November 2004
August 28, 2004, Prescott, Ariz. / American Champion 8KCAB and American Champion 8KCAB
Subscribers Only The two aircraft collided in midair at about 0840 Mountain time while performing formation aerobatics and were destroyed. The Commercial pilot and Airline Transport pilot flying the two airplanes were fatally injured. Both were on the faculty of the nearby Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. Visual conditions prevailed for the flights, the purpose of which was to practice an aerobatic routine. Witnesses in the area reported that the two airplanes had been practicing aerobatics in the area for about a week and they had become familiar with the routine. They indicated that the airplanes had completed the routine and were setting up for a second run through the routine when the accident occur...
August 20, 2004, Clarkson, N.Y. / Piper PA-31P
Subscribers Only At 1334 Eastern time the airplane collided with terrain and was destroyed during a forced landing. The Airline Transport pilot was fatally injured at the conclusion of the positioning flight that originated in Batavia, New York (3G8), approximately 10 minutes earlier. The flight’s purpose was to return the airplane to its home base in Rochester, N.Y., after an annual inspection and reinstalling the right engine following repair. Shortly before the crash, at 1332:06, the pilot announced that he had “lost” an engine and requested vectors back to Batavia. At 1332:20, the pilot said he could not reach Batavia and opted to land at the Ledgedale Airport (7G0) in Brockport, N.Y. At 1334:01, the pil...
August 17, 2004, Tulsa, Okla. / Cessna T210L
Subscribers Only The airplane was destroyed at about 1712 Central time when it spun to the ground and subsequently burned near Richard Lloyd Jones Jr. Airport (RVS). The Instrument-rated Private pilot and his two passengers were fatally injured. Visual conditions prevailed for the cross-country flight that was originating at the time. ATC tower recordings indicate that the pilot was cleared for takeoff at 1710. Approximately 100 seconds later the pilot reported the he had oil on his windscreen and would like to return to the airport. A witness later said that the accident airplane leveled off at approximately 300 feet, slowed, and made a right turn to return to the airport. He said that it rotated to the rig...
August 14, 2004, Paradise Key, Fla. / Cessna U206B
Subscribers Only At about 1451 Eastern time, the airplane was ditched into the water in the Dry Tortugas National Park, Fla. Visual conditions prevailed. The Airline Transport pilot and three passengers received minor injuries; one passenger received fatal injuries. The flight was conducted to film islands in the Dry Tortugas. As the flight progressed and was in the area of Fort Jefferson, the engine sputtered and ceased operating. The pilot was able to get the engine operating again, but about three minutes later it stopped and did not restart. Everyone aboard was able to egress the airplane except for one passenger, who had asked that a rope be tied around him so that he would not fall out of the airplane...
August 13, 2004, Rose Lake, Idaho / Cessna U206G
Subscribers Only The float-equipped airplane operating as a Part 135 on-demand charter was substantially damaged at about 1320 Pacific time after striking powerlines while on final approach to Killkarney Lake. Neither the Commercial pilot nor his two passengers were injured. Visual conditions prevailed. The pilot subsequently reported that he flew over the area at approximately 500 feet AGL before attempting to land. While on final approach, the airplane was at approximately 50 feet AGL when he saw the wires. The pilot reported that he immediately added full power to raise the nose when the top wire went over the top of the floats, catching the float struts. The pilot stated that the wire broke off the right...
August 13, 2004, Spanish Fork, Utah / Cessna 172P
Subscribers Only At approximately 0730 Mountain time, the airplane was destroyed when it impacted trees and terrain while maneuvering approximately 20 miles east of Spanish Fork, Utah. Visual conditions prevailed; the pilot and one passenger on board the airplane were seriously injured. Two other passengers had minor injuries. According to one of the passengers, the airplane was flying in a canyon. As the pilot tried to pull up, the engine “sputtered a little bit” and struck trees. The engine sounded like it was “bogging down” before the tree strike....
August 10, 2004, Durango, Colo. / Mooney M20J
Subscribers Only The aircraft was substantially damaged when it impacted the edge of a road, just prior to the approach end of Runway 01 at the Durango-Animas Air Park (5CO0), Durango, Colo., at about 1605 Mountain time. Visual conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The Private pilot and two passengers reported no injuries; a third passenger sustained minor injuries. The cross-country flight originated at Albuquerque, New Mexico, at 1440. The pilot reported that, at approximately 300 feet AGL on final approach, the airplane began to sink rapidly. The pilot said he applied full power, and barely cleared a drop-off on the approach end of the runway. He also said that the stall warning horn was sound...
