Aircraft: Luscombe 8E. Injuries: 2 Minor. Location: West Bend, Wis. Aircraft damage: Substantial.
What reportedly happened: The pilot was attempting to take off from a grass 1,500-foot runway. The airplane lifted off, but the pilot felt it was not climbing fast enough to clear power lines [Read more…]
Aircraft: Cessna 310. Injuries: 2 Fatal. Location: Stotts City, Mo. Aircraft damage: Destroyed.
What reportedly happened: The right engine of the twin Cessna had recently undergone extensive maintenance. The pilot and the pilot-rated passenger originally planned to make several circuits in the traffic pattern to test the right engine, then fly the airplane to a nearby airport. However, the test flight was delayed [Read more…]
Aircraft: Piper Super Cub. Injuries: 1 Minor. Location: Akiachak, Alaska. Aircraft damage: Substantial.
What reportedly happened: The private pilot departed on a flight between two remote Alaskan communities. Because of deteriorating weather conditions along the flight route, he decided to return to his home airport.
Aircraft: Piper Aztec. Injuries: 3 Fatal, 1 Serious. Location: Charlotte Amalie, Va. Aircraft damage: Destroyed.
What reportedly happened: There was no record of the pilot obtaining a weather briefing before the flight or filing a flight plan. The destination airport was tower-controlled, but the tower was closed at the time of the accident. The runway was located along the shore, with the approach end surrounded by water on three sides.
Aircraft: Piper Warrior. Injuries: 1 Fatal. Location: Marana, Ariz. Aircraft damage: Destroyed.
What reportedly happened: The non-instrument-rated pilot had amassed an estimated 185 hours of total flight experience, of which 7.3 hours were conducted at night over sparsely populated terrain. He had flown the route twice before in the day time.
Aircraft: Kitfox Super Sport. Injuries: None. Location: Twin Bridges, Mont. Aircraft damage: Substantial.
What reportedly happened: The pilot purchased the airplane from the builder approximately four months before the accident. At the time of the accident, the pilot had logged about 16 hours in the Kitfox. The accident happened when he attempted to perform a full-flap soft-field takeoff for the first time.
Aircraft: Piper Super Cub. Injuries: None. Location: Cordova, Alaska. Aircraft damage: Substantial.
What reportedly happened: The pilot was departing from a tidal beach in the tailwheel airplane. During the takeoff roll into the sun he lost visual references and allowed the airplane to drift to the right.
Aircraft: Swift GC-1A. Injuries: 2 Fatal. Location: East Moriches, N.Y. Aircraft damage: Destroyed.
What reportedly happened: The airplane departed with an adequate supply of fuel in the main fuel tank but an unknown amount in the tip tanks. The Swift’s takeoff was witnessed by the mechanic who performed the last inspection on the airplane. The mechanic thought the engine sounded unusual and thought the pilot would return for landing, but he did not.
Aircraft: Cessna 150. Injuries: None. Location: Seneca Falls, N.Y. Aircraft damage: Substantial.
What reportedly happened: The pilot did not obtain a preflight weather briefing before departing on the local flight. At the time of departure the wind was from 270° at 9 knots.
Aircraft: Cessna 150. Injuries: None. Location: Mansfield, Mass. Aircraft damage: Substantial.
What reportedly happened: The accident happened during a training flight. According to the flight instructor, during climb out when the airplane reached 250 feet AGL, the airplane stopped climbing and began to descend.