July 2005
May 16, 2005, Nashville, Tenn. / Piper PA-18-150
Subscribers Only At 1745 Central daylight time, the airplane collided with trees and the ground while maneuvering on initial climb. Visual conditions prevailed; the airplane was destroyed. The Private pilot and one passenger were fatally injured. A witness observed the airplane departing from Runway 1. “After departure the airplane went into a fairly quick climbing turn. The climb appeared to get steeper and the bank angle got steep and then it started going down.” The left wing dropped down and the nose of the airplane pitched down. Another witness heard the airplane collide with the ground....
May 15, 2005, Boca Raton, Fla. / BAC 167 Strikemaster MK83
Subscribers Only The aircraft collided with a fence at about 0916 Eastern time during an aborted takeoff from the Boca Raton Airport. Visual conditions prevailed. The airplane was substantially damaged; the Commercial pilot and the pilot-rated passenger were not injured. The pilot stated he performed a flight control continuity check before taxiing onto the runway for takeoff. During the takeoff roll and at the calculated rotation speed (70 knots), he applied back pressure to the control column but the elevator control stuck in position. The takeoff roll continued and he performed trim adjustments, and moved the flap selector without any effect. He then aborted the takeoff by applying maximum braking and the...
May 14, 2005, Creswell, Ore. / Pitts S-1C
Subscribers Only At about 1445 Pacific time, the aircraft sustained substantial damage following an in-flight loss of engine power and subsequent off-airport, forced landing. The Private pilot, the sole occupant of the airplane, was not injured. The pilot reported that approximately 15 minutes after takeoff, while in straight and level flight at 4000 feet msl, the engine began to run rough and eventually quit. After experiencing the loss of power, the pilot initiated a landing to a nearby open field. During the landing rollout, the airplane encountered tall grass and nosed over, resulting in substantial damage....
May 14, 2005, Houston, Texas / Cessna 210L
Subscribers Only The airplane was substantially damaged at approximately 2230 Central time when it struck a parked airplane following a loss of directional control during the landing roll at the Weiser Air Park (EYQ), near Houston, Texas. The Commercial pilot and three passengers were not injured. Dark night visual conditions prevailed. The cross-country flight originated from the Lakefront Airport (NEW), New Orleans, La. The pilot later reported that after a normal approach to Runway 27 and at an indicated airspeed of approximately 90 knots, the airplane landed some 500 feet beyond the approach end of the runway. During the landing roll, the airplane veered to the left every time the pilot applied brakes. T...
May 13, 2005, Elk River, Idaho / Cessna 150M
Subscribers Only At approximately 1745 Pacific time, the airplane was substantially damaged on impacting terrain during initial climb after taking off. The Commercial pilot received serious injuries, while the sole passenger received fatal injuries. Visual conditions prevailed; the flight’s destination was the Lewiston-Nez Perce County Airport in Lewiston, Idaho. After taking off, witnesses observed the airplane was below a ridgeline south of the airstrip, but then began a left climbing turn in an attempt to clear trees to the east. Witnesses reported that as the aircraft continued its slow ascent, its nose continued to rise until the airplane’s left wing clipped a tree top. The airplane subsequently impacte...
May 13, 2005, Saluda, Va. / Ercoupe 415C
Subscribers Only The airplane was substantially damaged at about 2100 Eastern time after it experienced a loss of engine power during the initial climb after takeoff from Hummel Field, Saluda, Va. The Private pilot and a passenger were not injured. Visual conditions prevailed. The pilot reported that the airplane was about 100 feet above the runway when it lost engine power. The pilot attempted to maneuver the airplane to the field; however, it struck a fence and a tractor....
May 13, 2005, Dover, Del. / Piper PA28-140
Subscribers Only At about 2300 Eastern time, the airplane was substantially damaged following a collision with terrain during the initial climb from the Chandelle Estates Airport (0N4) in Dover, Del. The Commercial pilot and two passengers received minor injuries. Visual conditions prevailed for the flight, which was destined for Allentown, Penn. According to the pilot, he did not experience any problems with the airplane during the run-up, and that the engine lost power during the initial climb. The wreckage was located approximately ½ mile off of the departure end of the runway....
May 13, 2005, Harrisonburg, Va. / Aeronca 65-TAC
Subscribers Only The airplane was substantially damaged when it impacted terrain at about 1130 Eastern time; the Commercial pilot and the passenger were fatally injured. Visual conditions prevailed for the flight, which departed the Winchester Regional Airport in Winchester, Va. The airplane came to rest on rural, hilly terrain, owned by a relative of the pilot and who witnessed the accident. He heard the engine “sputter,” and specifically recalled hearing the engine increase in power, followed by a sudden, total silence. About two to three seconds later, he heard the sounds of an impact, and responded to the accident scene. The witness also noted that on several previous occasions, the pilot had flown past...
