August 2002
May 30, Roosevelt, Ariz. / Cessna Skylane
Subscribers Only At 1130 mountain time, a Cessna 182P struck trees during a precautionary landing at the Grapevine Airport after it experienced a complete loss of electrical power. The pilot and three passengers were not injured. The pilot said the flight was “troublesome” and that he had trouble maintaining both altitude and course. He also reported that ABQ Center was having a hard time receiving radio transmissions from him. The engine temperature instruments suddenly “went all the way to the left” and ABQ Center asked him to ident. Radio contact was lost shortly thereafter. The pilot decided to make a precautionary landing at Grapevine because it was closest to his current position. He flew the traffic p...
May 30, Pleasant Mount, Pa. / Cessna 185
Subscribers Only At about 1850 eastern time, a Cessna A185F crashed in Pleasant Mount, Pa., killing the pilot and passenger. The flight was on an IFR flight plan in VMC when the pilot asked to deviate around weather. The request was approved, but contact with the airplane was lost. Witnesses saw the airplane descending rapidly and breaking apart in the air. They reported rain and clouds in the area, but no severe or violent storms....
May 29, Martinsburg, W.Va. / Beech Bonanza
Subscribers Only At 1510 eastern time, a Beech V35A lost power near Martinsburg and was damaged during the ensuing forced landing. The pilot suffered minor injuries. The pilot had flown the airplane from Warrenton to Hagerstown earlier in the day for a pitot-static inspection. Afterward, the engine would not start until ground power was used. While cruising at 4,000 feet, the pilot reported the airplane “yawed and rolled” and that the engine did not sound right, although it continued to run. The airplane lost altitude and airspeed and the pilot made a forced landing in a field. Initial inspection of the engine showed metal shavings and particles throughout the engine oil system as well as indications that th...
May 29, Conway, S.C. / Beech Bonanza
Subscribers Only At about 1738 eastern time, a Beech F33A was lost from radar and crashed while in cruise flight near Conway. The pilot was killed. The pilot was flying under IFR and was instructed to climb to 4,000 feet. He reported a heading of 330 and said he needed to deviate to the right to avoid a “little buildup.” The controller asked him to fly 360, but the pilot responded he was unable. The controller then instructed him to fly 210 for a vector around traffic. The pilot acknowledged. The controller then said the pilot could resume own navigation and deviate as necessary after he left 2,600 feet, which the pilot acknowledged. The pilot said he would deviate to the south about two to three miles, then...
May 27, Roxbury, N.Y. / Taylorcraft BC-12D
Subscribers Only At about 1450 eastern time, a Taylorcraft BC-12D encountered a reported downdraft and struck terrain during cruise flight. The pilot and passenger were not injured. The pilot was flying from Bloomsburg, Pa., to Freehold, N.Y. at about 2,000 feet msl when the flight got to an area of higher terrain. The pilot climbed to maintain 700 to 1,000 feet agl. As the airplane approached a 3,100-foot ridge at a 30-degree angle, the pilot encountered a downdraft that pushed the airplane into a tree....
May 25, Dayton, Nev. / Cessna 310
Subscribers Only At about 1755 Pacific time, a Cessna 310N made a forced landing short of the runway while on final approach at Dayton. The pilot suffered minor injuries. The pilot said he was on final approach when the left engine quit. He secured the engine, then the right engine quit. The pilot realized that he was landing on the auxiliary fuel tanks, which were nearly empty, and the airplane was too low to attempt an engine restart....
May 24, Jonesville, La. / Piper Twin Comanche
Subscribers Only At approximately 1500 central time, a Piper PA-30 overran the runway at Jonesville Airport. The pilot was not injured. A witness reported that the pilot attempted to land on runway 6 but came in too high and fast to land. He then turned around and made an approach to runway 24. The airplane touched down more than halfway down the 3,000-foot runway and ran off the end....
May 22, Sarasota, Fla. / Cessna Stationair
Subscribers Only At about 0542 eastern time, a Cessna 206H went off the pavement while taxiing for takeoff at Sarasota/Bradenton International Airport. The pilot was not injured. The pilot said he became distracted in the darkness and missed the turn onto the runway. The aircraft ran off the end of the taxiway into the sand and grass airport infield area, where the nose gear and propeller collided with a concrete wiring junction box....
