Probable Cause: Maintenance personnel’s failure to properly torque and inspect the magneto hardware, which resulted in a partial loss of engine power.
aviation accidents
Attempt at jump takeoff ends with plane on top of hangar
Probable Cause: The pilot’s decision to attempt an unfamiliar takeoff technique, his failure to maintain pitch control during takeoff, and his subsequent decision to retract flaps at a low altitude, which resulted in a descent into a building.
Corrosion in landing gear ends new Luscombe owner’s familiarization flights
Probable Cause: Failure of the right main landing gear due to prolonged corrosion of the landing gear tube, which weakened the gear.
First cross-country after maintenance ends in crash
Probable Cause: The partial loss of engine power due to maintenance personnel’s failure to ensure that the ignition harnesses were properly secured and the pilot’s inappropriate pitch control inputs, which resulted in the airplane exceeding its critical angle of attack and subsequently entering an aerodynamic stall.
Pilot crashes after attempting intersection takeoff with a tailwind
Probable Cause: The pilot’s improper decision to attempt an intersection takeoff in a tailwind when the full runway in the opposite, headwind direction was available.
Fuel starvation results in seriously injured pilot
Probable Cause: The pilot’s inadequate fuel management, which resulted in fuel starvation and a forced landing.
Cropdusters crash on runway
Probable Cause: The failure of both pilots to see and avoid each other resulting in a collision on the airstrip. Contributing was the pilots’ failure to announce their intentions over their radios as they were taking off and landing.
Test flight after fuel system mods ends in crash
Probable Cause: A total loss of engine power due to fuel starvation as a result of the pilot’s modifications to the fuel system. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s decision to continue the takeoff despite observing lower than anticipated propeller rpm, his decision to delay his precautionary landing to allow another airplane to land, and his decision to conduct flight testing of the airplane following multiple modifications.
Pilot seriously injured when takeoff goes awry
Probable Cause: The pilot’s exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack during the takeoff, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and loss of airplane control at too low of an altitude to recover.