile have a history. Even those with money to burn rarely start out with a high-performance single or a twin as a first airplane. Somewhere in the past, they probably owned a modest four-place, fixed-gear single, what we’ll call an SE cruiser. You know the species: Something with a bit more panache – and power – than an entry level model that doubles as a trainer but something less than a 300 HP retractable. Specifically, we have in mind this list: Cessna’s 177 Cardinal, 182 Skylane, Piper’s Archer and Dakota, the Grumman Tiger and, as a lesser player, the Aerospatiale TB10 Tobago. Sure, the list could be expanded but let’s be reasonable....
Parallel, Teardrop, Direct, huh?
Subscribers Only Just for fun, ask an instrument student to describe the single most confusing part of learning to fly instruments. Then ask a veteran instrument pilot to describe the single most confusing maneuver involved with instrument flight. Odds are you’ll get the same answer: holding pattern entries. Holding patterns just don’t get any respect, which isn’t surprising considering they’re a last-ditch effort to salvage a route that’s in jeopardy because of traffic or weather. Controllers don’t like stacking up airplanes, and pilots certainly don’t like droning around in circles for $100 an hour. Sometimes holding is a necessary evil, but many instrument pilots secretly quake at the thought of t...
No-Fault Go Around
Subscribers Only We were inching our way in a long, twisty conga line toward a runway 27 departure at this year’s Oshkosh AirVenture. Weather, an airport closure for a T-6 fly-by and arriving traffic had conspired to jam up the departures. When we were finally number five for takeoff, I noticed a Bonanza on a low, close-in right downwind. The Bonanza’s base and final approach weren’t much more than a tight, descending 180-degree turn. During the maneuver, the Bonanza developed an extreme sink rate and overshot final. I thought to myself, “This guy has got to go around.” But he pressed on in what was obviously an unsalvageable approach. I turned to my rightseater and said, “He’s going to crash.” And he...
OSH Till You Drop
Having just survived another AirVenture at Oshkosh, it’s fairly clear that pilots are both the smartest and the dumbest people on Earth. Let’s step aside for a moment and try to ignore the pageantry, the forums, the camaraderie and the sheer amazement that comes with watching Sean Tucker fly an airplane. Instead, consider the Stuff for Sale. There are few other places on the planet where you could spend so much money and still not get one of everything. Headsets, charts, navaids, engine monitors, weather info, parachutes, hangars, traffic alerts, FADEC, airplanes, engines, seats. That just scratches the surface of the wares hawked at the world’s biggest airshow. Pilots are experts a...
Eye Spy
Subscribers Only Nearly every pilot has stuck his head in the lion’s mouth. You realize it’s happened only after the crisis has passed. You have the metallic taste of fear in your mouth and the pounding of your pulse to remind you of the fleetingness of your mortality. It’s not much fun, but at least you have seen the enemy and will have a better shot at recognizing him next time. If there is a next time. Busy airspace is one place where constant vigilance is the order of the day. During good weather, that vigilance depends on scanning outside the airplane and being alert to the dynamics of the airspace as well as the possibility of traffic. Some pilots, particularly those who routinely fly IF...