November 2005
August 26, 2005, Dunkirk, N.Y. / Piper PA-28RT-201
Subscribers Only The airplane was presumed destroyed at about 2115 Eastern time when radar contact was lost over Lake Erie. The Commercial pilot and two passengers were presumed fatally injured. Night visual conditions prevailed. According to FAA radar and communication records, the airplane approached Niagara Falls from the south at about 2050. The airplane then completed four 360-degree turns in the vicinity of the falls. Shortly, the pilot requested flight following services to Pennsylvania and was established on an approximate 210-degree ground track. Soon, the airplane began a sharp turn to the left. Over the next 70 seconds through 270 degrees of turn, its altitude varied between 4700 and 4400 feet bef...
August 8, 2005, Big Bear City, Calif. / Piper PA-28-235
Subscribers Only At 1305 Pacific time, the airplane made a hard right turn while in the landing flare and impacted terrain. The Private pilot and one passenger were fatally injured; the other passenger was seriously injured. The airplane was destroyed. Visual conditions prevailed. Witnesses reported that they observed the airplane make a normal landing approach and flare. The engine suddenly went to full power, the nose pitched up and then the plane abruptly turned to the right. It then rolled to the right and impacted the ground inverted....
August 6, 2005, Decatur, Ala. / Beech D35 Bonanza
Subscribers Only The airplane was substantially damaged at 1045 Central time when it collided with the ground shortly after takeoff. Visual conditions prevailed. The Commercial pilot was fatally injured; the pilot-rated passenger received serious injuries. According to witnesses, the airplane was about 100 to 150 feet above a tree line near the crash site. The airplane appeared to be nose-high and slow, and no engine sound was reported. Witnesses stated that the airplane nosed up slightly, rolled left, then pitched nose down and then collided with the ground....
August 5, 2005, Coolin, Idaho / RV-4 Experimental
Subscribers Only At about 1130 Pacific time, the airplane collided with terrain while maneuvering for landing. Visual conditions prevailed. The aircraft was substantially damaged; the Private pilot and his passenger were fatally injured. Witnesses reported the aircraft was at about 300 feet agl in the pattern for landing and close to the runway during the downwind leg. The airplane then made a steep banking 180-degree left turn to final when it descended left wing low, colliding with trees and the terrain about 200 yards short of the runway. Witnesses reported hearing the engine during the entire maneuver....
August 5, 2005, Orlando, Fla. / Cirrus Design Corp. SR22
Subscribers Only The airplane was substantially damaged at about 1110 Eastern time when its right main landing gear caught fire after an aborted takeoff. Visual conditions prevailed. The Commercial pilot reported no injuries. The pilot later stated he experienced an intermittent loss of airspeed indication during the takeoff roll and elected to abort the takeoff. He exited the airplane to check if the pitot-static tube cover was removed then noticed smoke from the right main gear skirt, followed by flames. He communicated with the tower about the situation, secured the airplane and evacuated the area. Moments later, the airport fire department arrived to the airplane and extinguished the fire....
August 5, 2005, Denali Park, Alaska / Beech V35B Bonanza
Subscribers Only At about 1250 Alaska time, the airplane was destroyed by impact and postcrash fire when it collided with rising terrain while climbing. The Private pilot and sole passenger were fatally injured. Visual conditions prevailed. The accident airplane was part of a group of 10 airplanes flying from Washington and California on an aerial tour of Alaska. The pilot of the airplane behind the accident airplane indicated he saw the pilot enter a broad pass, and then start to climb as it neared a saddle at the end of the pass. The following pilot noted that he started his climb prior to the accident pilot. Shortly after the accident pilot initiated his climb, the following pilot reported he saw a plume...
August 4, 2005, Parker, Colo. / Mitsubishi MU-2B-60
Subscribers Only The airplane was destroyed at approximately 0206 Mountain time when it impacted terrain during an instrument approach. The Commercial pilot and sole occupant of the airplane was fatally injured. Night instrument conditions prevailed for the on-demand air cargo flight. Shortly after the flight was cleared to land, the tower controller alerted the pilot he appeared to be “well below the glideslope.” There was no response. The aircraft wreckage was found approximately four miles south of the runway. All major components of the airplane were found at the accident site. Weather reported at the airport included wind from 010 degrees at eight knots, visibility 2.5 statute miles in rain and mist, br...
August 4, 2005, Sinton, Texas / Smith Aerostar 601P
Subscribers Only At approximately 0800 Central time, the airplane was destroyed when it impacted terrain following a reported loss of engine power shortly after taking off. The Airline Transport pilot and sole occupant sustained minor injuries. Visual conditions prevailed for the maintenance check flight; the airplane had not been flown in nearly four years due to a propeller strike requiring extensive maintenance. The pilot stated, prior to takeoff, “[he] noticed the left engine manifold pressure [was] higher than the right engine, and the left engine revolutions per minute (RPM) was approximately 200 RPM lower than the right engine.” The pilot further stated, “this should have been cause for aborting the t...
August 3, 2005, Rancho Murieta, Calif. / Beech A23
Subscribers Only The airplane was substantially damaged at about 0910 Pacific time when it collided with terrain about ¼ mile short of the runway. The CFI, Student pilot and passenger sustained serious injuries. Visual conditions prevailed. While on base leg of the traffic pattern the engine lost power. An examination of the left fuel tank revealed it was full with fuel; the right fuel tank was empty. The fuel selector valve was positioned on the right tank. The Student pilot stated she did not check the airplane’s fuel quantity and could not recall if the CFI finished the preflight inspection. The Student pilot also did not recall the CFI manipulating the fuel selector or turning on the fuel pump....
