November 2006
New To The Flight Levels?
Subscribers Only The high teens and low twenties are popular altitudes to fly but come with their own challenges. It’s just enough different that you may need this refresher.
Safety Oversights
Subscribers Only Seemingly insignificant items can have major consequences when we miss them. Meeting expectations for a smooth flight can require extra effort.
How To Stop
Subscribers Only Landing is only part of the story; you still have to stop. How you use your brakes can mean the difference between “book” performance and a trip through the weeds.
Cold-Weather Prep
Subscribers Only As winter sets in, it’s time to change our thinking to accommodate the weather. We can start with prepping for cold-weather flying.
“X” Marks The Spot
Subscribers Only Knowing where the high terrain is, and marking it on your chart, doesn’t mean you won’t hit it.
September 20, 2006, Auburn, Calif. / Mooney M20C
Subscribers Only At about 1650 Pacific time, the airplane was substantially damaged during a hard landing. According to the pilot, the elevator flight control system became disconnected seconds after taking off. The Private pilot reduced engine power to idle and he made a hard landing near midfield on Runway 7. The pilot received minor injuries. Although no discrepancies were noted during a pre-flight inspection, an examination of the airplane revealed that the elevator’s push-pull control rod was…
September 19, 2006, Holladay, Tenn. / Stinson 108
Subscribers Only The airplane was substantially damaged during a forced landing at 1140 Central time after a total loss of power. Visual conditions prevailed; there were no injuries. According to the pilot, the airplane was in cruise flight at 3500 feet when the engine quit, "just like it was running out of fuel." The pilot switched the fuel selector valve from the right main fuel tank to the left main fuel tank, applied carburetor heat and checked…
September 15, 2006, Telluride, Colo. / Beech 35-C33 Debonair
Subscribers Only At approximately 1030 Mountain time, the airplane was destroyed when it impacted mountainous terrain during cruise flight. Visual conditions prevailed. The Commercial pilot and three passengers were killed. Radar track data showed a VFR target approaching the area from the southeast at 13,500 feet msl. The target proceeded northwest until reaching Wilson Peak, a 14,017-foot mountain. The radar track ended there at 1030. …
September 15, 2006, Maybell, Colo. / Cirrus Design Corp SR20
Subscribers Only The aircraft was destroyed at approximately 1340 Mountain time when it impacted terrain. The Private pilot and pilot-rated passenger were fatally injured. Visual conditions prevailed. At 1320 and at an altitude of 14,000 feet msl, the pilot reported the airplane was encountering icing conditions and requested several altitude changes. He was assigned an altitude of 11,000 feet and was asked if he could maintain terrain and obstacle separation. The pilot acknowledged in the affirmative. At…
September 15, 2006, Bloomington, Ind. / Columbia 350
Subscribers Only The left main entry door departed the airplane after the pilot opened the door during flight to retrieve a carpet strap flapping against the airplane. The pilot was unable to hang on to the door and it departed the airplane. The airplane landed without further incident. Examination revealed the door contacted and punctured the right wing. It then contacted and punctured the right horizontal stabilizer. The emergency procedures section in the pilot operating handbook (POH) contains…
September 14, 2006, Fort Meade, Fla. / Piper PA-23-250
Subscribers Only At approximately 1945 Eastern time, the aircraft was destroyed when it struck terrain while maneuvering. The Airline Transport pilot and an observer were fatally injured. Visual conditions prevailed. Preliminary information indicates the airplane was being used for mosquito control. A witness said the airplane passed overhead at low altitude. He heard the engines "throttle back, then rev up and sputter." He saw the airplane pitch up, roll to the right, and descend into the ground.…
September 13, 2006 in Colo. Springs, CO. / Piper PA-46T-350P
Subscribers Only The aircraft, flown by a Private pilot, was substantially damaged when it made a hard landing at approximately 1524 Mountain time. Visual conditions prevailed; the pilot and single passenger were not injured. According to the pilot, he had been cleared to land on a vacant runway. While on short final, the tower cleared a McDonnell Douglas MD-80 for takeoff. "I was surprised that [the MD-80] did not do a rolling start and that he was not…
September 8, 2006, Santa Maria, Calif. / Piper PA-23-160
Subscribers Only The aircraft collided with terrain at about 1439 Pacific time. The Private pilot, who was the sole occupant, sustained fatal injuries; the airplane was destroyed. Visual conditions prevailed. A witness heard an airplane maneuvering, but could not see it because of low-lying clouds in the area. He said that the engines sounded "steady and smooth." Then he heard the engine sound increase, "like an airshow performer during a roll." Then the engines sounds stopped abruptly.…
September 7, 2006, South Windsor, Conn. / Beech F33A Bonanza
Subscribers Only At 1345 Eastern time, the aircraft was substantially damaged during a forced landing. The Private pilot sustained minor injuries; visual conditions prevailed. According to the pilot, the airplane began to lose power after a descent from 3000 feet to 1500. The pilot adjusted the propeller control to the full forward position and increased throttle but the engine continued to lose power and RPM, and the pilot was unable to arrest the airplane’s descent. The engine…
