Aircraft: Grumman Cheetah Injuries: None. Location: Ray Township, Mich. Aircraft damage: Substantial.
What reportedly happened: According to the pilot, the landing was normal and uneventful, but during the roll out he noticed noticed two deer on the left side of the runway.
Aircraft: Cessna 182. Injuries: None. Location: Montrose, Colo. Aircraft damage: Substantial.
What reportedly happened: The airplane bounced upon touchdown. Instead of initiating a go-around, the pilot continued with the landing, believing that the airplane would settle to the runway without further incident. The airplane landed hard and bounced for a second time. The pilot responded with a small increase in engine power in an attempt to regain control, but the airplane continued to porpoise. The nosewheel was damaged and the airplane came to rest on the side of the runway in a nose-down attitude.
Probable cause: The pilot’s improper landing flare and inadequate recovery from a bounced landing.
NTSB Identification: CEN12LA493
This July 2012 accident report is provided by the National Transportation Safety Board. Published as an educational tool, it is intended to help pilots learn from the misfortunes of others.
Aircraft: Piper Comanche. Injuries: None. Location: Blacksburg, Va. Aircraft damage: Substantial.
What reportedly happened: The accident happened during the approach to land. The pilot had the left fuel selector set to the left main tank and the right fuel selector was set to the right main tank. The engine began to lose power during the approach.
Aircraft: Cessna 172. Injuries: 1 Fatal. Location: Plainville, Conn. Aircraft damage: Destroyed.
What reportedly happened: The pilot was flying an approach to his home airport in daylight VFR conditions that terminated in a go-around. On the second approach, the airplane flew lower than normal. It hit a berm at the approach end of the runway, crashed and caught fire.
Aircraft: Beechcraft Duke. Injuries: 3 Fatal. Location: Sedona, Ariz. Aircraft damage: Destroyed.
What reportedly happened: According to several witnesses, the airplane appeared to be having difficulty accelerating for takeoff. It did not liftoff. It continued down the 5,132-foot runway, went off the end of the runway and down a steep slope where it crashed and burned.
Aircraft: Flight Design CTLS. Injuries: None. Location: Conway, Ark. Aircraft damage: Substantial.
What reportedly happened: The pilot reported that the straight-in approach was normal, but the right main landing gear collapsed upon touchdown. The airplane went off the right side of the runway.
A laboratory examination of the damaged gear leg revealed a longitudinal crack along the leading edge of the right landing gear leg and a transverse fracture near the point where the leg intersected the fuselage. Investigators determined the damage was consistent with a bending load, with the lower surface in tension and the upper surface in compression.
Probable cause: The pilot’s improper landing flare, which resulted in a hard landing and over-stress failure of the right main landing gear.
NTSB Identification: CEN12LA476
This July 2012 accident report is provided by the National Transportation Safety Board. Published as an educational tool, it is intended to help pilots learn from the misfortunes of others.
Aircraft: Kitfox IV. Injuries: 1 Fatal, 1 Serious. Location: Cross Lake, Minn. Aircraft damage: Destroyed.
What reportedly happened: The airplane was observed flying low and slow over a lake. It stalled, entered a spin, then hit the water.
Aircraft: Piper Pacer. Injuries: None. Location: Cooperstown, N.Y. Aircraft damage: Substantial.
What reportedly happened: The pilot stated that, before initiating the takeoff, he noted that the two windsocks located on the runway indicated a crosswind.
Aircraft: RV-4. Injuries: 1 Fatal. Location: Cedartown, Ga. Aircraft damage: Destroyed.
What reportedly happened: The pilot, who did not have an instrument rating, took off in VFR conditions on a cross-country flight. There was no record of the pilot obtaining a preflight briefing.
Aircraft: Beech A23. Injuries: 1 Fatal, 1 Minor. Location: Laytonsville, Md. Aircraft damage: Destroyed.
What reportedly happened: The pilot, accompanied by a flight instructor, was practicing takeoffs and landings. The first two went well. Before the third takeoff, the pilot verified that the flaps were retracted for takeoff and that the fuel selector valve was positioned on the left fuel tank.
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