January 2002
October 31, Buckhannon, W.V. / Mooney Eagle
Subscribers Only At about 18:30 eastern time, a Mooney M20S was damaged in a landing at Upshur County Regional Airport. The flight instructor, pilot and two passengers were not injured. The CFI said he had been giving the pilot instruction toward an instrument rating in a Cessna 172, but the pilot also wanted to get some dual instruction in his new Mooney. The two planned to fly from Clarksburg, W.Va, to Lewisburg, to pick up passengers, take them to Buckhannon, then return to Clarskburg. Arriving at Lewisburg, the pilot in the left seat asked the flight instructor in the right seat to make the landing. Arriving at Buckhannon, the pilot again asked the instructor to make the landing. The instructor flared th...
October 31, Little River, Calif. / Cessna Skylane
Subscribers Only At about 18:30 Pacific time, a Cessna 182S crashed about 2½ miles from Little River Airport, killing the pilot. The flight left Palo Alto at about 17:00, about the same time a fog layer moved into Little River. Within an hour, the fog layer was reported to be several hundred feet thick, with visibility 1 mile and the sky 80 percent dark. A witness said he heard an airplane approach about 17:45, with no unusual sounds. About 10 minutes later he heard the engine throttle back, so he got his handheld radio and contacted the pilot. The pilot asked conditions at the airport. The pilot reported he saw the airport as he passed over it but lost sight as he flew the traffic pattern. The witness said...
October 30, Mt. Charleston, Nev. / Cessna Pressurized Centurion
Subscribers Only At about 15:13 Pacific time, a Cessna P210N descended into mountainous terrain in the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, about seven miles north of Mt. Charleston. The pilot was killed. The airplane was cruising at 16,000 feet when the pilot requested a descent to 15,000 feet because of downdrafts. In less than three minutes the airplane had lost more than 7,000 feet and ground speed had dropped from 150 knots to 60 knots. The airplane wreckage was found at about 7,000 feet msl at the same location as the last radar return. All of the wreckage was confined within a 30-foot radius of the fuselage....
October 29, Prescott, Ariz. / Cessna Skyhawk
Subscribers Only At about 14:23 mountain time, a Cessna 172M struck an airport sign during takeoff from Love Field. The flight instructor and his student flew in the vicinity of the airport and evaluated the damage to the airplane’s right main landing gear. At 14:40, the CFI landed back at the airport and the right main landing gear collapsed during rollout. The CFI said they were working on crosswind takeoffs and landings and selected runway 21R when the winds were from 120 at 11 knots....
October 28, Wilton, Ark. / Piper Cherokee 140
Subscribers Only At 17:40 central time, a Piper PA-28-140 struck a fence at a private airstrip during the forced landing after losing engine power near Wilton. The three occupants reported minor injuries. The airplane was one of a flight of four flying from Shreveport, La., to the airstrip. A witness said the airplane was southeast of the airport when the engine lost power. The pilot landed the airplane approximately three-quarters of the way down the runway, then the airplane became airborne again and struck a fence on the north side of the airport....
October 27, Giddings, Texas / Cessna 170 and Lake Amphibian
Subscribers Only At 10:00 central time, a Cessna 170A struck a Lake LA-4 while landing at Giddings-Lee County Airport. No one was injured. The Cessna was landing and touched down 800 feet along the 3,999-foot runway and bounced several times. It drifted left of the centerline and the pilot advanced the throttle to go around when the Cessna struck the Lake and began to cartwheel. The Cessna sliced a wing off the Lake and then crashed into a fuel pump....
October 26, Pittstown, N.J. / Beech Travelair
Subscribers Only At about 12:55 eastern time, a Beech B95A was damaged during landing at Sky Manor Airport. The pilot and passenger received minor injuries. A witness said the pilot aborted the first landing attempt. During the second attempt, the airplane first touched down on one main landing gear, then the other. The nose of the airplane went “straight up in the air, and the airplane stalled.” It then nosed straight down and left two impact marks where the engines hit the runway. The airplane then flipped on its back and skidded off the runway....
October 26, Clarendon, Texas / Bellanca Viking
Subscribers Only At approximately 20:45 central time, a Bellanca 17-30A lost power after takeoff from Clarendon Municipal Airport and was damaged in the ensuing forced landing. The pilot and passenger were not injured. The pilot told investigators he was climbing through 500 feet when he heard a “popping” sound and the engine lost power. He turned back to the airport, but landed in rough terrain three miles south....
