December 2004
September 19, 2004, Peters, Calif. / Cirrus SR-22
Subscribers Only At 1550 Pacific time, the airplane contacted trees in a walnut orchard during an emergency descent following an encounter with weather and a loss of control at about 16,000 feet MSL. The pilot deployed the Cirrus Airframe Parachute System (CAPS) and the airplane made a parachute landing into the walnut orchard. Neither the Instrument-rated Commercial pilot nor the single passenger aboard were injured; the airplane was substantially damaged. Instrument conditions prevailed; an instrument flight plan had been filed but not activated. The pilot subsequently reported that he was passing through 14,000 feet MSL with the autopilot set at 100 feet per minute (fpm) rate of climb while using suppleme...
September 15, 2004, Magee, Mississippi / Cessna 336
Subscribers Only The Student pilot and three non-rated passengers were killed when the twin-engine airplane crashed in night visual conditions at about 0250 Central time. The flight originated in Atmore, Ala., earlier the same morning; a search for the airplane and its occupants was not initiated until September 25, 2004, when a family member contacted local law enforcement. The accident airplane was discovered on October 4 , 2004, by the Mississippi Wing of the Civil Air Patrol. The Student pilot had accumulated a total of 96.5 flight hours, of which about 43.3 flight hours were in the same make and model airplane as the accident airplane. In addition, records showed that the pilot had a total of 3.4 hours...
September 13, 2004, Stanley, Idaho / Cessna U206F
Subscribers Only At about 1945 Mountain time, the airplane collided with mountainous terrain while maneuvering about 17 nautical miles northwest of Stanley, Idaho. Instrument conditions prevailed at the accident site; no flight plan was filed. The aircraft was substantially damaged and the Commercial pilot, the sole occupant, was fatally injured. The flight departed from Pistol Creek, a private mountain airstrip about 1925. This was a flight of two aircraft that were returning to Stanley after dropping off freight at Pistol Creek. The pilot of the other aircraft reported that the flight encountered fog and clouds while en route and had to circle. Both pilots were in radio contact while circling. The pilot of...
September 12, 2004, Chesterfield, Mo. / Cessna 182T
Subscribers Only The airplane was destroyed and all four aboard were fatally injured on impacting trees and terrain on Howell Island, near Chesterfield, Mo., during a go-around from Runway 26R at the Spirit of St Louis Airport (SUS) at about 2116 Central time. Night visual conditions prevailed. The flight originated from Sikeston Memorial Municipal Airport, near Sikeston, Mo., and was in the pattern at SUS performing a go-around maneuver at the time of the accident. After a first landing attempt, the flight was cleared to make right traffic for Runway 26R and the pilot confirmed the clearance for right traffic. That was the last transmission received....
September 11, 2004, Lake Wales, Fla. / Piper PA-23-250
Subscribers Only At 0528 Eastern time, the Commercial pilot and observer were fatally injured when the airplane collided with a 520-foot television tower. The aerial application flight originated from the Lake Wales Municipal Airport at 0500. According to the operator, the airplane was spraying for mosquitos under contract with the state of Florida. Witnesses in the area stated that they heard the airplane and could see its marker lights. However, at the time of the accident no one recalled seeing any lights on the television tower. They did recall hearing the generator, which normally powered the television tower when power in the local area was out. Examination of the accident site disclosed that the top 2...
September 10, 2004, Cleveland, Ga. / Christian Eagle II
Subscribers Only The airplane collided with the ground while performing a series of aerobatic maneuvers. The Airline Transport pilot and his passenger received fatal injuries; the airplane was substantially damaged. According to a witness, the airplane made four passes near his location. On each pass the witness saw the airplane do a slow roll or a loop, and on two passes the airplane did both a roll and a loop. On the last pass, the airplane did a slow aileron roll, flew a short distance and did an inside loop. As the airplane came out of the loop, it never returned to horizontal flight but flew out of the bottom of the loop in a shallow dive at an angle of about 15 degrees....
September 9, 2004, Rachel, Texas / Piper PA-32R-300
Subscribers Only At approximately 0614 Central time, the airplane was destroyed after impacting terrain following loss of control while maneuvering near Rachel, Texas. The pilot, sole occupant of the airplane was fatally injured. Instrument conditions prevailed for the Part 135 cargo flight, which originated in San Antonio, Texas, and was destined for McAllen, Texas. Preliminary radar data show the airplane cruising at 9000 feet MSL at 0537 when the pilot requested to descend to 7000 feet. Almost 20 minutes later, the pilot reported losing his vacuum system and then requested a descent to 5000 feet. Radar data depicted the airplane passing through 6600 feet at 0606. At 0613, the pilot requested to divert to...
