January 2005
October 21, 2004, Guntersville, Ala. / Piper PA-32RT-300T
Subscribers Only At 1503 Central time the airplane collided with trees and the ground, and burst into flames during an attempted forced landing following a loss of engine power during cruise flight. Visual conditions prevailed; an IFR flight plan was filed. The Private pilot received serious injuries and the airplane sustained substantial damage. According to the pilot, the engine started running rough and then quit. There was oil on the left side of his windscreen. The pilot declared an emergency and ATC diverted him towards Guntersville, the closest airport. Shortly afterward, the pilot lost radio communications with ATC and became unsure of his position. He observed a field decided to land in it. Just pri...
October 20, 2004, Santa Rosa Beach, Fla. / Eurocopter BO-105S
Subscribers Only The helicopter was destroyed when it crashed into Choctawhatchee Bay at about 0043 Central time; the Commercial-rated pilot, paramedic and flight nurse aboard the air ambulance flight were fatally injured. Instrument conditions prevailed; no flight plan had been filed. Earlier, at 0041, the accident pilot called his dispatcher via radio and reported airborne with three persons on board, 2 hours 20 minutes of fuel and an estimated flight time of 10 minutes. At 0043, the helicopter called via radio and reported that they were returning to base due to weather. The dispatcher did not talk with the flight after this. At 0050, the dispatcher cleared the Airheart One call, believing that they were...
October 20, 2004, West Columbia, S.C. / Cessna 172SP
Subscribers Only At 1600 Eastern time, the aircraft collided with an airport sign after veering left off of Runway 5 during an attempted landing at the Columbia (S.C.) Metropolitan Airport. The Student pilot, on his first solo flight, was not injured, although the airplane sustained substantial damage. Visual conditions prevailed. The Student pilot later stated that his the first full-stop landing was routine and smooth. The second pattern and approach were “normal” and stabilized but, during the touchdown, the airplane “abruptly bounced” on the runway. The student then increased engine power in an attempt to control the descent, but his efforts failed and the airplane bounced on the runway and became more d...
October 19, 2004, Hyak, Wash. / Aero Vodochody L-39
Subscribers Only Radio and radar contact were lost with the aircraft at 1158 Pacific time; as of October 26, 2004, the airplane had not been located and was presumed destroyed. Its occupants, a Private pilot and his passenger, are presumed to have received fatal injuries. The flight departed Boeing Field in Seattle, Wash., at 1146 and was in an area of reported instrument conditions on an IFR flight plan. Approximately nine minutes after takeoff, the pilot reported passing 8000 feet for 15,000 feet. About 70 seconds later, a controller cleared the flight to 17,000 feet. A short time later, the pilot advised ATC that he had an in-flight emergency. About 15 seconds after declaring the emergency, the pilot tran...
October 9, 2004, Hearne, Texas / Bellanca 7ECA
Subscribers Only At approximately 1100 Central time the tail-wheel equipped airplane was substantially damaged when it collided with a bale of hay at the Hearne (Texas) Municipal Airport. The Commercial pilot was not injured; the passenger sustained minor injuries. Instrument conditions prevailed; no flight plan had been filed. The pilot later reported that he made a 180-degree turn after landing on Runway 36 and was taxiing to the main ramp at a speed of approximately 30 knots with quartering eight-knot tailwind. When the ramp was approximately 500-600 feet ahead, the pilot decreased power, and the airplane began to veer to the left. The pilot applied right rudder and tapped the left brake, but the airplane...
October 9, 2004, Salida, Colo. / Cessna 210M
Subscribers Only The airplane was substantially damaged when it struck a fence and terrain during a forced landing at approximately 1810 Mountain time. Visual conditions prevailed; the pilot, pilot-rated passenger and three other passengers aboard were not injured. The flight originated from Bullfrog Basin, Utah, at approximately 1630. The pilot later stated the airplane was in level cruise flight at 13,500 feet msl when the engine began “chugging” and started losing power. All attempts to restore power were to no avail. When he turned final for the runway at Salida, he lost visual contact with the runway from the sun’s glare. The pilot selected a field and touched down ¼ mile off runway centerline and 1 mil...
