December 2005
October 19, 2005, Port St. Lucie, Fla. / Cessna P337H
Subscribers Only At about 1450 Eastern time, the airplane was destroyed and the Private pilot was fatally injured. Instrument conditions prevailed. Witnesses saw the airplane emerge from the clouds at an altitude of about 300 feet, on its side, and descending. The airplane then appeared to roll inverted and again rolled onto its side. It became level as it climbed to an altitude of about 600 to 800 feet then descended again. It then turn east and was so low they clearly observed the pilot. The airplane then headed east, turned north, and descended below the tree line, striking a house. The engines sounded as if they were operating, and there were no noticeable problems with the airplane. A fire engulfed the...
October 17, 2005, Warner Springs, Calif. / Lancair LC41-550FG
Subscribers Only The airplane was destroyed and the two pilots (a Private pilot and an Airline Transport pilot) plus a passenger were fatally injured at 1032 Pacific time after colliding with mountainous terrain. Visual conditions reportedly prevailed for the cross-country flight. The initial radar data depicts a track that originated at Gillespie Field, traveled in a northeast direction, and ends at Combs Mountain, Calif....
October 16, 2005, La Belle, Fla. / Cessna 172P
Subscribers Only At about 1325 Eastern time, the airplane was substantially damaged and the Student pilot, its sole occupant, was fatally injured following an in-flight loss of control during initial climb. Visual conditions prevailed. While on the upwind pattern leg, at an estimated altitude of 150 feet, the airplane stalled, drifted to the left, and impacted the ground. Preliminary examination of the airplane revealed the flaps were found fully extended to the 30-degree position....
October 15, 2005, Newberg, Ore. / Piper PA-38-112 Tomahawk
Subscribers Only The aircraft was substantially damaged, and the flight instructor and Student pilot aboard seriously injured when it collided with terrain while maneuvering for landing at 1237 Pacific time. Visual conditions prevailed. Witnesses reported that the aircraft had been doing touch-and-go landings to Runway 17. The aircraft was observed to pass over a building near the runway, pitch up and appeared to make a hard banking turn to the left before stalling. The nearest weather observing facility reported wind from 150 degrees at 19 knots at the time of the accident....
October 15, 2005, Mocksville, N.C. / North American AT-6D
Subscribers Only The airplane was partially destroyed an the Airline Transport pilot fatally injured on colliding with trees and the ground while maneuvering at 1820 Eastern time. Visual conditions prevailed. One passenger received serious injuries. One witness observed the airplane take off and climb to about 500 feet. He then observed the airplane make a steep left 90-degree bank back towards the runway, in a slight nose-down attitude. The witness could not hear the engine. The witness stated the airplane appeared to be “mushing/dropping” down in a flat slight nose down attitude until it disappeared from view. Two other witnesses stated the engine sounded like it was shutting down and quit. They then heard...
October 14, 2005, Eagar, Ariz. / Robinson Helicopter R22 Beta
Subscribers Only At about 1145 Pacific time, the helicopter impacted trees and mountainous terrain. The aircraft was substantially damaged and the two Private pilots aboard, a married couple, were fatally injured. Visual conditions prevailed at the departure airport for the cross-country flight. Witnesses observed the helicopter’s takeoff, during which it wobbled from side to side and then settled to the ground with one of its landing skids making ground contact. The helicopter spun around 180 degrees and lifted back up into the air, its main main rotor blades narrowly missing the ground. It then settled back to the surface, the tail rotor narrowly missing the ground. After idling on the ground “for a while...
October 14, 2005, Rootstown, Ohio / Lancair 235 and Cessna 172L
Subscribers Only The two aircraft collided in mid-air and were destroyed at 1405 Eastern time. Visual conditions prevailed; all four aboard both airplanes were fatally injured. The Lancair, with a pilot and pilot-rated passenger aboard had departed Carroll County--Tolson Airport (TSO), Carrollton, Ohio, with an intended destination of Portage County Airport (29G), Ravenna, Ohio. The Cessna, with a flight instructor and dual student aboard, was engaged in a dual instructional flight, having departed departed Akron Fulton International Airport (AKR)....
October 12, 2005, Phoenix, Ariz. / Boeing 737 and Boeing 737
Subscribers Only At 2018 Mountain time, a Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-7H4 collided on the ground with a Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-3H4 at the Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. Both airplanes were operating as scheduled domestic passenger flights under Part 121 The collision occurred following the landing of one 737 on Runway 26. The Boeing proceeded south on Taxiway R and was turning clockwise onto Taxiway D when its left winglet hit the other 737’s right horizontal stabilizer. The arriving 737 sustained minor damage to its left winglet. The other 737, which was standing with its brakes set at intersection D13, sustained substantial damage to its right horizontal stabilizer. There were a total o...
October 8, 2005, Monterey, Tenn. / Grumman F6F
Subscribers Only The warbird was substantially damaged and its Airline Transport-rated pilot fatally injured at 1633 Central time after colliding with power lines and crashing during cruise flight. Instrument conditions prevailed but no flight plan had been filed. Witnesses driving nearby stated the ceiling was low and the visibility poor when the airplane was observed. The airplane continued along an Interstate highway and struck a power line ...
October 6, 2005, Gulf of Mexico / Bell 206-L3
Subscribers Only At approximately 1645 Central time, the helicopter disappeared under unknown circumstances. The status of the Commercial pilot and the two passengers aboard is unknown. Visual conditions prevailed for Part 135 on-demand air taxi flight. The helicopter was engaged in several flights between oil platforms in the Gulf. No distress calls were received by the operator’s dispatch or any aircraft flying in the area. When the helicopter failed to make its required position reports, a search was initiated. Search and rescue efforts were suspended on October 10, 2005....