May 22, Mobile, Ariz. / Grob G120A
Subscribers Only At about 1505 mountain time, a Grob G120A making a maintenance test flight crashed while maneuvering near Mobile, killing the pilot. A witness said the airplane was flying fast and low at a 90-degree left bank. The nose pitched toward the ground, then the wings leveled as the airplane struck the ground....
May 20, Newellton, La. / Golden Circle Air T-Bird
Subscribers Only At approximately 1930 central time, an unregistered Golden Circle Air T-Bird crashed while maneuvering near Newellton. The non-certificated pilot and passenger were not injured. The pilot said they were flying at 400 feet agl when he decided to show the passenger a series of stalls. During the second power-off stall the airplane entered a left spin. When recovery from the spin was unsuccessful, the pilot released control of the airplane so “the aircraft could recover on its own.” The airplane crashed in an open field. The pilot added that “as far as I knew the airplane was spin resistant.”...
May 19, Lake in Hills, Ill. / Cessna Turbo Centurion
Subscribers Only At at 1045 central time, a Cessna T210N ran off the end of the 3,058-foot runway after an aborted takeoff from Lake in the Hills Airport. The pilot reported minor injuries and the three passengers aboard reported no injuries....
May 19, King George, Va. / Beech Musketeer
Subscribers Only At about 1020 eastern time, a Beech BE-23 crashed in a residential neighborhood after buzzing a house near King George. The pilot and two passengers were killed. A witness said the pilot routinely flew around the house. On this occasion, the airplane circled twice then dove straight toward the house at high power. It cleared the roof of the house by 25 to 30 feet and then struck trees....
May 17, Olar, S.C. / Luscombe LL-8-E
Subscribers Only At 1631 eastern time, a Luscombe LL-8-E lost elevator control and crashed in Olar, killing the pilot and passenger. Witnesses said the airplane was descending rapidly in a nose-down attitude. Examination of the flight controls found the elevator control cable attachment fitting separated from the elevator push/pull control rod. The attachment bolt and nut were not located....
May 16, Boise, Idaho / Grumman Widgeon
Subscribers Only At approximately 1730 mountain time, a Grumman G-44 lost engine power and struck a house about a mile from Boise Air Terminal. The two pilots received serious injuries but the occupant in the residence was not injured. The pilot said the landing gear did not retract after takeoff and he pumped it up. The airplane then yawed and the engine rpm dropped on the right engine. He was returning to land but the airplane would not maintain altitude. Inspection of the right engine revealed a substantial amount of metal shavings in the fuel filter and bowl. Additional metal shavings were found in the right fuel tank....
May 16, Port Columbus, Ohio / Piper Warrior
Subscribers Only At 0315 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-28-151 was damaged during a forced landing to Interstate 70 in Port Columbus. The pilot and passenger were not injured. The pilot had flown from Columbus, Ohio, to Utica, N.Y., the day before and had used about 33 gallons to make the trip. The topped the fuel tanks with 48 gallons usable for the return trip. His weather briefing called for winds of 15 to 17 knots, but the actual winds aloft were about 36 knots, peaking at 50 knots. The airplane ran out of fuel about 10 miles from its destination. The pilot had gotten his private certificate about five weeks earlier....
May 16, San Diego, Calif. / Cessna Skylane
Subscribers Only At about 1824 Pacific time, a Cessna 182Q overran the runway after landing at Montgomery Field. The pilot was not injured. The pilot said he intended to land long but the sun was in his eyes. After touchdown, he realized that he was further down the runway than he intended. He could not avoid departing the end of the runway and colliding with a light pole....
May 13, Groveland, Calif. / Cessna Turbo Centurion
Subscribers Only At about 1359 Pacific time, a Cessna T210M crashed near Groveland, killing the pilot and passenger. Controllers lost radar and radio contact when the airplane was cruising at 12,500 feet en route from Fullerton to Carson City, Nev. The crankcase had a 3-inch-diameter hole in it above cylinder No. 3 and a fractured connecting rod piece. The propeller showed evidence that it was windmilling at the time of impact....