October 25, Osage Beach, Mo. / Beech King Air
Subscribers Only At 15:38 central time, a Beech 200 made a hard landing on runway 21 at Lee Fine Memorial Airport. Winds were 13 gusting to 31 at the time. The pilot aborted the landing and returned to Saint Louis, Mo., from which the flight originated. When he landed in St. Louis, the airplane veered off the runway and struck a VASI, then continued across a taxiway and stopped short of T-hangars. The pilot was uninjured. Part of the left main landing gear was found on runway 21 in Osage Beach. ...
October 24, Brunswick, Ga. / Piper Archer
Subscribers Only At 03:15 eastern time, a Piper PA-28-181 lost power and struck trees about four miles west of Brunswick; Glynco Jetport. The pilot and passenger suffered minor injuries. The flight was en route IFR from Nashville, Tenn., to Orlando, Fla., when the pilot determined he was low on fuel. He asked for vectors to the nearest airport, but lost power nine miles out. The tanks were found dry....
October 23, Dubuque, Iowa / Beech Baron
Subscribers Only At 05:22 central time, a Beech 58 crashed 1¼ miles short while on the localizer approach to runway 31 at Dubuque Regional Airport, killing the pilot. The pilot had reported for duty at 2 p.m. the day before and flew seven legs under Part 135. The accident flight was a Part 91 positioning flight. The glideslope had been decommissioned Aug. 13, but the pilot was aware of that. The pilot’s kneeboard showed he was given the 04:55 weather, with a few clouds at 100 feet, overcast 500 feet, visibility ¼-mile in fog. Shortly before the accident, observed weather had deteriorated, with the clouds at 100 feet becoming a broken layer. The published approach’s minimum descent altitude of 1,540 gives a h...
October 22, Henderson, Nev. / Cessna 152
Subscribers Only At about 19:00 Pacific time, a Cessna 152 lost engine power during cruise flight. In the ensuing forced landing, the airplane struck a utility pole. The pilot suffered a minor injury. The pilot said he had departed North Las Vegas about 3 hours, 30 minutes earlier with full tanks. The pilot said the left fuel gauge read empty and the right gauge read one-quarter when the engine quit. The left tank was found dry and approximately 1.3 gallons of fuel were found in the right fuel tank....
October 21, Chandler, Ariz. / Bellanca Citabria and Mooney M20A
Subscribers Only At about 09:08 mountain time, a Bellanca 7ECA collided on the ground with a Mooney M20A at Chandler Municipal Airport. The Mooney was stopped in the runup area when the Bellanca attempted to taxi around it. The Bellanca’s propeller struck the Mooney’s wing. No one was injured....
October 20, Kissimmee, Fla. / North American Texan and Cessna Skyhawk
Subscribers Only At 12:50 eastern time, a North American SNJ-6 collided on the ground with a Cessna 172R after landing at Kissimmee Municipal Airport. The Cessna landed on runway 6 and cleared the runway at taxiway Delta. The ground controller advised the Cessna pilot to hold there momentarily. Meanwhile, the Texan landed on runway 6 and was advised by the controller to follow the Cessna. The pilot of the Texan reported that the Cessna was in sight and turned off the runway onto taxiway Delta. The pilot of the Texan then lost sight of the Cessna, and the Texan’s propeller subsequently collided with the tail of the Cessna. The Texan sustained minor damage, and the Cessna’s empennage was destroyed....
October 19, Ozona, Texas / Piper Twin Comanche
Subscribers Only At 21:20 central time a Piper PA-30 lost power and struck transmission lines during the ensuing forced landing near Ozona. The pilot and one passenger suffered minor injuries and two passengers were seriously injured. The pilot had flown from Fort Worth to Lajitas, where the three passengers boarded the airplane. Fuel was not available at Lajitas, so the pilot took off and decided to land at Ozona Municipal Airport for fuel. The left engine lost power in the descent and the pilot secured the engine. He tried to activate the airport lights, but could not. He circled the area of the airport looking for the runway for 10 to 15 minutes and the right engine quit, so he landed in a parking lot, st...
October 18, Ashland, Va. / Cessna Skyhawk
Subscribers Only At 07:05 eastern time, a line employee was seriously injured while attempting to hand-prop a Cessna 172N at Hanover County Municipal Airport. The airplane was not damaged. The airplane’s starter did not work, so the line employee attempted to hand-prop the engine. During the attempt, the propeller fractured his left arm....
