October 2006
Chafing And Cracks
Subscribers Only The following information is derived from the FAA’s Service Difficulty Reports and Aviation Maintenance Alerts. Beech (Raytheon) Model 58 Baron Chafing Fuel Line While retracting and extending the landing gear for adjustment of a drooping inboard main wheel door, abnormal noise and vibration (was noted at mid-cycle). Further investigation found the r/h main landing gear retract rod assembly chafing on the wheel well’s fuel crossfeed tubes (p/ns 002-920000-49 and 002-920000-51). …
Three Rules
Subscribers Only We never know when an in-flight emergency might occur, and if you are lucky you might fly your entire life without encountering one. Nevertheless, the three rules of handling an emergency—aviate, navigate, communicate—should always be at the forefront should things begin to go wrong. Recently, I had the unfortunate opportunity to put this mantra to the test. …
Bulletin Board
Subscribers Only Look Before You Taxi These photos come to us courtesy of Ken Peppard, who took them at the Manassas (Va.) Regional Airport in late August. The Saratoga’s pilot, taxiing at night, reportedly thought he had cleared the last row of parked airplanes. Fortunately, we are not of aware of any injuries, except to pride and wallet.…
August 18, 2006, Red Bluff, Calif./Cessna A150M
Subscribers Only At about 1642 Pacific time, the airplane was substantially damaged after a loss of engine power and forced landing. The Private pilot and sole occupant was not injured. Visual conditions prevailed. The pilot reported there were no discrepancies with the takeoff roll. About 200 feet agl, the engine failed. The pilot attempted to land; however, the airplane landed hard, bounced into the air and came to rest inverted. …
August 18, 2006, Hartsville, S.C./Piper PA-32RT-300
Subscribers Only The airplane was destroyed when it collided with trees during an instrument approach at 0841 Eastern time, fatally injuring the Private pilot and passenger. Instrument conditions prevailed. After being cleared for the GPS Runway 5 approach and approximately four miles from the airport inside the final approach fix, the pilot reported a missed approach, made a left turn and began a descent to 1400 feet. Control tower personnel asked the pilot if he had the airport…
August 16, 2006, Mojave, Calif./Extra Flugzeugbau EA 300
Subscribers Only At about 1300 Pacific time, the airplane was destroyed when it impacted flat desert terrain. The pilot and sole occupant was seriously injured. Visual conditions prevailed. A helicopter emergency medical services crew witnessed the accident. They watched the airplane complete several "tail slide" maneuvers and then saw it flat spin and hit the ground. They responded to the accident site, assisted with the extrication of the pilot from the airplane and then transported the pilot to…
August 15, 2006, Kremmling, Colo./Cirrus Design Corp. SR20
Subscribers Only The airplane was destroyed when it impacted mountainous terrain at approximately 2230 Mountain time while maneuvering after a missed approach. The Commercial pilot sustained serious injuries and the passenger sustained minor injuries. Dark night visual conditions prevailed. While en route at 16,000 feet msl, the airplane encountered rain and moderate turbulence. The pilot elected to divert to an alternate airport. During the approach, the pilot stated the airplane "broke out near the decision height altitude," but…
August 14, 2006, Sault Ste Marie, Mich./Piper PA-23-250
Subscribers Only At 0918 Eastern time, the airplane was destroyed following an in-flight collision with terrain and subsequent explosion while attempting to land. Instrument conditions prevailed; the flight instructor, dual student and two passengers were fatally injured. While being cleared for the VOR-A approach, the pilot stated his intention to land on Runway 27. Radar data shows the airplane approached the airport from the northeast, crossed over the intersection of Runways 9/27 and 16/34 at about 1060 feet…
August 12, 2006, Santa Fe, N.M./Piper PA-23-160
Subscribers Only The airplane sustained substantial damage during an aborted take-off at 0821 Mountain time. Visual conditions prevailed; the pilot and passenger were not injured. The pilot subsequently reported completing a satisfactory engine run-up. During the takeoff roll, the pilot reported, "the aircraft was sluggish." After rotation, the airplane would not accelerate. The pilot felt "the engines were not producing full power." Subsequently, the pilot elected to abort the takeoff and attempted to land back on the remaining…
August 11, 2006, Palmetto, Fla./American Champion 7EC
Subscribers Only At about 2000 Eastern time, the aircraft crashed while the pilot was maneuvering following takeoff. Visual conditions prevailed; the Airline Transport pilot received minor injuries and the airplane incurred substantial damage. The pilot stated that he took off from Runway 7, performed a climbing right turn to make a 45-degree heading change to the right and, upon reaching 200 feet altitude, initiated a descending left turn to 225 degrees, in an effort to reverse course and…
August 10, 2006, Harrisburg, Neb./Piper PA-24-260
Subscribers Only The airplane sustained substantial damage during a forced landing at approximately 0730 Mountain time following a loss of engine power. The Private pilot and passenger were not injured. Visual conditions prevailed. According to the pilot, while in cruise flight approximately 8500 feet msl, the pilot heard a "loud bang" and the engine oil pressure decreased. Shortly thereafter, engine oil was noted on the windscreen and the engine lost power. The pilot initiated a forced landing to…
August 7, 2006, Salida, Colo./Piper PA-28R-201
