January 2006
November 19, 2005, Dana Point, Calif. / Cessna T210N Turbo Centurion
Subscribers Only At 1403 Pacific time, the airplane impacted the Pacific Ocean and sank following a loss of control during cruise flight. The Airline Transport pilot and three passengers were fatally injured; the airplane was destroyed. Visual conditions prevailed. A witness on a sailboat approximately two miles offshore observed the airplane in a nose-low attitude spiraling toward the ocean, akin to a corkscrew pattern. He thought that the airplane was conducting aerobatic maneuvers. The airplane impacted the water in the nose-low attitude about 100 yards from the boat. The wreckage was recovered on November 22, 2005, and was transported to a salvage facility where a detailed examination will take place at...
November 11, 2005, Summerville, S.C. / Mooney M20M
Subscribers Only The aircraft collided with trees, fell to the ground and burst into flames at 1418 Eastern during a landing approach. Visual conditions prevailed; the Private pilot received serious injuries while the passenger was fatally injured and the airplane sustained substantial damage. According to witnesses, the airplane touched down with the landing gear retracted. The airplane was observed exiting a cloud of dust and climbing to about 500 feet. Witnesses said the airplane circled the runway to the left twice, and the pilot lowered the landing gear for an approach. During the descent the airplane went into the trees and collided with the ground 500 yards from the runway threshold....
November 9, 2005, Leesburg, Va. / Piper PA-28-161 Warrior
Subscribers Only At about 0930 Eastern time, the airplane was substantially damaged when it impacted trees and terrain. The Flight Instructor and Student pilot were fatally injured. Visual conditions prevailed. The airplane was performing “touch and go” landings in the airport traffic pattern. One witness observed the airplane bank left and cross in front of him. The left bank increased until the wings were “straight up and down,” then it “just dropped straight towards the ground.” Another witness observed the airplane during takeoff. She described seeing the airplane in a straight and level attitude. Then it banked left, and completed a “U-turn.” The airplane then pitched nose down, and descended quickly ou...
November 9, 2005, Geyserville, Calif. / Beech F33A Bonanza
Subscribers Only The airplane impacted mountainous terrain at about 1834 Pacific time. The Private pilot/owner, the sole occupant, was fatally injured and the airplane was destroyed. Night visual conditions prevailed. At 1833, the pilot reported that he had the airport in sight and wanted to cancel VFR services. The controller terminated radar services, the pilot was instructed to squawk a 1200 beacon code, and the pilot’s frequency change was approved. No further radio transmissions were received from the pilot. Over the last minute of flight, radar data indicated that the radar target was descending from 4200 feet, through 4000 feet. The last recorded radar return at 1834 showed an altitude of 3500 feet ab...
November 9, 2005, Bloomington, Ill. / Piper PA-23-160 Apache
Subscribers Only At 2059 Central time the airplane received substantial damage on impact with terrain during a visual approach. Night visual conditions prevailed; the pilot was fatally injured. Earlier, the on-demand cargo flight departed from Peoria, Ill., but returned without incident after the pilot reported that the airplane door came open. The flight then departed at 2031. Subsequently, the pilot reported a rough right engine but, while diverting back to Peoria, the pilot diverted to Bloomington and crashed while maneuvering to land. The pilot did not declare an emergency....
November 8, 2005, Datil, N.M. / Beech A36 Bonanza
Subscribers Only The airplane was destroyed at approximately 1245 Mountain time when it impacted terrain while maneuvering. The Private pilot, who was the sole occupant, sustained fatal injuries. Visual conditions prevailed. Accident site investigation revealed the airplane impacted the tops of pine trees prior to impact with terrain. The wreckage was distributed on rising, rocky terrain and the main wreckage was located approximately 136 feet from the initial ground scar. The main wreckage consisted of the fuselage, portions of the left and right wings, the empennage and the engine. A post-impact fire ensued....
November 6, 2005, Opa-Locka, Fla. / Piper PA-28R-180 Arrow
Subscribers Only The airplane was substantially damaged at about 1613 Eastern time after experiencing a hard landing during the initial climb. Visual conditions prevailed; there were no injuries to the Flight Instructor (CFI), pilot-rated student, or rear-seat observer. The observer verbally reported to an NTSB investigator that he heard the CFI call for the landing gear to be retracted after takeoff. He felt the hydraulic pump start to work. He heard the CFI say the landing gear was not retracting or words to that effect, and also reported that the pitch of the airplane remained the same. He looked outside, noticed they were losing altitude and were going to impact the ground. He added that the sound of the...
November 5, 2005, Houston, Texas / Cessna Model 500 Citation
Subscribers Only At 0958 Central time, the airplane was destroyed upon impacting terrain following a loss of control on takeoff. The Instrument-rated Commercial pilot and one passenger were fatally injured. Visual conditions prevailed. One witness later stated the aircraft “appeared to have stalled during the ascent, banked to the right, crashing onto Runway 12L/30R.” According to the NTSB, the passenger was employed by the pilot as a maintenance technician, and had been working on the airplane. The 1972 model airplane, serial number 004, was certified for single-pilot operation. Aircraft flight records indicate January 31, 2005, as its last previous flight....
