October 2004
July 11, 2004, Atlantic City, N.J. / Beech E95 Travel Air
Subscribers Only The airplane was substantially damaged on impacting water while attempting to land at the Atlantic City Municipal Airport/Bader Field (AIY) in Atlantic City, N.J., at about 1215 Eastern time. The Private pilot and passenger were fatally injured. Visual conditions prevailed. A witness at the departure end of Runway 11 waiting to take off stated that he heard the pilot of the accident airplane report short final, followed by an announcement that he was going around because he had a problem. The witness observed the accident airplane “flip, tail under” and when it was “upside down, it performed a roll back to normal attitude, before entering into a left spin.” The spin did not look like a “norm...
July 11, 2004, Paris, Ark. / Cessna 172I
Subscribers Only The Cessna struck several trees and subsequently impacted terrain approximately 0.42 miles east of the Paris-Subiaco Municipal Airport in Paris, Ark., at about 0530. Both the pilot and the pilot-rated passenger aboard were killed. Instrument conditions prevailed as the pair departed for a short cross-country flight. A witness near the airport said he heard the airplane but did not see it. The witness said that fog limited visibility to about 50 feet. No flight plan was on file....
July 10, 2004, Arlington, Wash. / Starduster SA100DL and Starduster SA300
Subscribers Only At about 1735 Pacific time, the two Experimental airplanes collided while taxiing at Arlington Municipal Airport in Arlington, Washington. Visual conditions prevailedSubsequently, the pilots reported that they were to be a flight of two. Starduster SA100DL was in the lead taxiing to the runway with Starduster SA300 in trail. Because of the air show that was going on at the time, Starduster SA100DL was receiving hand signals from the temporary tower controller. The controller signaled the pilot of Starduster SA100DL to stop for other traffic, which he did. However the pilot of Starduster SA300 failed to stop, impacting the left wing of Starduster SA100DL. The latter aircraft suffered substant...
July 10, 2004, Ticonderoga, N.Y. / Piper PA-31-350
Subscribers Only At about 0900 Eastern time, the aircraft was destroyed after impacting trees and terrain near Ticonderoga, N.Y. The 32,000-hour Airline Transport pilot and his passenger were fatally injured. Visual conditions prevailed for the flight between Waterbury-Oxford Airport (OXC), Oxford, Conn., and Ticonderoga Municipal Airport (4B6), Ticonderoga, N.Y. Weather at the nearest recorded facility, an airport about 35 nm south, at 0853, included clear skies and a visibility of 10 miles. The wreckage was located in a saddleback on the western side of Old Fort Mountain, at about 1740 feet of elevation. The top of Old Fort Mountain was between the wreckage site and the airport, and rose to about 2030 feet...
July 08, 2004, Boise, Idaho / Extra 300L
Subscribers Only The acrobatic airplane was destroyed after impacting terrain during maneuvering flight near Boise, Idaho, at about 1800 Mountain time. The Airline Transport pilot and sole passenger were seriously injured. Visual conditions prevailed. A witness reported that the airplane was coming out of a “loop” on the downside of the maneuver when it failed to pull up in time to clear the ground. The witness stated that he saw the airplane impact the ground in a slightly nose-up attitude, cartwheel after its left wing impacted the ground, then observed a cloud of dust before the aircraft came to rest inverted. The wreckage path was 345 feet long from initial ground impact to the final airplane component....
July 08, 2004, Fernandina beach, Fla. / Cessna 172 RG
Subscribers Only At 1045 Eastern time, the accident aircraft landed wheels-up at the Fernandina Beach Municipal Airport, Fernandina Beach, Fla. The airplane was being flown by the pilot during a Commercial Single Engine practical test at the time. Neither the Private pilot or the check airman were injured. Visual conditions prevailed. The airplane sustained substantial damage....
July 07, 2004, Seal Beach, Calif. / Harmon Rocket II
Subscribers Only At 0819 Pacific time, the Experimental aircraft impacted a residence following an uncontrolled descent; the airplane was destroyed by impact forces and a post-crash fire. The Airline Transport pilot, who also was the aircraft’s builder and registered owner, was fatally injured; three people on the ground sustained minor injuries. A combination of instrument and visual conditions prevailed along the route, from Torrance, Calif., to Chino, Calif.; the flight was conducted under IFR. The pilot was cleared to climb to 5000 feet and the airplane’s Mode C transponder return indicated 5300 feet msl before ATC lost radar contact. According to a witness, the airplane came out of 600-foot ceiling in a...