May 12, 2005 in Missoula, Mont. / Cessna 150TW
Subscribers Only At approximately 1520 Mountain time, the tailwheel-equipped airplane collided with a runway sign during the landing roll. The Private pilot, who was the sole occupant of the aircraft, was not injured, but the aircraft sustained substantial damage. According to the pilot, who landed on Runway 25, he was cleared by the tower to turn off the runway at Taxiway Echo. While attempting to make the right-hand turn onto the taxiway, the pilot inadvertently turned too soon, and the aircraft collided with the runway identification sign near the intersection of the runway and the taxiway. The force of the impact resulted in the right main gear leg attachment box being bent and distorted. According to th...
May 12, 2005, St. Augustine, Fla. / American Gen. Aircraft AG-5B
Subscribers Only The aircraft experienced a loss of engine throttle control at about 0955 Eastern time, resulting in a forced landing short of Runway 31 at the St. Augustine Airport. Visual conditions prevailed for the flight from Green Cove Springs, Fla., to St. Augustine. The airplane was substantially damaged; the Private pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured. On final approach, the pilot reported the throttle “...was just loose in my hand (like it completely disconnected from the carburetor).” Unable to increase power, he ditched the aircraft in a marsh short of the runway. The airplane flipped inverted during touchdown. The engine throttle control was found separated from the throttle control arm of...
May 11, 2005, Kennett Square, Penn. / RV-6A Experimental
Subscribers Only At about 1915 Eastern time, the Experimental airplane lost engine power while in cruise flight, and was substantially damaged during a forced landing. The Private pilot was not injured; visual conditions prevailed. The pilot reported that the airplane was descending through 2000 feet at 160 knots when the engine lost power. He turned toward a nearby airport, switched fuel tanks, placed the mixture control to full rich, and confirmed that the fuel boost pump was in the “on” position. The airplane continued to descend and the pilot performed a forced landing to a field. During the landing, the airplane struck a ditch and flipped over....
May 10, 2005, Snohomish, Wash. / Piper PA-12
Subscribers Only The airplane nosed over during the landing roll on a sandbar near Snohomish, Wash., at about 1700 Pacific time. Visual conditions prevailed; the aircraft was substantially damaged but the Private pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured. The flight departed from Everett, Wash., about 45 minutes prior to the accident. The pilot later reported he was intentionally landing on this sandbar, as he has done before. During the landing roll and braking action, the tail came up and the aircraft nosed over, coming to rest inverted. The pilot reported no mechanical failures or malfunctions with the aircraft at the time of the accident....
May 9, 2005, Lowell, Idaho / Piper PA-28-235
Subscribers Only At approximately 1640 Mountain time, the airplane impacted terrain, seriously injuring the Private pilot, who was the sole occupant. The aircraft was destroyed. The IFR cross-country flight, which departed Jackson Hole, Wyo., about two and one-half hours prior to the accident, was in an area of IMC at the time the accident sequence began. According to audio tapes recorded at Seattle Center, the pilot was in cruise flight when he reported that he could not maintain altitude because the aircraft’s engine was not producing enough power. He was assigned a lower altitude, but the engine continued losing power. Soon thereafter, he reported the engine had quit and radar and radio contact were lost...
May 9, 2005 in Kissimmee, Fla. / North American SNJ-6
Subscribers Only The airplane broke up in flight at 1620 Eastern time while performing aerobatics during a mock combat operation. Visual conditions prevailed; the airplane was substantially damaged. The flight instructor and the Commercial pilot/student were fatally injured. Witnesses on ground reported seeing the airplane conducting a series of aerobatic maneuvers when the right wing separated from the airplane. The airplane then entered a spin, descended rapidly and collided with the ground....
May 9, 2005, Homer, Alaska / Cessna 170B
Subscribers Only At about 2135 Alaska time, the wheel-equipped airplane was substantially damaged when it veered off the runway and collided with a ditch during the landing roll at the Homer Airport. The airplane was operated by the Student pilot/owner, who was accompanied by a flight instructor, neither of whom was injured. Visual conditions prevailed. The flight instructor later reported the student was practicing touch-and-go landings on Runway 21 at Homer; the wind was from 230 degrees at 11 knots. As the airplane touched down, it veered slightly and the student corrected for the swerve. A gust of wind from the right then lifted the right wing, and the airplane began to veer to the left. The student appl...