August 3, 2005, Lyme, N.H. / Convair BT-13A
Subscribers Only At about 1403 Eastern time, the airplane was destroyed by impact with terrain while departing a private airstrip. The Airline Transport pilot and passenger were fatally injured. Visual conditions prevailed. Witnesses reported the airplane was climbing through an altitude of approximately 300 feet agl when it suddenly rolled right to the inverted position, and descended nose-down into a cornfield. A post-crash fire consumed the majority of the fuselage....
August 1, 2005, Shelter Cove, Calif. / Beech 35-A33 Debonair
Subscribers Only The airplane was substantially damaged at about 1230 Pacific time when it collided with the ground just off the runway’s departure end during an attempted go-around. Neither the Private pilot nor the two passengers was injured. Visual conditions prevailed. The pilot subsequently said the airplane was a little high and too fast during the approach, so he elected to go around. After increasing power, the airplane stalled and collided with terrain. The pilot also stated the accident resulted from his “pilot error.”...
August 1, 2005, in Willard, Mo. / Piper PA-28-181 Archer
Subscribers Only At 1830 Central time, the aircraft sustained substantial damage when in veered off the end of the runway, impacted a utility pole and nosed over while landing. The Private pilot and passenger were not injured. Visual conditions prevailed. The pilot reported the airplane touched down in the first third of the runway, but “the end of the runway was coming at me very fast...so I applied a burst of power to initiate a ‘go-around.’ I noted power lines off the end of the runway that would be an obstacle to a successful go-around. I was not yet airborne so I rejected the go-around and initiated heavy braking.” The airplane went off the end of the runway and veered to the right, impacting a utility...
Squawk Box: 11/05
Subscribers Only The following information is derived from the FAA’s Service Difficulty Reports and Aviation Maintenance Alerts. ---------- Beechcraft G33 Nose Gear Steering Rod-End A mechanic describes finding the rod-end (p/n 35-820045) loose on the nose gear steering push-pull tube (p/n 35-825044-6). This connecting terminal slides into the tube’s end and is mechanically fastened by two 5/32-inch solid rivets clocked at 90 degrees. “(The) rivets were not properly driven due to (compression) inside the hollow portion of the tube, instead of (compressing) at the shop head, allowing the rod-end to come loose. Separation would cause loss of nose steering control. I recommend replacement o...
Learning Experiences: 11/05
Subscribers Only Carb Temp It was October 2004. I was flying a mid-70s vintage Cessna 172 from Paris, Texas, to Houston. I had received my Private pilot ticket about three months prior. There was not a cloud in the sky, winds were out of the south at about 12 knots; temperature on the ground was about 73 F. It was an absolutely beautiful day and perfect for flying; the kind of day that those of us who have the deep passion for flying clamor for. Just enjoying the scenery and the calm peacefulness that this sport imparts. Though I had been officially checked out in the Cessna, all of my training and most of my 90+ hours (at that point) had been in a Piper Warrior. The Warrior, as is the case...
NTSB Preliminary Reports
Subscribers Only August 1, 2005, in Willard, Mo. Piper PA-28-181 Archer At 1830 Central time, the aircraft sustained substantial damage when in veered off the end of the runway, impacted a utility pole and nosed over while landing. The Private pilot and passenger were not injured. Visual conditions prevailed. The pilot reported the airplane touched down in the first third of the runway, but “the end of the runway was coming at me very fast...so I applied a burst of power to initiate a ‘go-around.’ I noted power lines off the end of the runway that would be an obstacle to a successful go-around. I was not yet airborne so I rejected the go-around and initiated heavy braking.” The airplane wen...
Mountain Waves: Accident Probe 11/05
Subscribers Only Even though the weather may be clear, when flying in the mountains what you can’t see can bite you.
Advance Judgment
Subscribers Only Poor decision-making is often at the root of an accident. But we can make a good decision well before we’re confronted with an in-flight problem.
Flying Slowly
Subscribers Only One of the keys to slow flight is understanding that much of what we know about aerodynamics changes when the airspeed is low.
Partial Panel Tools
Subscribers Only Pilots still have difficulty recognizing gyro-system failures and reacting to them. How will you deal with the failure and what tools will you use?
The Looking Glass
Subscribers Only New technologies have brought us very capable “glass panels,” and they’re popping up everywhere. But has training progressed at the same rate?
Rock Or Hard Place?
Subscribers Only The engine just quit, there’s not a smooth landing area in the county and you’re going down. Now what?
Unicom: 11/05
On The Money Your editorial (Editor's Log, September 2005) on the FAA's actions leading to eliminating the traffic information service (TIS) is on the money...and "money" is the operative word. I have three airplanes with TIS in my company fleet after being proselytized at length by FAA propaganda and at agency seminars by the folks bringing us TIS services. We invested in Mode S/TIS transponders to enhance the safety of our operations in high traffic areas. Personally, I think all buyers of this equipment should corner AOPA or some aviation attorney and file a class action suit against the FAA and the nimrods within it who sell us on buying into their safety mantra only...
Editor’s Log: 11/05
Weather And GA It should come as no surprise that weather-related general aviation (GA) accidents continue to take their toll. For example, the AOPA Air Safety Foundation’s (ASF) 2004 Nall Report found that only 2.8 percent of all accidents involving single-engine fixed-gear airplanes were weather-related, but that weather was involved in 12 percent of fatal accidents involving these aircraft. The ASF’s report goes on to note, “The overwhelming majority resulted from continued VFR into IMC; quite simply, a pilot flying by reference to outside visual cues flew into low visibility conditions and lost control of the aircraft or hit terrain.” In September, the National Transport...