October 8, 2004, Broomfield, Colo. / Mooney M20E
Subscribers Only At approximately 1130 Mountain time, the airplane was substantially damaged when it impacted terrain and a fence following a loss of control while performing touch and go maneuvers at Jeffco Airport, Broomfield, Colo The Private pilot, who was the sole occupant, was not injured. Visual conditions prevailed. The pilot later stated he was performing touch-and-go landings to Runway 29L. On the approach, the pilot configured and stabilized the airplane for landing and “all seemed to be in order.” After crossing the runway threshold, the pilot felt the speed and sink rate were too fast. The airplane touched down and bounced twice. At that point, the pilot added power to abort the landing. The air...
October 3, 2004, Marion, Iowa / Piper PA-28-180
Subscribers Only The aircraft was substantially damaged when it impacted an airport hangar while attempting a go-around from Runway 17 at the Marion (Iowa) Airport at 0930 Central time. The Private pilot and passenger reported minor inuries; visual conditions prevailed. According to the pilot, on his first landing approach, he encountered turbulence and decided to go around for another attempt. During the second approach, the airplane again encountered turbulence and the pilot went around. The pilot stated, “Immediately it felt like a gust of wind went under my right wing and belly and just started pushing me over, to the left. I immediately applied right rudder and aileron as hard as I could and tried to pu...
October 2, 2004, Santa Fe, NM. / Sukhoi SU-29
Subscribers Only At 1327 Mountain time, the airplane was destroyed and its solo ATP-rated pilot fatally injured upon impact with terrain 500 feet west of Runway 20 at the Santa Fe (N.M.) Municipal Airport. Visual conditions prevailed for the aerobatic flight, which was the second performance in the 2004 Santa Fe Air Show. An FAA inspector witnessing the airshow later reported that the airplane was high, at approximately 1500 feet AGL, when it entered an inverted spin. The inspector said, “The pilot attempted to recover but didn’t make it. The airplane struck flat in an upright, nose down attitude and was engulfed in a fireball.” A witness, one of the air show’s performers, said the pilot was performing a tor...
October 19, 2004, Atlanta, Ga. / Beech Baron B-55
Subscribers Only At 1054 Eastern time the airplane collided with the ground and burst into flames. Instrument conditions prevailed. The airplane was substantially damaged and the Instrument-rated Private pilot and passenger were fatally injured. The personal flight had departed the DeKalb-Peachtree Airport in Chamblee, Ga., nine minutes earlier. About seven miles south of PDK, the pilot reported that he was in trouble. The departure controller immediately issued the pilot radar vector information for an eastbound heading, but the pilot never responded to the radar vector information. Shortly afterward, radio and radar contact was lost. Witnesses in the vicinity of the accident site reported seeing the airpla...
October 13, 2004, Idaho Springs, Colo. / Cessna 182R
Subscribers Only The airplane was destroyed and the ATP-rated pilot fatally injured on impacting mountainous terrain at 0738 Mountain time while maneuvering. Instrument conditions prevailed at the time of the accident; no flight plan had been filed for the cross-country flight that originated at Englewood, Colo., about 20 minutes earlier and was en route to Aspen, Colo. According to the Clear Creek County Sheriff, weather at the time of the accident was cold with a low overcast, and occasional light snow. Reported weather recorded at a nearby station included visibility of less than ¼ statute mile, snow and an overcast sky at 200 feet agl....
October 11, 2004, Madison, Conn. / Piper PA-28-161
Subscribers Only At about 1748 Eastern time the airplane was substantially damaged when it impacted a house while attempting to execute a forced landing. The Private pilot and passenger were fatally injured. Day visual conditions prevailed for the planned flight from Nantucket, Mass., to New Haven, Conn. According ATC tapes, the pilot made a “Mayday” call and reported he was at 4000 feet msl and descending without engine power. The accident pilot reported that there was oil on the windscreen. A controller provided radar vectors towards an airport approximately four miles southeast. When the airplane was approximately two miles from the airport at 1600 feet msl, the pilot reported seeing a field to his left....
October 10, 2004, Germantown, N.Y. / Cessna 172N
Subscribers Only The airplane was substantially damaged at about 0035 Eastern time during a collision with trees during maneuvering flight. The non-Instrument-rated Private pilot and passenger were fatally injured; night visual conditions prevailed. The flight departed Long Island MacArthur Airport (ISP) in Islip, N.Y., with the Fulton County Airport in Johnstown, N.Y., as the planned destination.The pilot was in radio and radar contact with the Albany Terminal Radar Approach Control (TRACON) and receiving flight following services. About 0034, both radio and radar contact was lost; the TRACON did not receive a distress call from the pilot. At about 0030, three witnesses reported an airplane descended throug...
