September 2005
July 2, 2005, Yuma, Ariz. / Piper PA-28-180
Subscribers Only At 1130 Mountain time, the airplane collided with an airport perimeter fence during landing and nosed over. The Private pilot and three passengers were not injured; the airplane sustained substantial damage. Visual conditions prevailed. According to the pilot, while on final approach, the airplane began descending rapidly. The pilot retracted the flaps 10 degrees and applied full power, but the airplane continued to descend until it struck the airport perimeter fence and nosed over. According to the airport manager, approximately 35 gallons of fuel were drained from the airplane following the accident....
July 1, 2005, Lopez, Wash. / Beech E-55 Baron
Subscribers Only The airplane was destroyed when it was ditched at about 1855 Pacific time. Of the five on board, two persons (one of whom was a Private pilot) sustained fatal injuries, two persons (one of whom was a Commercial pilot) sustained serious injuries, and one person sustained minor injuries. Visual conditions prevailed for the cross-country flight, which departed Redmond, Ore., at about 1713. During the airplane’s initial approach to the destination airport, the pilot reported having an engine problem but reported the flight did not require assistance. Subsequently, another pilot told the controller the airplane hit the water....
June 25, 2005, Fairview, Penn. / Piper PA-28-235
Subscribers Only At about 1235 Eastern time, the airplane was destroyed when it impacted a residence shortly after takeoff. The Commercial pilot was seriously injured and three passengers were fatally injured. Visual conditions prevailed; an IFR flight plan had been filed for the cross-country flight. One witness reported that the airplane used the majority of the 5001-foot runway and didn’t appear to gain altitude. A second witness stated that the accident airplane’s engine sounded like it was “missing” for a period of approximately 10 seconds. The airplane descended in an upright attitude, impacting the residence. According to another witness, the pilot repeated that he “couldn’t get air, couldn’t get alti...
June 18, 2005, Phoenix, Ariz. / Cirrus Design Corp. SR-22
Subscribers Only The airplane collided with terrain following an attempted go-around at about 1030 Mountain standard time. The Private pilot and one passenger were uninjured, although the airplane sustained substantial damage. Day visual conditions prevailed. In a written statement, the pilot later noted that, while en route, he decided to practice an emergency engine-out procedure. While on final approach, at 500 feet agl, he decided to go around and applied full power. He tried to initiate a climb, but the engine did not develop sufficient power. The airplane impacted terrain about 50 yards from the airport....
June 18, 2005, Apple Valley, Calif. / Beechcraft K35 Bonanza
Subscribers Only At about 0730 Pacific time, the airplane collided with a pole during a forced landing on a dirt road and was substantially damaged. The Commercial pilot sustained minor injuries; the single passenger aboard was not injured. Visual conditions prevailed. Subsequently, the pilot stated that the engine began sputtering, and he thought that he had a fuel problem. The fuel pressure began to vary. The pilot switched fuel tanks, turned on the auxiliary fuel pump, and richened the mixture. He notified ATC of the problem, and received vectors to a nearby airport. The fuel flow stabilized briefly, and then started varying again; shortly thereafter, the engine quit. The airplane touched down successfull...
June 18, 2005, Mt. Shasta, Calif. / Piper PA-28R-180
Subscribers Only The airplane was destroyed and the Airline Transport pilot was fatally injured between 1325 and 1515 Pacific time after impacting upsloping high mountainous terrain in the vicinity of the accident site. No flight plan had been filed. Earlier, the pilot received a standard DUATS briefing for a planned direct-routing flight from San Diego, Calif., to Willows, Calif., before continuing to Bellingham, Wash., the pilot’s final destination and home base. A search for the airplane began after it failed to arrive in Bellingham. On June 20, after weather conditions improved, the airplane’s wreckage was located about 3700 feet south-southeast of Mt. Shasta’s 14,163-foot msl peak....
June 18, 2005, Sarasota, Fla. / Seawind 3000 Experimental
Subscribers Only At 1807 Eastern time, the airplane crashed into an unoccupied elementary school and burst into flames shortly after takeoff. Visual conditions prevailed; the Airline Transport pilot received fatal injuries and the airplane sustained substantial damage. Shortly after takeoff, the pilot requested a return to the Sarasota Airport and subsequently made a “mayday” call and declared that he was making a crash landing. There was no further communication. Witnesses stated the airplane was flying slowly with erratic lateral and pitch excursions; they did not hearf engine sounds before the airplane first contacted the building....