August 4, 2004, Mineral Wells, Texas / Piper PA-32-260
Subscribers Only At approximately 1140 Central time, the airplane was destroyed when it departed controlled flight, impacting power lines and terrain one mile northwest of the Mineral Wells (Texas) Municipal Airport. Visual conditions prevailed for the test flight by a Commercial pilot and Private-pilot rated passenger. Both sustained fatal injuries. According to several witnesses, the accident airplane was observed flying over Runway 31 at approximately 150 feet AGL and “flying rather slow.” The airplane then “pulled-up hard” and banked to the right. and was observed to descend below the tree line. The airplane was found, inverted, in an open field, directly under power lines. A power pole, located 430 fee...
Learning Experiences: 11/04
Subscribers Only Changing Weather After a beautiful morning of flying in a 300-hp Cessna 182 from Steamboat Springs, Colo. (SBS), to Telluride and back, my flying buddy and I decided to have breakfast at a local restaurant then return to our home base of Fort Collins, Colo. It had been an incredibly smooth and uneventful flight. The aspens were already turning their fall colors despite it still being late August. After breakfast, we proceeded back to SBS, pre-flighted and observed some ominous-looking clouds coming from the southwest. The skies over SBS and eastward looked very clear and promising and a call for a weather briefing indicated that our 40-minute flight over the mountains to For...
Squawk Box: 11/04
Subscribers Only The following information is derived from the FAA’s Service Difficulty Reports and Aviation Maintenance Alerts. ---------- Cessna Model T210M Alternate Air Door Magnet The engine alternate air door is held closed with a magnetic latch (P/N 1250938-8). The magnetic latch has two small plates bonded to the magnet that make contact with the alternate air door. One of the steel plates debonded due to age and vibration. The plate was ingested into the turbocharger. The turbo was destroyed causing a total loss of boost and a return landing. Metal from the turbo passed through the induction and oil systems causing major damage. The submitter stated they have found two other T21...
NTSB Preliminary Reports: 11/04
Subscribers Only August 4, 2004, Mineral Wells, Texas Piper PA-32-260 At approximately 1140 Central time, the airplane was destroyed when it departed controlled flight, impacting power lines and terrain one mile northwest of the Mineral Wells (Texas) Municipal Airport. Visual conditions prevailed for the test flight by a Commercial pilot and Private-pilot rated passenger. Both sustained fatal injuries. According to several witnesses, the accident airplane was observed flying over Runway 31 at approximately 150 feet AGL and “flying rather slow.” The airplane then “pulled-up hard” and banked to the right. and was observed to descend below the tree line. The airplane was found, inverted, in a...
Ice Box
Subscribers Only This time of year, almost any forecast includes a chance for airframe ice. Here’s why to pay attention.
When Feathers Fly
Subscribers Only Birdstrikes are a growing problem for all types of aircraft and all operators. Here’s why, along with some tips on minimizing the risk.
Straight Ahead
Subscribers Only Directional and lateral stability help make an airplane a good IFR platform. Here’s why along with some tips on how to measure it.
Redundant Singles?
Subscribers Only Some basic planning and a few bucks means redundancy in a single doesn’t have to be an oxymoron. Here are some tips on making it so.
Insurer’s Wish List
Subscribers Only The FARs set minimum standards everybody is free to exceed. But what would they look like if aviation insurance companies wrote them?
Mid-Teens Physiology
Subscribers Only Climbing to the flight levels puts your body through major changes that mere oxygen can’t address. Here’s what’s going on and some tips on how to minimize the effects.
Unicom: 11/04
Grossing Out I very much enjoyed the article on weight and balance (“Positioning Pounds,” July 2004). It is my understanding that the poor full-fuel payloads we see in virtually all of our Part 23 single-engine aircraft have to do with the manufacturers’ meeting the rather arbitrary 61 knot Vso requirement. For instance, the new TBM 700C2 max gross weight was increased by 815 pounds because Socata took advantage of an exception to the 61 knot Vso requirement. It had to provide crashworthy seats able to tolerate 20-G decelerations. The Vso for the 700C2 is 65 knots. Same wing and same engine as other TBMs, yet it gets a tremendous increase in max weights. Also, the FAA grants...
ATC, Again
Even in the worst of times, the men and women working the scopes and the frequencies at your friendly neighborhood ATC facility usually refrained from allowing politics or personal opinions from interfering with their official duties. This was true following the August 1981 PATCO strike, during peak airline delays and congestion in 2000 and 2001 and in the aftermath of the September 11 terrorist attacks. In fact, late 2001 saw unprecedented cooperation between controllers and operators alike as we all struggled with airspace requirements and traffic levels that changed on a daily basis. That’s the way it should be: professionals working together to get the job done as efficiently and as saf...