July 06, 2004, Hailey, Idaho / Mooney M20R
Subscribers Only The airplane was substantially damaged following a loss of control while landing at the Friedman Memorial Airport (SUN) in Hailey, Idaho, at about 1542 local time. The Private pilot and sole occupant was not injured. The pilot subsequently reported that, while on approach to Runway 31, he was keeping his speed up and “landed hot” due to a jet which was behind him. The pilot stated that he initially touched down in the first 300 feet of the available runway, but bounced twice. The pilot further stated, “I didn’t like the landing and decided to go around.” The pilot reported that after the second bounce, and while still airborne, he added full power, “...but nothing happened. There was no acce...
July 06, 2004, Batavia, Ohio / Grumman American AA-1
Subscribers Only At about 1500 Eastern time, the accident aircraft was substantially damaged during an attempted takeoff from the Clermont County Airport in Batavia, Ohio. Both aboard sustained minor injuries. Visual conditions prevailed. During the first attempted takeoff from Runway 22 (paved, 3568 feet), “the pilot was not able to obtain enough lift.” During the second attempt, witnesses observed the airplane in a steep pitch attitude. It then descended into a field and flipped over. A weight-and-balance calculation performed by an FAA inspector after the accident revealed the airplane was about 110 pounds above its maximum gross takeoff weight. In addition, the runway sloped upward, approximately 30 feet...
July 05, 2004, Wilmot, N.H. / Lake LA-4-200
Subscribers Only The amphibian was substantially damaged when it impacted terrain in Wilmot, N.H., at about 1500 local time. The Instrument-rated Private pilot was seriously injured; his passenger was fatally injured. Instrument conditions prevailed, but no flight plan was filed. The flight departed the Clinton County Airport (PLB) in Plattsburgh, N.Y., and was en route to the Concord Municipal Airport (CON) in Concord, New Hampshire. The airplane and pilot were located at about 1851 local time, at an elevation of 2490 feet on the western side of Mount Kearsarge, which has a summit of 2937 feet. An area witness reported at the time of the accident that Mount Kearsarge was obscured by a cloud layer from its s...
July 04, 2004, Paxton, Mass. / Cessna 150
Subscribers Only The aircraft was substantially damaged during a forced landing in Paxton, Mass., at about 2100 local time; the Private pilot was not injured. Night visual conditions prevailed. According to an FAA inspector, the engine lost power, and the pilot force-landed about ¾ of a mile from Spencer Airport’s Runway 19. There was no sign of fuel leakage on either the airplane or the ground. The right fuel tank appeared to be empty, and the left fuel tank had a small, unknown quantity of fuel. When the airplane was moved into an upright position, 2.4 gallons of fuel were drained from the left wing, and 43 ounces of fuel were drained from the right wing. There was no fuel in the gascolater, and about a te...
July 03, 2004, Cheyenne, Wyo. / Cessna T210J
Subscribers Only At 1341 Mountain time the aircraft was substantially damaged when it collided with a fence and drainage ditch during an off-airport forced landing at Cheyenne, Wyo. The Private pilot, the sole occupant on board, received minor injuries. Visual conditions prevailed. Subsequently, the pilot stated that the engine lost power during his final approach. Post-accident examination by an FAA airworthiness inspector revealed that the bolt and nut that attaches the throttle control cable to the fuel induction was missing. On April 1, 2004, the engine had been removed and inspected for metal contamination, necessitating removing the throttle control cable from the fuel induction....
July 02, 2004, Tocumen, Panama / Israel Aircraft Industries 1124
Subscribers Only The U.S.-registered Westwind jet was operating as a Part 135 air ambulance flight when it crashed into a building after departing from Tocumen International Airport (MPTY), Tocumen, Panama, at 1338 Eastern time. The airplane was destroyed by impact forces and post-crash fire; all six occupants on the airplane were fatally injured and a seventh person was fatally injured on the ground. Visual conditions prevailed and an IFR flight plan had been filed. The flight originated in Quito, Ecuador, and stopped in Tocumen for fuel. The flight was destined for Milan, Italy, via another fuel and crew-change stop at the Dulles International Airport. According to the Panama Autoridad Aeronautica Civil, t...