Subscribers Only At approximately 1030 Mountain time, the airplane was destroyed when it collided with mountainous terrain during a forced landing. The Airline Transport pilot was fatally injured; a non-pilot passenger sustained serious injuries. Visual conditions prevailed. The accident site was situated in a bowl at an elevation of 12,020 feet msl and surrounded by mountain peaks as high as 14,000 feet. Campers in the area reported hearing an airplane proceed up the canyon. A construction worker near…
August 6, 2006, Bellefonte, Pa./Piper PA-46-350P
Subscribers Only At about 1130 Eastern daylight time, the airplane was substantially damaged during a takeoff attempt. The Private pilot and five passengers were not injured. Visual conditions prevailed for the planned cross-country flight Subsequently, the pilot stated that start-up, taxi and engine run-up seemed normal. The takeoff roll was longer than the pilot expected, but the airplane lifted off with approximately 1000 feet of runway remaining. The airplane then climbed approximately 100 feet, but did not seem…
August 5, 2006, Windsor, N.H/Cessna 172N
Subscribers Only The solo Private pilot was uninjured during a takeoff attempt from the private turf runway at an unspecified time. The pilot aborted the takeoff roll at around 55 KIAS but was unable to stop the airplane before it overran the departure end of the runway and collided with trees. The pilot reported that while walking away from the airplane, he noticed "there was definitely a strong southbound wind and [he] realized that [he] should have taken…
August 4, 2006, Pownal, Vt./Embraer 110P1
Subscribers Only At 0918 Eastern time, the airplane was destroyed when it impacted mountainous terrain. The Airline Transport pilot was fatally injured. Instrument conditions prevailed. The pilot had attempted one VOR Runway 13 approach to minimums, but had not been able to land and was attempting a second approach when contact was lost. …
August 4, 2006, Whitethorn, Calif./Cessna 182
Subscribers Only The aircraft impacted a mountain shortly after departing at about 1030 Pacific time. The two occupants, both of whom were Private pilots, were fatally injured. The airplane sustained substantial damage. Instrument conditions prevailed around the accident site; it was unknown if a flight plan had been filed. A witness recalled observing the accident airplane depart, noting there was a dense fog surrounding the airport, which provided less than ¼-mile visibility. He witnessed the airplane take off…
August 4, 2006, Omaha, Neb./Lancair IVP/Piper PA-28-140
Subscribers Only At 1415 Central time, a Lancair IVP Experimental airplane piloted by a Private pilot experienced a loss of engine power shortly after takeoff. During the subsequent forced landing, it collided with a taxing Piper PA-28-140, piloted by a flight instructor and dual student. Visual conditions prevailed. Both airplanes were substantially damaged during the ground collision but there were no reported injuries.…
August 3, 2006, Mosca, Colo./Piper PA-28-180
Subscribers Only The airplane was destroyed when it collided with mountainous terrain at approximately 0930 Mountain time during descent from cruise altitude. Visual conditions prevailed at the accident scene; the Private pilot was fatally injured. A witness about two miles from the accident site heard the approaching airplane; its engine was "sputtering." He did not see the airplane but heard an explosion. He ran to a clearing and saw a fire on the mountainside near the peak. Preliminary…
August 2, 2006, Bainbridge, Ga./Beech D45
Subscribers Only At 0847 Eastern time, the aircraft sustained a partial loss of engine power on initial takeoff climb, and collided with the ground during a forced landing. Visual conditions prevailed; the airplane received substantial damage. The Private pilot reported minor injuries. The pilot stated he had just retracted the landing gear on initial climb at 50 feet and 80 knots when the engine started a "popping" noise. The pilot stated he turned the boost pump on, the…
Black Hole Descent
Subscribers Only The challenges of night flying and maintaining good cockpit discipline should be well understood by now.
Commercial Maneuvers
Subscribers Only What exactly is the point of Chandelles and Lazy-8s, anyway? If you’re paying attention, they teach aircraft control and precision beyond the dull normal of straight-and-level flying.
Can You Handle A VLJ?
Subscribers Only There may be a very light jet in your future as piston and turboprop drivers step up. What will it take for you to become proficient in a jet?
Airspace Charting Traps
Subscribers Only Special Use Airspace charting can be confusing and increase the risk of blundering into areas you’re not supposed to. Here’s how to tell the difference.
Replacing ILS
Subscribers Only The Wide-Area Augmentation System (WAAS) will provide ILS-like accuracy with GPS. Can it replace the familiar ground-based system on which we depend?
Is Oil Analysis Worth It
Subscribers Only Absolutely it is, but there are limitations. What you need to know about oil analysis results, monitoring the trends and taking your own samples.
Safer Trainers
Subscribers Only In the August 2006 article, "Five Ways to Better NPAs," the author made an error by confusing straight-in approaches with straight-in landings. In the highlighted box called "Defining the Non-Precision Approach" the writer defined a straight-in approach as "a procedure where the final approach course is aligned to within 15 degrees of the runway heading...." This is incorrect; a straight-in approach is one in which there is no procedure turn. …
Editor's Log: 10/06
Subscribers Only The late August crash of Comair Flight 5191, a Bombardier regional jet, appears to be an event typifying the old maxim that an accident results from a chain of events. Break any link in the chain and the accident never happens. If, as early reports indicate, the jet’s crew did attempt to take off from the wrong runway at Lexington, Ky. (LEX), for a rainy, pre-dawn departure, the act of advancing the throttles probably will…