November 2, 2005, Sparks, Nev. / Schleicher ASH 26 E
Subscribers Only The powered glider was destroyed and the Airline Transport pilot was seriously injured at about 0940 Pacific time when the aircraft experienced an in-flight breakup during an unknown phase of flight. Visual conditions prevailed at the impact site; undetermined conditions existed aloft. The pilot had been cleared to fly in an airspace block between FL180 and FL280. Controllers opined that the pilot’s communications sounded “normal” during conversations within minutes of their losing radio and radar contact. The last Mode C radar hit was at 0939:30, when the glider was about 0.8 nm north-northeast of Sparks. One minute later the glider was about 2.2 nm and 032 degrees from Sparks. Air traffic...
November 1, 2005, Daytona Beach, Fla. / Cessna 172S
Subscribers Only At about 1136 Eastern time, a Cessna 172S experienced a hard landing at the Daytona Beach International Airport. Visual conditions prevailed. The airplane was substantially damaged and the Student pilot was not injured. The pilot stated that he did not apply adequate back pressure to the control yoke during the landing flare, and because of this, “I bounced very roughly.” He further stated that he executed a go-around after the hard landing, flew another traffic pattern and landed without further incident. Postflight examination of the airplane revealed damage to the firewall....
Squawk Box: 01/06
Subscribers Only Cessna 150M Cracked Engine Mount A mechanic found the R/H lower engine mount tube cracked. “The crack is located within one inch of the nose wheel strut support. This crack is ¾-inch in length, moving around the circumference of the tube.” The mount (p/n 0451120-1) was replaced. Part Total Time: 5002.1 hours. Cessna 172 Cracked Rear Wing Spar A crack was found in the rear wing spar. A search of the SDRS database found three airplanes where cracked spars were detected. The total time in service (TIS) for these three airplanes ranged between 12,000 and 16,000 hours. The cracks are hidden between the lower skin and the flap track support rib. Use of a magnify...
Learning Experiences: 01/06
Subscribers Only It’s Not A River In Egypt Having completed an IFR ground school and earning a multi-engine rating a few months before, I was preparing for a career change to “professional pilot.” A classmate had asked me to fly his wife from Lee’s Summit, Mo., to Norman, Okla., to pick up their two children, a 12-hour round-trip drive. I chose the aircraft I obtained my multi-engine rating in, a Model 55 Baron/Colemill Conversion, and asked a close friend/instructor to accompany us. My now ex-girlfriend came along. The first indicator of a problem was when we had to use a ground cart to get the engines started. In the run-up, every system behaved as it should. After an uneventful flight and ab...
NTSB Preliminary Reports
Subscribers Only November 1, 2005, Daytona Beach, Fla. Cessna 172S At about 1136 Eastern time, a Cessna 172S experienced a hard landing at the Daytona Beach International Airport. Visual conditions prevailed. The airplane was substantially damaged and the Student pilot was not injured. The pilot stated that he did not apply adequate back pressure to the control yoke during the landing flare, and because of this, “I bounced very roughly.” He further stated that he executed a go-around after the hard landing, flew another traffic pattern and landed without further incident. Postflight examination of the airplane revealed damage to the firewall. November 2, 2005, Sparks, Nev. Schleic...
Burden Of Ownership: Accident Probe 01/06
Subscribers Only Some Airworthiness Directives may not seem all that important. Others are critical.
In-Flight Fire
Subscribers Only Do you know your airplane’s most likely sources of an in-flight fire? How quickly you respond and get on the ground means everything.
Turnbacks Reconsidered
Subscribers Only If an engine quits on takeoff, where you go is less important than how you arrive. A straight-ahead landing remains the best low-risk option.
Glass Cockpit Reliability
Subscribers Only Primary flight displays are all but standard equipment in new airplanes, although some doubt their reliability. Avidyne says those worries are misplaced.
Overgross!
Subscribers Only Even a small amount of weight in excess of max gross can drastically affect performance. Here’s what to expect if you overload your airplane.
A Little Ice?
Subscribers Only ‘Tis the season—time to stop thinking thunderstorms and start thinking ice. And while you’re thinking, ask yourself—how much ice is too much?
Unicom: 01/06
How To Crash 101 For a safety magazine, the “Crash” Course sidebar on page 7 of the November issue is indeed a course on how to have a fatal crash. Suggesting that an approach should be flown with the stall horn blaring is an invitation to the classic stall-spin with no altitude for recovery. A friend of mine was of the opinion that you should fly the pattern same speed, wind or not. He’s dead now—spun in on a windy day. And he likely at least had the recommended margin for a no-wind day. I’m not advocating faster is better—it’s not. Flying the right speed for the conditions is the answer. If there’s no wind, fly 1.2 times Vso, not 1.3, not 1.25. And do this every landing...
Editor’s Log: 01/06
Talking About Ice Winter will be upon us in North America by the time this issue arrives in your mailbox. Already, my flight planning concerns have shifted from worrying about thunderstorms over the Great Plains to worrying about ice over the Appalachians. Much of the talk among pilots and in this magazine about ice focuses on avoiding it or coping with it if you can’t avoid picking up a load. There’s also the legal issue of flying an unapproved aircraft in known or forecast icing conditions. That doesn’t mean we should keep the airplane in the shed all winter; nor does it mean flying into ice with impugnity. Indeed, most of the ice I’ve found over the years wasn’t where...