September 7, 2006, Shelton, Wash. / Cessna 182RG
Subscribers Only During the in-flight portion of a flight review, the Private pilot, who did not have a current flight review at the time of the accident, forgot to extend the landing gear during a practice soft-field landing. The flight instructor giving the flight review was aware the pilot had not put the landing gear down and, while the aircraft was on final approach, told the pilot multiple times to execute a go-around. …
September 7, 2006, Newton, Miss. / Piper PA-23-250
Subscribers Only The airplane was destroyed when it collided with terrain following a loss of power from both engines during takeoff at 1000 Central time. The Private pilot and sole occupant sustained minor injuries. Visual conditions prevailed. The accident flight was the first after maintenance was performed on the nose landing gear. …
September 4, 2006, Penhook, Va. / Cessna 150G
Subscribers Only At 1132 Eastern time, the airplane was destroyed when it impacted trees and terrain following an inflight breakup. The Private pilot and passenger were fatally injured. Instrument conditions prevailed. While receiving flight following, the pilot asked the controller for a radar vector. The controller asked the pilot to state his present heading, to which the pilot replied, "I can’t tell, I think we’re upside-down." Radar contact was lost shortly thereafter. A witness, located near the accident…
September 3, 2006, Pensacola, Fla. / Cessna 172N
Subscribers Only The airplane was substantially damaged at about 0915 Central time when it impacted trees during a landing attempt. Visual conditions prevailed; the Student pilot received minor injuries. The accident occurred during the pilot’s first supervised solo flight. According to the observing instructor, during the landing attempt and while on short final, it appeared the airplane was slightly high. The airplane then seemed to assume a flared attitude appropriate for landing but well above the runway. He…
September 2, 2006, McGregor, Texas / Beech BE95 A-55 Baron
Subscribers Only At approximately 0755 Central time, the airplane was destroyed when it impacted terrain following a loss of control during takeoff and initial climb. The Instrument-rated Commercial pilot and sole occupant was fatally injured. Visual conditions prevailed. A pilot-rated witness observed the accident airplane performing a normal climbout when it suddenly pitched upward and into a steep roll to the left. Although the witness did not see the actual impact, he did see the airplane trying to…
September 2, 2006, Prescott, Ariz. / Cessna 337
Subscribers Only The aircraft collided with wires during the initial takeoff climb at about 0926 Mountain time. The Private pilot, an Airline Transport pilot-rated passenger and another passenger sustained fatal injuries; a post-crash fire destroyed the airplane. Visual conditions prevailed. A pilot-rated witness observed the airplane flying low and slow, just clearing treetop height. Its nose was high and tail low when it made a hard right banking turn towards the north and the ground; a large plume…
September 1, 2006, Argyle, Fla. / Mitsubishi MU-2B-35
Subscribers Only At approximately 1115 Central time, the aircraft was destroyed when it impacted terrain; the Airline Transport pilot and sole occupant was fatally injured. Instrument conditions prevailed. At 1111:04, the pilot told ATC, "...we’re at one-one thousand; like to get down lower so we can get underneath this stuff." Shortly after its pilot received a clearance to 3000 feet, the aircraft was observed in a nose-down spiral with parts separating from it. The witness stated it…
The Over-Inflated Strut
Subscribers Only During my now well over 2000 hours in Cessna 206 Stationairs, I’d never thought much about a little under-inflation or a tad of over-inflation in the nose strut. And then it happened: my wife and I came within inches of serious injury—or worse—just because I departed with an over-inflated nose gear. …
Parts And Components
Subscribers Only The following information is derived from the FAA’s Service Difficulty Reports and Aviation Maintenance Alerts Unison UREM40E Defective Spark Plugs During the installation and operational check of two new Unison/Slick magnetos—plus harness and eight spark plugs—to correct a hard starting discrepancy, the engine had a 200-300 RPM magneto drop on the left magneto. …
Personal Minimums
Subscribers Only Whether to use the FAA’s minimum standards depends on you, the airplane and the weather. Sometimes, you just have to say “No."
Ditching Class
Subscribers Only I thoroughly enjoyed Bryan Webster’s recent ditching article ("Top Five Ditching Myths," September 2006). I flew single-engine planes from Aruba in the ‘50s and ‘60s. When leaving on any overwater flight, I would take the time to climb to 10,000 feet or so while circling, before heading out over the water. Of course, this minimized the likelihood of having to ditch after an engine failure. …
Here We Go Again
Subscribers Only The ultimate fallout from last month’s crash of a Cirrus SR20 into a New York high-rise building, killing the Cirrus’ owner and pilot, New York Yankees pitcher Cory Lidle, and his instructor, may come well before the NTSB’s probable cause determination.