May 11, South Prairie, Wash. / Grumman American AA-1B
Subscribers Only At about 1115 Pacific time, a Grumman American AA-1B was damaged when it overran the runway at a private airstrip near South Prairie. The pilot was not injured. Witnesses said the airplane touched down approximately 2,000 feet beyond the landing threshold of the 2,650-foot turf runway, continued off the departure end of the runway and collided with a fence....
May 10, Minneapolis, Minn. / Mooney M20F
Subscribers Only At 1315 central time, a Mooney M20F struck the ground and another airplane during a go-around at Minneapolis Crystal Airport. The pilot reported minor injuries and the passenger was uninjured. The pilot said he opted for a go-around because the gear was not extended and the aircraft went off to the left side of runway 24R and struck the tail of a parked Cherokee....
May 10, Watertown, Minn. / Cessna Centurion
Subscribers Only At 2100 central time, a Cessna 210M lost engine power and was damaged in the ensuing forced landing. The pilot reported minor injuries. The pilot had flown 1.1 hours from Minneapolis to Morris, Minn., earlier in the day and was returning to Minneapolis. The return leg had lasted about 2.5 hours because the pilot was shooting approaches at other airports on the way back. The pilot told investigators he had forgotten to switch fuel tanks and, when the engine power vanished, he was indecisive about picking a forced landing site....
May 09, Albuquerque, N.M. / Piper Aerostar
Subscribers Only At approximately 1147 mountain time, a Piper 602P landed gear-up at Albuquerque International Airport after losing power on the left engine during final approach to runway 3. The pilot and three passengers were not injured. The pilot said the airplane was on final in turbulence and a strong crosswind. The pilot and controller were discussing using a different runway when the left engine lost power. The pilot told the controller he’d lost engine power and requested a go-around. He flew the airplane back around to the runway and determined he could hold the heading with the crosswind. The airplane was at a low altitude and the pilot waited to extend the gear to ensure he’d make it to the runwa...
May 08, Sacramento, Calif. / Cessna 152
Subscribers Only At 1415 Pacific time, a Cessna 152 struck two parked fuel trucks while taxiing for takeoff at Sacramento Executive Airport. The pilot and passenger were not injured. The pilot said she had just started the airplane after fueling it and wanted to move her seat forward slightly. She grabbed the dash with one hand while releasing the seat lock with the other. The seat then slid all the way back on the tracks and her feet came off the pedals. The airplane began to move forward and she could not reach the pedals....
May 01, Baltimore, Md. / Beech 400A
Subscribers Only At 1653 eastern time, a Beechjet 400A overran the runway during landing at Baltimore-Washington International Airport. The two pilots and four passengers were not injured. The captain was making the landing and did not hear the flight cleared for a visual approach. As the copilot began programming the FMS for the ILS approach and the pilot began entering frequencies, the FMS locked up because only one terminal can be active at a time. The airplane came in fast and hot. The pilot estimated the speed on final at about 140 knots, the copilot estimated it at about 153 knots and the radar track showed the groundspeed was going 166 knots over the threshold at 300 feet. The copilot called for a go-...
May 05, Perry, Ga. / Hispano Aviacion HA-200-Saeta
Subscribers Only At about 1700 eastern time, a Hispano Aviacion HA-200 Saeta crashed in Perry, killing the pilot. Witnesses said the aircraft appeared to be moving slowly during the takeoff and initial climb and stayed at a high pitch attitude after it had rotated. The airplane then entered a 90-degree banking turn to the left, as if the pilot was attempting to make it back to the airport. During the turn the aircraft crashed....
May 02, Davenport, Wash. / American Champion Super Decathlon
Subscribers Only At about 1230 Pacific time, an American Champion 8KCAB cartwheeled during the takeoff ground roll from Davenport Airport. The pilot and his passenger were not injured. The pilot said he was taking off from runway 23 with a 15-knot wind from 200 degrees that was gusting to 30. The aircraft came out from behind a row of hangars that parallel the runway when a gust of wind picked up the left wing....