October 17, Gulfport, Miss. / Beech Baron
Subscribers Only At about 05:20 central time, a Beech 58 on a Part 135 charter flight landed gear-up at Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport. The pilot and two occupants were uninjured. The flight departed the airport and the cabin door came ajar. The pilot landed and closed the door. The flight again departed and the cabin door popped open again. When the pilot returned for another landing, he neglected to lower the landing gear....
October 16, Dixie, Idaho / Cessna Skylane
Subscribers Only At approximately 21:16 mountain time, the pilot of a Cessna TR182 and his passenger were killed following a loss of control in flight about two miles north of Dixie. The VFR flight had been in the air 3.5 hours, destined for Boise, when the pilot told controllers he had “lost his engine.” As he executed the forced landing, the airplane crashed into rolling terrain in a sparsely populated area. The landowner had initiated a controlled burn in the area earlier in the day, and there were numerous smoldering areas near the crash site, but there was no post-crash fire....
October 15, Knoxville, Tenn. / Cessna Skyhawk
Subscribers Only At about 08:55 eastern time, a Cessna 172P struck concrete columns at McGhee Tyson Airport. Neither occupant was injured. The pilot said he started the engine and realized a chock was still in place on the right main wheel. He set the parking brake and left the cockpit to remove the chock. Once he removed it, the airplane taxied forward and the wings struck two concrete columns....
October 13, Middlefield, Conn. / Cessna 152
Subscribers Only At about 21:02 eastern time, a Cessna 152 crashed while in cruise flight near Middlefield, killing the pilot. The pilot was returning from a dinner engagement when the airplane crashed into an upsloping wooded area at an elevation of 483 feet msl. The pilot had flown 16 miles from Chester, Conn., to Meriden in order to attend a dinner engagement in New Haven. Afterward, he reportedly was heading directly back to Chester, however a route to Chester would have been on a 128-degree heading and the accident site was six miles from Meriden on a 064 heading. The pilot apparently did not obtain a weather briefing. Visibility at Chester at the time of the accident was 3 miles, with broken clouds at...
October 12, Van Nuys, Calif. / Piper Cherokee 140 and Piper Malibu
Subscribers Only At 18:28 Pacific time, a Piper PA-28-140 and a Piper PA-46-310P collided on runway 16R. No one was injured. The Malibu pilot was cleared to land and advised there would be traffic departing before his arrival. The controller then cleared the Cherokee to taxi into position and hold at intersection 13F and advised the pilot of a Malibu three and a half miles out. The Malibu pilot reported being on final and was again cleared to land. The Cherokee was still holding in position when the Malibu came up from behind....
October 12, Perkasie, Pa. / Cessna Skyhawk
Subscribers Only At 17:20 eastern time, a Cessna 172 went off the runway while landing at Pennridge Airport. The pilot was not injured. The pilot said the setting sun hindered visibility out the windshield as he approached runway 26. As he flared, the sun was directly in his face and the glared turned the airplane’s crazed windshield milky white and made forward visibility impossible. The airplane bounced several times, bending the firewall and floorboard of the airplane....
October 11, Lake Lanier Island, Ga. / Cessna Turbo Stationair
Subscribers Only At about 16:40 eastern time, a Cessna T206H lost engine power and was ditched in Lake Lanier. The pilot and passenger were not injured. The pilot said he was being vectored by ATC while on an IFR flight plan when he heard a bang and felt a vibration. He declared an emergency and got vectors to the nearest airport, but couldn’t reach it, so he elected to ditch the airplane in the lake. The airplane flipped inverted but both occupants made it out of the passenger window....
October 10, Philadelphia, Pa. / Piper Seneca
Subscribers Only At about 16:00 eastern time, a Piper PA-34-200T was damaged during landing at Northeast Philadelphia Airport. The flight instructor and pilot were not injured. The flight instructor said the two checked the gear several times during the approach and followed the prelanding checklist. After a smooth landing, the airplane was rolling to a stop when the right main landing gear collapsed. The airplane veered to the right, and the right wing struck a runway light and the nose gear collapsed. A witness said all three wheels appeared down at the time of landing....
October 09, Dallas, Texas / Beech King Air
Subscribers Only At 13:22 central time, a Beech C90 made a forced landing in a residential area after losing engine power while on approach to Dallas Love Airport. The pilot was seriously injured. The airplane apparently left Dallas in the morning with four passengers. Line personnel in Taos, N.M., reported the airplane landed there and two people deplaned, leaving the airplane empty except for the pilot. The pilot reported that as he turned on the base leg to runway 13L the right engine began to surge. He retracted the gear and turned on the boost pumps, but the airplane was slowing to Vmc, so he reduced power to the left engine and made the forced landing....