May 8, 2005, New Cuyama, Calif. / Cessna 140
Subscribers Only The airplane collided with mountainous terrain at about 1000 Pacific time and sustained substantial damage; the Private pilot and one passenger sustained serious injuries. The airplane departed the Santa Ynez Airport, Santa Ynez, Calif., at about 0900, and the pilot was planning to fly over a remote area located near the accident site. Visual conditions prevailed. The airplane was reported as missing on May 9 and an Alert Notice (ALNOT) was issued. Later that day, the airplane wreckage and its occupants were located. According to search-and-rescue personnel, the pilot reported engine problems. The pilot force-landed the airplane in the rough, mountainous terrain....
May 7, 2005, Grand Canyon, Ariz. / Cessna 172RG
Subscribers Only At 1637 Mountain time, the airplane settled back to the ground after takeoff in a field about one mile south of the Grand Canyon National Park Airport. The Private pilot and two passengers sustained minor injuries; the airplane sustained substantial damage. Visual conditions prevailed; the flight was originating at the time of the accident. According to witnesses, the airplane departed Runway 21 but when the main gear lifted from the runway’s surface, the airplane flew in ground effect and did not climb. It proceeded down the runway before settling into the ground. The pilot reported that prior to the flight he performed performance calculations for the airplane to ensure that it was capable...
May 7, 2005, Tucson, Ariz. / Beech 23
Subscribers Only The airplane lost engine power during takeoff and made a forced landing at the Tucson International Airport at 0901 Mountain time. The Private pilot sustained minor injuries; the airplane was substantially damaged. According to the pilot, the airplane was about 400 feet agl and turning the left crosswind leg when the engine lost all power. He made a forced landing between a taxiway and the perimeter fence on the airport. During the forced landing, the left main landing gear was sheared from the airplane and the left wing was folded at its center. The last maintenance performed on the airplane was an oil change. The accident flight was the first flight since the maintenance was performed. The...
May 6, 2005, Memphis, Tenn. / Jodel D-9 Experimental
Subscribers Only At about 1240 Central time, the Experimental airplane collided with the ground during approach to the General Dewitt Spain Airport. Visual conditions prevailed; the Private pilot received fatal injuries, and the airplane was substantially damaged. The seller of the airplane later reported the pilot purchased the one-seat airplane that day and wanted to fly it home. A witness standing at the airport’s midfield stated the airplane appeared to be about 200 feet above the ground on the downwind. The witness stated the airplane turned base and was very slow with the nose high. He stated that when the airplane turned final, it spun about half a turn to the left and dove straight into the ground....
May 5, 2005, Elk River, Idaho / Cessna 120
Subscribers Only The aircraft ground looped during the landing roll at about 0800 Pacific time. Visual conditions prevailed. The aircraft was substantially damaged but the Private pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured. The pilot later reported that he was landing on Runway 17. During the landing roll, he failed to maintain directional control and the aircraft ground looped. The propeller as well as the left wing contacted the surface, damaging the wing tip and outboard section of the aileron. The pilot reported no mechanical failures or malfunctions with the aircraft at the time of the accident. The pilot reported that the weather was clear and the winds were calm....
May 5, 2005, North Las Vegas, Nev. / Gulfstream 695A
Subscribers Only At 0914 Pacific time, the aircraft was substantially damaged when it collided with terrain short of Runway 12R at the North Las Vegas Airport. The Airline Transport pilot experienced an incapacitation event during the flight and was the only fatality. The two passengers received minor injuries. Visual conditions prevailed. After takeoff, the pilot started feeling ill and became incapacitated. The passenger in the cockpit’s right seat took over flying the airplane and flew it to the North Las Vegas airport where it impacted terrain while on final approach to land....
May 3, 2005, Kalispell, Mont. / Cessna T210N
Subscribers Only The airplane was destroyed in a collision with terrain at about 1540 Mountain time approximately 19 miles east of Kalispell, Mont. The Private pilot and pilot-rated passenger were fatally injured. Instrument conditions prevailed. The aircraft wreckage was located after the Salt Lake City Air Traffic Control Center issued an Alert Notice (ALNOT) when radio and radar contact with the accident aircraft was lost....