May 02, Tuckerman, Ark.: Cessna Skylane
Subscribers Only At 1645 central time, a Cessna 182G struck a levee during a forced landing following a loss of engine power near Tuckerman. The pilot sustained minor injuries and his passenger was seriously injured. The flight had been airborne for about 2 hours and 10 minutes when the engine began sputtering and quit. The pilot attempted to glide to a grass airstrip but hit about 60 feet short. Examination showed the left fuel filler cap was loose and its clip was broken. The fuel tanks were topped off before takeoff and the pilot had put duct tape over the left fuel filler cap, but the fuel still siphoned out of the tank....
Weather Warrior
Subscribers Only I flew from Ft. Worth to Denver shortly after getting my instrument ticket late last year and picked up more ice than I ever care to have on my aircraft again. Even with the prop heated on my Mooney 252, it was still shaking and shedding ice, signaling to me that it was time (a.k.a. past time) to descend to lose some ice. I remained over flat terrain in west Texas and eastern Colorado and managed to learn a lot about ice build-up and its impact on aircraft performance. The guys on the glycol truck in Denver said they’d never seen so much ice on a small plane before – and I hope I never do again. Given the temperatures in Denver at the time, the ice remained in descent and even after sitti...
Attacking Showers
I had read Richard Taylor’s article “IFR for VFR Pilots” [Instrument Check, May] when I encountered the following situation: Returning to Honolulu from Molokai, the weather was gorgeous, except for a 2,500-foot overcast as we got closer to the Class B airport. It was a “Kona” day, meaning the winds were coming opposite the normal “tradewind” direction, and the runways were reversed. This means the general aviation approach is to runway 22, with the mountains rising behind you on final. I was VFR, and given discretion on altitude plus an early landing clearance. Visibility was over 10 miles under 2,500, but there were rain pockets beyond the airport, which were thick but isolated, and...
O No
Subscribers Only The following information is derived from the FAA’s Service Difficulty Reports and Aviation Maintenance Alerts. ---------- The FAA has issued a safety recommendation regarding a batch of “O” rings manufactured by Parker and distributed by Valtec because the rings may swell excessively when coming into contact with avgas. The problem first came to light after the fuel selector valve on a Cessna 180 was rebuilt and the engine then suffered fuel starvation. The O ring had enlarged to twice its original size. The O rings in question bear a part number of MS29513-112, a package date of 06/01 and a lot number of 60002401. The manufacturer concluded that the lot was made from the wrong materi...
NTSB Preliminary Reports
Subscribers Only The following briefs were selected from the 176 preliminary reports filed with the NTSB in May 2002. Statements in quotes were taken directly from the NTSB documents. The information is subject to change as the investigations are completed. Click here to view "Accident Totals, May." ---------- May 01, Baltimore, Md. Beech 400A At 1653 eastern time, a Beechjet 400A overran the runway during landing at Baltimore-Washington International Airport. The two pilots and four passengers were not injured. The captain was making the landing and did not hear the flight cleared for a visual approach. As the copilot began programming the...
Tragic Turn
Subscribers Only Malibu loses engine on takeoff and the pilot hightails it to the runway, only to come up short on altitude and airspeed.
Belly Flop
Subscribers Only Accident stats notwithstanding, gear-related mishaps account for more than half the unhappy endings to flights in retracts.
5 Big Decisions
Subscribers Only You’ll make lots of choices in your flying career, but none will be more important than these. Better know how to handle ’em.
Mission Interruptus
Subscribers Only Troubling words from a pilot’s mouth: “Uh, where were we?”
No Radar, No ’Scope
Subscribers Only You can fly convective conditions without radar or Stormscope. Remain visual, use ground radar and cut your losses early.
Link by Link
The accident chain, like most, was as obvious in retrospect as it was elusive at the time. Consider these links: Link 1: The pilot and his four passengers absolutely, positively had to be at the destination, 300 miles away, by early the next morning. There was an event that could not be missed, even if it meant driving. A short weather delay would be OK, but a substantial one would not. Link 2: The pilot had had a stressful week, with both professional and personal anxiety and bouts of poor sleep. Link 3: He had gone out with friends the night before the anticipated flight, returning home well after midnight and facing an early wakeup call. Link 4: Th...
Taxi Smack
Subscribers Only Driving the airplane to and from the runway is a piece of cake, right? Not for the dozens who prang something each year.