October 08, Greenville, N.C. / Cessna 152
Subscribers Only At about 13:12 eastern time, the pilot of a Cessna 152 lost control during the landing roll at Pitt-Greenville Airport. The two occupants were not injured, but the airplane was substantially damaged. The pilot said they were about three hours into a flight planned for two hours, 45 minutes when he decided to divert for fuel. Winds were reported as out of the west/northwest at 10 knots. He landed on runway 2 with no flaps extended, remaining in a crab until just before touchdown, then kicking out of the crab to align with the runway. The airplane landed left main wheel first. The pilot said that the “brakes were locked up” when the right wheel touched down....
October 08, Colorado Springs, Colo. / Cessna Skyhawk
Subscribers Only At approximately 13:02 mountain time, a Cessna 172N was damaged during a hard landing at Colorado Springs Municipal Airport. The student pilot was not injured. The pilot said he was planning to do touch-and-go landings. He said his first approach was fast and he did not flare enough. The airplane hit the runway nose gear first and bounced. He landed the airplane and taxied to the hangar, where inspection revealed a damaged firewall, nose gear and propeller....
October 07, Woodstock, Ala. / Champion 7AC/BCM
Subscribers Only At about 17:00 central time, a Champion 7AC/BCM crashed while maneuvering near Woodstock, killing the pilot. Family members said the pilot made a low pass over their rural residences, then executed two tight 360-degree turns at about 60 to 80 feet agl over the pilot’s mother’s backyard. The airplane made a “pop,” nosed over and crashed in almost a vertical attitude....
October 05, Pittsfield, Pa. / Cessna Centurion
Subscribers Only At 14:40 eastern time, a Cessna 210M broke up in flight near Pittsfield, killing both people aboard. The airplane was cruising at 11,000 feet on an IFR flight plan when it began making several turns left and right, eventually heading in the opposite direction. The airplane then lost 4,000 feet in 24 seconds, at which point transponder returns were lost. Primary returns continued for another 90 seconds. Several witnesses reported hearing a crack and seeing the airplane spiraling down under high power with much of its left wing missing. One Airmet had been issued for occasional moderate turbulence below 10,000 feet and another one had been issued for occasional moderate rime or mixed icing. Th...
October 04, Alvarado, Texas / Beech Baron
Subscribers Only At 13:15 central time, a Beech 95-B55 crashed near Alvarado after the pilot lost control. The pilot and flight instructor were killed. The pilot was the owner of the flight school that operated the airplane, and the flight instructor was the chief pilot. The pilot, who was already multi rated, was working on proficiency. A witness reported hearing the airplanes engine sounds change, then saw the airplane in what appeared to be a flat spin at about 1,500 feet agl. The engines revved again, but the airplane’s attitude did not change. The airplane landed in a flat attitude with no ground scars except those beneath it. The landing gear was extended and the flaps were in an approach position....
October 04, Sargent, Texas / Cessna 150
Subscribers Only At 13:05 central time, a Cessna 150G crashed after takeoff from a private strip near Sargent, killing the pilot. The flight was originating at the time, destined for Baycity, Texas. A witness said the pilot had tried to start the airplane a week earlier, but the engine ran very roughly. On the day of the accident, the owner of the airstrip helped the pilot pull the airplane out of mud in which it had become stuck. It was raining heavily at the time, and the pilot did not perform a preflight inspection or runup. The airplane took off and climbed to about 100 feet agl when it stalled and spun to the ground. Witnesses said the weather conditions at the time were “a thunderstorm.” Initial invest...
October 03, Clarksville, Tenn. / Piper Twin Comanche
Subscribers Only At about 12:15 central time, a Piper PA-30 crashed near Clarksville. The pilot was not injured and the second pilot suffered minor injuries. The pilot was flying the airplane as part of a prepurchase inspection, with the owner, who also held a CFI, riding in the right seat. The left engine failed on takeoff and the attempt to abort the takeoff resulted in a runway excursion. The airplane dragged a wing tip and cartwheeled. Both engines were torn from their mounts....
October 02, Hudson, N.H. / Beech C-45H (Military Twin Beech)
Subscribers Only At about 13:10 eastern time, a Beech C-45H Expeditor crashed during a forced landing in Hudson. The pilot, flight instructor and passenger received minor injuries. The owner, piloting from the left seat, was undergoing a flight review. While in a climb at about 2,000 feet msl, the left engine began to shake. As the instructor reached for the engine failure checklist, the pilot feathered the wrong engine. The pilot said he froze at the controls and was not familiar with the air restart procedures, which required access to buttons the instructor could not reach. The airplane came down on a golf course. The pilot had 872 multi hours, but only 55 in make and model....