Learning Experiences: 01/05
Subscribers Only Driven To Distraction We have all heard stories of little things leading to big tragedies. Consider Challenger, a terrible tragedy caused by a defective O-ring. Then there was Eastern Airlines Flight 401, a Lockheed L-1011 that crashed in the Florida Everglades on December 29, 1972, because someone nudged the autopilot disconnect but didn’t notice it while working on a failed nosegear indicator light. There are many—too many—other examples The point is, accidents and incidents can start from very simple events that simply snowball out of control. Here’s the reason I began thinking about the “chain of events.” A few months ago, I flew a 160-nm VFR trip in my Cherokee 140; not...
Squawk Box: 01/05
Subscribers Only The following information is derived from the FAA’s Service Difficulty Reports and Aviation Maintenance Alerts. ---------- American General Model AG-5B Seatbelt Plate Installation While replacing the rear passenger seatbelts, a technician discovered the reinforcement plate (P/N 5102330-6) had been installed on the forward side of the aft seat bulkhead under the seatbelt attach bracket. The –6 plate should have been installed on the aft side of the bulkhead in accordance with AGAG drawing 5102299. Furthermore, MS20364-1032 (thin sheer nut) was used to secure the AN3-5A retaining bolts. MS20365-1032 or MS21042-3 nuts should have been installed as indicated on the drawing....
Scud Run Gone Bad
Subscribers Only A daylight scud run in a slow airplane is risky enough. This accident reveals how deadly it can be at night in a fast airplane.
NTSB Preliminary Reports
Subscribers Only October 2, 2004, Santa Fe, NM. Sukhoi SU-29 At 1327 Mountain time, the airplane was destroyed and its solo ATP-rated pilot fatally injured upon impact with terrain 500 feet west of Runway 20 at the Santa Fe (N.M.) Municipal Airport. Visual conditions prevailed for the aerobatic flight, which was the second performance in the 2004 Santa Fe Air Show. An FAA inspector witnessing the airshow later reported that the airplane was high, at approximately 1500 feet AGL, when it entered an inverted spin. The inspector said, “The pilot attempted to recover but didn’t make it. The airplane struck flat in an upright, nose down attitude and was engulfed in a fireball.” A witness, one of...
See And Avoid Works
Subscribers Only Recent research confirms what we’ve always known: mid-airs are predictable and avoidable. You just need to know where and how to look.
Losing It
Subscribers Only Your only engine, that is. Here are three pilots with happy-ending engine-failure tales. Their advice: plan for it, train for it and fly the airplane.
Depart With VNAV
Subscribers Only A step-by-step guide for using GPS to monitor your climb gradient when terrain and obstacles threaten. (And even when they don’t.)
Flying A Swivel Chair
Subscribers Only That’s what a taildragger is like. Yet anyone can learn the deft use of rudder and brakes to keep it on the runway. Here’s how.
An End To CFITs
Subscribers Only TAWs is supposed reduce flight into terrain. Here’s an update on the technology and how an FAA rule has made it affordable for the little guy.
Unicom: 01/05
Hum Along With Us With reference to Dr. Brent Blue’s article “Mid-teens Physiology” (November 2004), I may have discovered a way to “stretch” the body’s ability to process and retain oxygen just a bit more effectively while flying at altitude. I routinely fly our Cessna T210 at FL190-230 on long trips from St. Paul, Minn., to Providence, R.I. The typical 50+ knot tailwinds let us accomplish this nonstop. It’s not uncommon for me to have five of the six seats filled, and of course, we have oxygen strapped on from 14,000 all the way up. With five pairs of lungs sucking my precious O2, however, somewhere over western New York, the gauge is starting to get a bit low. So, not exa...
Editor’s Log: 01/05
Just Do It Often, once we obtain that magic piece of paper saying “Private Pilot,” for which we struggled so hard, we presume we’re good to go. We fill our Skyhawks with people, packages and petrol, and then blast off to the beach, to Grandma’s house or to a business meeting. Weather sometimes keeps us on the ground, but as we gain experience and confidence, we learn more about what kinds of weather we and our airplane can handle. Soon, depending in part on how many hours we accumulate and how regularly we fly, we settle into a comfort zone where we can pretty much come and go as we please without too much drama. Of course, geography plays a major role in the way we deal wit...