July 02, 2004, Hot Springs, Ark. / Piper PA-32-300
Subscribers Only At 1043 Central daylight time, the aircraft was substantially damaged while maneuvering near Hot Springs, Ark. The Instrument-rated Private pilot/owner, the sole occupant, was fatally injured. The pilot was cleared for the ILS Runway 5 approach at Hot Springs. According to data retrived from a handheld GPS navigator, the flight approached the airport from the southwest and was abeam the final approach fix at an altitude of 3055 feet. The airplane made a series of left and right turns along the localizer until it was abeam the missed approach point at an altitude of 2536 feet. For the next two minutes and 30 seconds, the airplane continued to descend on a heading away from the airport until c...
Learning Experiences: 10/04
Subscribers Only A Touchy Subject About a year ago I was practicing solo landings in preparation for my FAA checkride to become a new private pilot. I was at a familiar untowered airport that gets busy and on this particular day it was exactly that. I announced my intent to complete a “touch and go, closed pattern” and received a reply from the plane behind me that he had me in sight and would land on the same runway. I approached the runway with 30 degrees flaps and made a nice touch down. Carb heat off, full throttle, I hastened to take off and not delay anyone behind me. To my surprise, the aircraft (a Cessna 172) sprang into flight at about 40 knots, not a safe speed. I forced the n...
Squawk Box: 10/04
Subscribers Only The following information is derived from the FAA’s Service Difficulty Reports and Aviation Maintenance Alerts. ---------- Various Cessna single-engine pistons KAP-140 Autopilots A new Airworthiness Directive, AD 2004-15-19, supercedes AD 2003-24-13, which applies to certain Cessna Models 172R, 172S, 182S, 182T, T182T, 206H, and T206H airplanes equipped with a certain Honeywell KAP 140 autopilot computer system installed on the center instrument control panel near the throttle. The superceded AD (2003-24-13) requires, among other actions, installing an update to the operating software of certain KAP 140 autopilot computer systems. The new AD (2004-15-19) results from the...
Handheld IFR?
Subscribers Only It’s tough enough to shoot an IFR approach without the proper equipment aboard.
NTSB Preliminary Reports
Subscribers Only July 02, 2004, Hot Springs, Ark. Piper PA-32-300 At 1043 Central daylight time, the aircraft was substantially damaged while maneuvering near Hot Springs, Ark. The Instrument-rated Private pilot/owner, the sole occupant, was fatally injured. The pilot was cleared for the ILS Runway 5 approach at Hot Springs. According to data retrived from a handheld GPS navigator, the flight approached the airport from the southwest and was abeam the final approach fix at an altitude of 3055 feet. The airplane made a series of left and right turns along the localizer until it was abeam the missed approach point at an altitude of 2536 feet. For the next two minutes and 30 seconds, the airpl...
Touch And Goes?
Subscribers Only Most of us do them to sharpen our landings. But are they worth the risk? Here’s what you need to know about touch-and-go landings.
Avionics 401
Subscribers Only TFRs are not part of your Garmin 430/530 data base. But they can be. Here’s how to enter them.
Surviving An Interception
Subscribers Only With temporary flight restrictions popping up like summer thunderstorms, the chances of inadvertently straying into one and being intercepted are greater than ever. Here’s what you need to know, just in case.
Circle To IPC
Subscribers Only The FAA’s new Practical Test Standards will require a circling approach during an Instrument Proficiency Check. Here’s what you need to know.
Dry Tanking
Subscribers Only Running your tanks bone dry and topping them off is the only way to know how much gas is really aboard. The results may surprise you.
Unicom: 10/04
Right-Of-Way? Your July 2004 article, “Five Pattern Sins,” includes the statement, “The classic conflict is the straight-in approach that T-Bones an airplane on base leg which, technically, has the right of way.” I don’t think the FARs agree. While the lower aircraft is usually the one with the right-of-way, an aircraft on final approach has the right-of-way over all other aircraft in flight. This means downwind, base and anywhere other than on final. “Final approach” is not defined in the regulations; the AIM attempts to define as the leg of the pattern between base and the runway along the runway centerline, but it’s not a comonly accepted definition. The Pilot/Controll...
Less Is More
On September 1, the FAA’s new rules implementing the Sport pilot certificate and Light Sport aircraft category (LSA) went into effect. This long-awaited set of regulatory changes is designed to make general aviation’s lower end more affordable and accessible by relaxing rules on pilot training and aircraft certification in exchange for certain specified operational limits. It represents the culmination of many years of work by industry and the FAA, especially the Experimental Aircraft Association and the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Asssociation. Given the current regulatory and political environment, it’s a miracle the new rules ever saw the light of day, much less made it all the way thr...