June 17, 2005, Pasadena, Calif. / Beech C35 Bonanza
Subscribers Only The airplane was substantially damaged and the Student pilot sustained minor injuries at about 2310 Pacific time when the airplane lost engine power and collided with an automobile during a forced landing on a freeway. The CFI aboard sustained serious injuries. Visual conditions prevailed for the cross-country flight. The CFI subsequently reported that, after switching from the auxiliary fuel tank to the left main fuel tank, the engine quit running. The Student pilot/owner began pumping the manual wobble fuel pump and turned on the electric fuel pump. The two tried each fuel tank, and, each time, the engine quit running when they stopped using the wobble pump. At 500 feet agl, they set up fo...
June 17, 2005, Santa Fe, N.M. / Cessna 340A
Subscribers Only At 1228 Mountain time, the airplane was substantially damaged when the right main landing gear collapsed while landing. Visual conditions prevailed; the Airline Transport pilot and sole occupant was not injured. The flight was the first after the aircraft’s annual inspection and the pilot was “breaking in a new cylinder.” He noted no anomalies during the flight which included an in-flight gear extension and retraction. He said the landing was uneventful. While taxiing back to the hangar, the right main landing gear collapsed and the right wing struck the ground. Post-accident inspection revealed a bolt attached to the lower portion of the bell crank was sheared and the main landing gear trun...
June 16, 2005, Burneyville, Okla. / Cessna 152
Subscribers Only The airplane was substantially damaged following a loss of control during landing at about 1030 Central time. The Student pilot, sole occupant of the airplane, was not injured. Visual conditions prevailed for the solo cross-country flight. Subsequently, the 71-hour Student pilot reported that the airplane “bounced” on landing and she lost control. She tried to regain control of the airplane but the airplane departed the right side of the runway. The pilot reported the brakes were ineffective in the knee-high grass and the airplane impacted a tree....
June 16, 2005, Happy Jack, Ariz. / Piper PA-28R-200
Subscribers Only At about 1435 Mountain time, the aircraft was substantially damaged after the Private pilot experienced a partial loss of engine power and performed a forced landing on a dirt road. There were no injuries. According to the pilot, he was in cruise flight about 10,500 feet msl along a 7000-foot-high ridge line where “mountain wave action” was present. The airplane began to slowly lose altitude, and efforts by the pilot to increase engine power and arrest the descent failed. The pilot then turned east, away from the ridgeline, to avoid an uncontrolled descent into terrain. Once clear of the ridgeline and any possible effects of the mountain wave, the pilot determined that the engine was capable...
June 16, 2005, Coral Springs, Fla. / Goodyear Blimp
Subscribers Only The airship was substantially damaged when it collided with trees, power lines and the ground at 1842 Eastern time in visual conditions. The Commercial pilot and the passenger reported no injuries. As the pilot headed the airship toward the Pompano Beach Airpark for landing, he saw numerous cloud-to-ground lighting strikes and decided not to land. The pilot flew the airship out of the area to wait for the storms to pass but the weather deteriorated rapidly, and he encountered “heavy rain, lightning, and severe outflow and downdrafts.” The pilot stated the airship became “unable to climb, make headway, or maintain directional control” with full power on the engines. He stated he attempted to...
June 15, 2005, Raymore, Mo. / Piper PA-28-181
Subscribers Only At 0030 Central time, the airplane sustained substantial damage during a forced landing in a field after a loss of engine power. The Private pilot was not injured. The flight departed Pinckneyville, Ill., at 2245 and was en route to Olathe, Kan. Night visual conditions prevailed. A post-crash examination revealed about one cup of fuel was present in each wing tank; there was no evidence of a fuel leak anywhere on the airplane. The engine was rotated and thumb compression was observed on all cylinders, and spark was observed on all spark plugs....
June 15, 2005, Fort Payne, Ala. / Cessna 152
Subscribers Only The airplane collided with the ground during an attempted landing at 2320 Central time. The 14-year-old non-certificated pilot was not injured; the airplane sustained substantial damage. According to police, the boy had never flown an airplane before but went to the airport and found an airplane with keys in it. He flew for a few minutes and landed, then took off again. On the second flight, he flew a few minutes longer and attempted to land again. This time he landed hard and the airplane veered to the left. He stated that he added power in an attempt to go around but the airplane crashed on a road in a nosedown attitude and slid about 40 feet.The 14-year-old boy was arrested and charged wi...