October 4, 2005, Barnum, Wyo. / Beech V35B Bonanza
Subscribers Only The airplane was destroyed and the pilot and passenger aboard it were fatally injured after impact with terrain at 1022 Mountain time. Instrument conditions prevailed. While en route, the pilot contacted the controller and asked about icing reports in the area. The pilot stated that he was “having trouble holding altitude.” Shortly thereafter, the pilot declared an emergency and radar and radio communications were lost....
October 1, 2005, Arlington, Wash. / Beech B-60 Duke
Subscribers Only At 1230 Pacific time, the airplane sustained substantial damage following a landing gear collapse during the landing rollout. The Airline Transport pilot, the sole occupant of the airplane, was not injured. Visual conditions prevailed for the cross-country flight that originated at Bellingham, Wash. The pilot later reported lowering the landing gear before entering the traffic pattern. During the rollout, that the landing gear “collapsed and the airplane slid to a stop.”...
October 1, 2005, Greenwater, Wash. / Cessna 150D
Subscribers Only The airplane was destroyed and its sole occupant, a non-Instrument-rated Private pilot, received minor injuries on impacting terrain at approximately 1900 Pacific time. Visual conditions prevailed; the flight was originating at the time of the accident. The pilot later said he inadvertently entered a “fog bank” shortly after takeoff and he attempted a climbing right turn to return to the clear air over the departure runway. He said that his airspeed dropped and the aircraft stalled, impacted trees and descended vertically to the mountain side. The airplane came to rest inverted....
Squawk Box: 12/05
Subscribers Only The following information is derived from the FAA’s Service Difficulty Reports and Aviation Maintenance Alerts. ---------- Cessna 172S Stall Warning Horn Failure During the student’s first stall practice, the warning horn failed to operate through the full stall and the CFI halted the maneuver. Troubleshooting confirmed the warning horn assembly (p/n 0713348-1) was defective. The failed unit was replaced with a new (assembly), and a maintenance operational check and test flight were completed. A second 172 aircraft (of three) had the identical problem...at 491.5 hours. The part was replaced twice because the first new part failed during testing. A third aircraft has 417....
Learning Experiences: 12/05
Subscribers Only While most light-airplane icing encounters are safely and successfully resolved, there’s no such thing as “a little” ice on them. After years of thinking a trace here or there—or even a quarter-inch or so—was no big deal, I recently discovered one reason for known-icing approvals. It was a crisp, brisk fall day over Arizona; I was flying my Bonanza east from California and planned to stop in Winslow, Ariz., for fuel, a snack and to stretch my legs. Somewhere between Prescott and Winslow, on an IFR flight plan, I encountered some benign-looking clouds at my altitude. Although the outside air temperature was below freezing, I thought nothing of punching into these white, puffy clouds. I ha...
NTSB Preliminary Reports
Subscribers Only October 1, 2005, Greenwater, Wash. Cessna 150D The airplane was destroyed and its sole occupant, a non-Instrument-rated Private pilot, received minor injuries on impacting terrain at approximately 1900 Pacific time. Visual conditions prevailed; the flight was originating at the time of the accident. The pilot later said he inadvertently entered a “fog bank” shortly after takeoff and he attempted a climbing right turn to return to the clear air over the departure runway. He said that his airspeed dropped and the aircraft stalled, impacted trees and descended vertically to the mountain side. The airplane came to rest inverted. October 1, 2005, Arlington, Wash. Beech...
Asking For Trouble: Accident Probe 12/05
Subscribers Only How many regulatory, operational and medical corners can we cut before something bad happens?
Top Five IFR Errors
Subscribers Only The NTSB’s “improper IFR” category covers a host of pilot errors. Here’s our top five list of common IFR mistakes and how you can avoid making them.
Permission Slip
Subscribers Only Many pilots are taught to avoid slips but often perform them anyway, without knowing it. What’s going on, and what’s the problem?
Liar, Liar
Subscribers Only Like a politician, the magnetic compass lies with predictable regularity. But as long as we understand its falsehoods, we can still use it to navigate reliably.
To Penetrate Or Not?
Subscribers Only If you have datalinked NEXRAD aboard, it’s tempting to use it like airborne radar. But a little restraint may be in order.
Mean What You Say
Subscribers Only Accuracy and efficiency should be the goals of our communications. Don’t hesitate to revert to a simple dialogue if necessary to be understood.
Unicom: 12/05
Miles And Mics In October’s Accident Probe, “Miles To Go,” you note, “The pilot was cleared for the ILS approach to Runway 5 at SPA and released to the local advisory frequency.” Oh goodie: Another frequency change from ATC at low altitude, low speed, in actual IMC at 10:00 p.m. Another dead pilot. Controllers and the ATC system have been killing pilots for generations with frequency changes and clearance deliveries at the most awkward possible times. Just as the nosewheel lifts off the pavement, they give me a frequency change. As the aircraft is handed off from one controller to another, the frequency should be handed off also. Let the controllers change frequencies. If th...
Editor’s Log: 12/05
So, there I was droning happily along at 11,000 feet. My airplane was covering ground at the rate of 170 nm per hour, the weather was good and the ride was smooth. I had little to do on this fine Friday afternoon but monitor the autopilot and engine instruments, look for traffic and think ahead to my arrival in Lynchburg, Va. (LYH), to pick up my son. I had been aloft and on an IFR flight plan for some three hours after launching from Florida’s west coast and was creeping up on the Charlotte, N.C., area on a direct leg from the Savannah, Ga., Vortac to LYH. Another hour or so and I would be on the ground at LYH. About this time, the Jacksonville Center controller who had been working m...