May 3, 2005, Bismarck, N.D. / Piper PA-31T
Subscribers Only At about 2100 Central time, the airplane was substantially damaged during an emergency landing on Runway 21 at the Bismarck Municipal Airport (BIS) in Bismarck, N.D. The right main landing gear failed to extend prior to landing and the left main gear collapsed during rollout. The airplane subsequently departed the runway pavement before coming to rest. Visual conditions prevailed, and neither the Private pilot nor the passenger reported injuries. The pilot elected to divert to BIS when the landing failed to extend prior to landing at his intended destination....
Squawk Box: 07/05
Subscribers Only The following information is derived from the FAA’s Service Difficulty Reports and Aviation Maintenance Alerts. ---------- Aeronca 7 AC Cracked Wing Ribs The submitter describes finding a crack in both the left and right wing’s number one rib located inboard of the ailerons. These ribs were “...cracked along the radius of the attach tab where the rib is secured to the aft spar. This aircraft was subjected to years of prevailing winds quartering against the trailing edge of the left aileron. No gust locks were utilized. The ribs were repaired and wings recovered. The owner has erected a more suitable shelter.” Part Total Time: unknown. Aeronca;11 CC Cracked Rear...
For Want Of A Nail: Learning Experiences 07/05
Subscribers Only We have all heard the story of how a horseshoe nail was lost, leading to the loss of the horse and its rider, and the message he carried into battle. Because the message was never received, the battle and the war was lost. It’s as apocryphal today as when it was written. Examples include the shuttle Challenger tragedy—caused by a defective O-ring—and the Eastern Airlines Lockheed L-1011 that crashed in the Florida Everglades because someone nudged the autopilot switch “off” while working on a simple landing-gear problem but didn’t notice it. The point is that accident chains usually start from very simple events, pick up steam from other links in the chain and then snowball out of contro...
NTSB Preliminary Reports
Subscribers Only May 3, 2005, Bismarck, N.D. Piper PA-31T At about 2100 Central time, the airplane was substantially damaged during an emergency landing on Runway 21 at the Bismarck Municipal Airport (BIS) in Bismarck, N.D. The right main landing gear failed to extend prior to landing and the left main gear collapsed during rollout. The airplane subsequently departed the runway pavement before coming to rest. Visual conditions prevailed, and neither the Private pilot nor the passenger reported injuries. The pilot elected to divert to BIS when the landing failed to extend prior to landing at his intended destination. May 3, 2005, Kalispell, Mont. Cessna T210N The airplane w...
Too Much Baggage: Accident Probe 07/05
Subscribers Only In-flight emergencies may require us to divert but we still have to fly the approach
The Air Up There
Subscribers Only The best way to fully understand hypoxia’s effects is in an altitude chamber. But there’s more to high-altitude flight than just being able to breathe.
Finding Shop Errors
Subscribers Only Everyone makes mistakes, perhaps including the mechanic who last worked on your airplane. Find those problems on the ground before your test flight.
Big-City IFR
Subscribers Only If you do it right, most IFR flying is dull and boring. But being legally current doesn’t mean you’re ready to mix it up with the big boys.
Size Doesn’t Matter
Subscribers Only Pilots know to avoid getting behind large, heavy ones. But the wakes of smaller airplanes can be hazardous, too.
Got Gas?
Subscribers Only Running out of gas is inexcusable and preventable. Here are the things you need to know about fuel to get you back on the ground.
Unicom: 07/05
Planes, Or Pilots? I read with great interest “A Sober Look At Cirrus” (April 2005). I’m a Cirrus owner and decided to go through the NTSB accident data and look at the 30 reported Cirrus accidents. After reading these reports I conclude that the Cirrus aircraft is not the issue. Of the 13 fatal accidents, 10 were pilot-related, two could be attributed to the pilot/controller and one remains undetermined. Seven of the fatal accidents involved IMC. What can be concluded from this subjective analysis or the accident data? Statistically, it appears that a relatively high number of Cirrus pilots are getting into accidents, if the fleet hour estimates are accurate in the article....
Editor’s Log: 07/05
Fly, Forrest, Fly! It’s spring here on the east coast, time when a young man’s fantasies turn to flying. Unfortunately, some of those fantasies reportedly involve flying long distances without rudimentary flight planning or keeping tabs on the airplane’s position and the airspace one might encounter. So it was on May 11, when a Cessna 150 obliviously flew into the heart of the secure airspace surrounding the nation’s capital. The event involved a U.S. Customs and Border Patrol (CPB) Black Hawk helicopter, a CPB Cessna Citation and two U.S. Air Force F-16s and thousands of panicked government employees. Thankfully, the incursion ended without further drama at the outlying Freder...