June 14, 2005, Woodfords, Calif. / Bellanca 7GCBC
Subscribers Only At about 1139 Pacific time, the airplane collided with terrain, fatally injuring the pilot. Visual conditions prevailed. According to a witness, the airplane appeared to be doing aerobatics. He saw it complete a loop and began a second one. The airplane appeared to be fighting the wind and moving very slowly. The airplane then came down, completing the second loop. The airplane then went back up into a third loop and came straight down, out of sight, and into the trees. Another witness stated the airplane appeared to stall and descend in a tailspin....
Squawk Box: 09/05
Subscribers Only The following information is derived from the FAA’s Service Difficulty Reports and Aviation Maintenance Alerts. ---------- American General AG-5B Seatbelt Doubler Installation While replacing the rear passenger seatbelts, it was discovered the p/n 5102330-6 reinforcement plate 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 AG Drawing 5102299. Furthermore, an MS20364-1032 (thin shear nut) was used to secure the AN3-5A retaining bolts. MS 20365-1032 or MS21042-3 nuts should have been installed as called out on the drawing. This arra...
Winged Low Rider: Learning Experiences 09/05
Subscribers Only I was flying a Piper Arrow out of the Tamiami airport, south of Miami, for some touch-and-go landings on a windy, crystal clear morning after a cold front had blown through. I taxied out, did the run-up and took off, making right traffic. Even with a right quartering crosswind, I managed to complete three circuits uneventfully. After my fourth landing, I noticed the view out the windshield looked different: The nose appeared lower than normal, about eight inches or more. Not good. Fully engaged in the touch-and-go’s “go” portion, I was too fast to stop in the runway remaining. I also worried that applying maximum braking and trying to stop would cause a prop strike. I really had no idea...
NTSB Preliminary Reports
Subscribers Only June 14, 2005, Woodfords, Calif. Bellanca 7GCBC At about 1139 Pacific time, the airplane collided with terrain, fatally injuring the pilot. Visual conditions prevailed. According to a witness, the airplane appeared to be doing aerobatics. He saw it complete a loop and began a second one. The airplane appeared to be fighting the wind and moving very slowly. The airplane then came down, completing the second loop. The airplane then went back up into a third loop and came straight down, out of sight, and into the trees. Another witness stated the airplane appeared to stall and descend in a tailspin. June 15, 2005, Fort Payne, Ala. Cessna 152 The airplane coll...
Dark Departure: Accident Probe 09/05
Subscribers Only If humans had been meant to fly at night, they would have been given better internal gyros.
Radar Approaches
Subscribers Only When everything in the panel is dying, all you have is a handheld comm and you wish you were home in bed, how will you find the runway?
Stalls Revisited
Subscribers Only A thorough understanding of stalls should be common among pilots, but the accident record says otherwise. Maybe it’s time for a new approach.
Yank-Bank Limits
Subscribers Only Even airframes certified for 6 G can stand only so much. The saga of the T-34 reveals what pilots don’t know about how airplanes endure high-G flight.
Five Ways To Go Pro
Subscribers Only Carriers have the resources and the rules to do things differently and more safely. What five things can you do to fly the same way?
Post-Crash Care
Subscribers Only You’ve just crashed in a remote area. You and your passengers are injured. Will you have the equipment and knowledge to survive until you’re rescued?
Unicom: 09/05
Got Game? I just finished reading the article “Big City IFR” (July 2005). It was enjoyable and very timely. I recently took my F33A Bonanza into Chicago Midway (twice in two days). It was, well, an interesting experience. I earned my Instrument ticket last fall and frequently travel into controlled airports within Class B, C and D airspace. But even with my experience at airports with high traffic volume, it’s just not the same as airports with high volumes of airliner traffic. It was clear as I approached Chicago airspace that I was the small fish that was going to mess up everyone’s already busy day. It was obvious (and I somewhat expected it) that I would be worked int...
Editor’s Log: 09/05
Pulling The Rug One of the really neat technologies that has filtered down to personal aircraft in recent years is the FAA’s Traffic Information Service (TIS). The TIS is a Mode S Data Link service that delivers automatic traffic advisories to pilots. According to the FAA, TIS provides “an affordable means to assist the GA pilot in visual acquisition of surrounding air traffic.” The TIS data stream includes location, direction, altitude and climb/descent information of nearby aircraft. “The result is improved communication between aircraft and air traffic control (ATC), providing U.S. pilots with greater traffic awareness in busy terminal areas,” says the company. All good stuf...