October 01, Lindsay, Mont. / Cessna Skyhawk
Subscribers Only At about 17:00 mountain time, a Cessna 172 crashed into terrain while in cruise flight near Lindsay. The pilot, who was seriously injured, had opened a VFR flight plan about 35 minutes earlier. The aircraft was in cruise flight at 300 feet agl when the pilot was distracted by tuning a radio....
Glued to the Ground
Subscribers Only On a coast-to-coast cross country in my 160-hp Warrior, my wife and I made a planned stop at Grand Canyon (GCN) while enroute to Camarillo, Calif., via Las Vegas. We arrived in the late afternoon, intending to leave the next morning for LAS. Instead, we decided it would be fun to see the canyon in morning’s light, and we decided to remain overnight an additional night and leave at 6 a.m. local time since the density altitude was reaching over 8,500 feet msl by mid-morning at the airport’s 6,600 ft elevation. Having experienced the Warrior’s abysmal climb in high density altitude conditions the previous day at El Paso, I was anxious to be in the air no later than 6:30. We arrived at G...
Another ILS Trick
I have some comments on “Nailing The Needles” [Instrument Check, November]. I am a CFII and already made copies of your article for my students, as I think the information may clarify some things to them or at least bring up questions (both will be good). I’d like to add what I consider another major component of an ILS (or any approach): the winds aloft and on the ground. These are taken too lightly prior to starting an approach, but I’ll stick to an ILS since that was the subject. Winds aloft provide a lot of information, including preferred altitudes, freezing levels, potential areas of turbulence and an idea of how you will be correcting for the wind. The enroute portion of the fl...
Dr. Leaky Lines
Subscribers Only The following information is derived from the FAA’s Service Difficulty Reports and Aviation Maintenance Alerts. The FAA is looking into a number of reports and safety recommendations that have arisen as a result of lines behind the instrument panel leaking flammable fluid. The problems are encountered in a variety of models, from old models of aircraft currently in production to out-of-production vintage models to current production models. Part 23 certification rules require a means to minimize the ignition and resultant hazard of ignition associated with the installation of flammable fluid systems. However, many older models do not have to comply with current Part 23 rules....
NTSB Reports
Subscribers Only The following briefs were selected from the 130 preliminary reports filed with the NTSB in October 2001. Statements in quotes were taken directly from the NTSB documents. The information is subject to change as the investigations are completed. Oct. 01, Lindsay, Mont. Cessna Skyhawk At about 17:00 mountain time, a Cessna 172 crashed into terrain while in cruise flight near Lindsay. The pilot, who was seriously injured, had opened a VFR flight plan about 35 minutes earlier. The aircraft was in cruise flight at 300 feet agl when the pilot was distracted by tuning a radio. Oct. 02, Hudson, N.H. Beech C-45H (Military Twin Beech) At about 13:10 easter...
Mad Mixture
Subscribers Only Old airplane and twin-engine psychology take Apache pilot down the wrong road toward emergency landing.
Tighten That Pattern
Subscribers Only In a little airplane, a final longer than a half-mile is a gross waste of national resources. Tighter patterns are better and more fun.
Holey Safety Net
Subscribers Only ELTs are there to aid rescuers, but false alarms are compounded by the fact that ELTs usually don’t work when they should.
Gimme Gyros
Subscribers Only Partial panel isn’t a death sentence, but backups – from simple manifold suction to complete panel redesign – turn it into a nonevent.
From Big to Little
Subscribers Only When slumming down from a heavier airplane to a lighter one, watch the V-speeds and don’t count on the automation; there isn’t any.
Time to Spare
A pilot we know usually starts (and often completes) his preflight in the car on the way to the airport. He calls Flight Service from the cell phone. He pulls the airplane out of the T-hangar, makes sure it’s got both wings and still has a propeller, and away he goes. Most pilots are a bit more diligent, calling Flight Service before leaving home or the office and conducting a more thorough walk-around before parking the car in the hangar and heading out. Some are downright anal-retentive about it, plotting the weather for days before a flight and conducting a 100-hour inspection before lighting the fire. Over the recent Thanksgiving holiday, I was reminded of how many different faces...
Ice: Gutting It Out
Subscribers Only Canceling trips at the mere hint of ice in the forecast is an option. But think it through and you might fly more often than not.