September 1, 2004, Willits, Calif. / Cessna 172S
Subscribers Only The airplane was destroyed and the Private pilot received minor injuries after descending into trees about 1/8th mile west of the Willits Municipal Airport. Visual conditions prevailed for the dark, nighttime flight that originated in Watsonville, Calif., about 90 minutes earlier. The pilot reported no mechanical malfunctions during the flight; the airplane’s landing light was functional, although he did not use it. According to the pilot, he was attempting to locate his home base airport. Upon arriving in the vicinity of the airport, he keyed the airplane’s radio transmitter to activate the airport’s runway lights. The pilot reported that he made two such attempts and both were unsuccessful...
Learning Experiences: 12/04
Subscribers Only Chain of Events On a cold, clear night a few years ago, I convinced myself that I needed to re-establish my night currency so I could carry passengers after the sun goes down. In retrospect, I guess I really wanted to prove that I could fly by myself at night. Kidding myself was the first of several stupid mistakes I made. One of the things I did that night was smart—I arrived at the airport before dark to preflight the airplane I had scheduled. At the time, it was the only plane operated by the FBO with which I was familiar. After darkness fell, I walked out to it, climbed in and ran the checklist. Soon, the engine was idling and I was copying the ATIS, preparing my ini...
Squawk Box: 12/04
Subscribers Only The following information is derived from the FAA’s Service Difficulty Reports and Aviation Maintenance Alerts. ---------- Beech Model 200 King Air Rudder Boost Malfunction During a rudder boost test, the right rudder pedal remained at full deflection, even with the engines at idle. When the system was turned off, both pedals returned to center. The rudder solenoid, p/n 717 was determined to be the culprit. The submitter stated if the system failed on final approach or during takeoff, the result could be devastating. Part total time: 1185.7 hours. Cessna Model 150G Windshield Departed In Flight The pilot reported that a section of the windshield (P/N 0...
NTSB Preliminary Reports
Subscribers Only Click here to view "By the Numbers." ---------- September 1, 2004, Willits, Calif. Cessna 172S The airplane was destroyed and the Private pilot received minor injuries after descending into trees about 1/8th mile west of the Willits Municipal Airport. Visual conditions prevailed for the dark, nighttime flight that originated in Watsonville, Calif., about 90 minutes earlier. The pilot reported no mechanical malfunctions during the flight; the airplane’s landing light was functional, although he did not use it. According to the pilot, he was attempting to locate his home base airport. Upon arriving in the vicinity of the airport...
Four Minutes
Subscribers Only Few things demand getting the airplane on the ground more quickly than an in-flight fire. Here’s why.
Losing Control
Subscribers Only Handling a crosswind correctly means maintaining directional control. Here are six common tools you can use to prevent runway excursions.
Fighting Fatigue
Subscribers Only Fatigue can have a measurable impact, even when you think you’re rested. Here’s what the studies say and how you can fight back.
Accidental Pilots
Subscribers Only If you became incapacitated, would your passenger know how to get the plane back on the ground? Here’s what you can do to improve the odds.
Do Or Die?
Subscribers Only Each flight involves assessing risk and making judgment calls. How does your decision-making ability stack up against other pilots?
Finding Ice
Subscribers Only It’s again the time of year when icing forecasts can figure prominently in your go/no-go decision. Here’s how to find ice and avoid it.
Unicom: 12/04
Touch And Goes? I am in full agreement that touch-and-go landings (“Touch And Goes,” October 2004) are not that useful. Heck, they don’t even count for currency in a tailwheel aircraft. But mostly, they are very unrealistic and don’t teach that much. I would agree that if you need to do them, make sure you have lots of runway. But if you have lots of runway, think about a stop-and-go landing. Land, stop, reconfigure, perform whatever checklist items you need to do and then go. You get to practice a takeoff too! Instead of practicing touch-and-goes, we ought to practice more go-arounds. Sometimes I think they are a lost art. Vince Massimini Via e-mail ----------
Risky Business
We constantly assess the risks of our everyday activities. When climbing out of the shower, we decide whether to step on wet tile or a dry bath mat. When approaching an intersection in a car, we may choose to accelerate when the light turns yellow. About to take off again after a quick fuel stop, we might conduct a cursory preflight inspection, instead of something more detailed. In all of life’s activities—major and minor—we’re constantly performing risk-based calculations. Most of them—especially those not involving an aircraft—we perform every day. When it comes to aviation, other decisions can involve using a set of skills and knowledge we may not have exercised frequently. Just...