Aircraft: Piper Seminole. Injuries: None. Location: Lawrenceville, Ga. Aircraft damage: Substantial.
What reportedly happened: A CFI and pilot receiving instruction were practicing power-off stalls. While configuring the airplane, the pilots noted that after selecting the gear down position there was an unsafe gear indication.
Aircraft: Piper Cherokee Six. Injuries: 5 Fatal. Location: Bryan, Texas. Aircraft damage: Substantial.
What reportedly happened: The instrument-rated private pilot and four passengers were flying on a cross-country flight in IFR conditions. The airplane was in cruise flight at an altitude of 8,000 feet MSL when it entered an area of heavy rain showers.
Aircraft: Cessna 120. Injuries: None. Location: Montague, Mass. Aircraft damage: Substantial.
What reportedly happened: The pilot was attempting to take off. As the airplane accelerated to 40 mph, the engine sputtered and the pilot reduced power to abort the takeoff.
Aircraft: Cirrus SR22. Injuries: None. Location: Farmville, Va. Aircraft damage: Substantial.
What reportedly happened: The purpose of the flight was for the pilot to regain his night currency. According to the pilot, he was attempting to land using the GPS approach.
Aircraft: Cessna 421. Injuries: 4 Fatal. Location: Sioux Falls, S.D. Aircraft damage: Destroyed.
What reportedly happened: Shortly after the airplane lifted off, the tower controller informed the pilot that a plume of smoke was visible behind the airplane.
Aircraft: Piper Cherokee Six. Injuries: 2 Fatal. Location: St. Ignace, Mich. Aircraft damage: Destroyed.
What reportedly happened: The pilot took off from an airport on the mainland with the intention to drop a passenger off on an island located about five miles off shore.
Aircraft: Wittman Tailwind. Injuries: 1 Fatal. Location: Fulton, N.Y. Aircraft damage: Destroyed.
What reportedly happened: The pilot, who was also the builder of the experimental aircraft, was making the flight to become more familiar with the plane 
in order to complete the required 40 flight hours of the phase one operating limitations. The pilot had logged 759.6 hours of time, including 111.8 hours in the accident airplane.
Several witnesses on the ground said the engine was sputtering as the airplane pitched nose down and crashed into trees.
The post-accident examination did not uncover any pre-crash mechanical difficulties.
However, investigators determined that based on the temperature and dew point at the time of the accident, the conditions were favorable for serious carburetor icing at a cruise power setting. The carburetor heat control was in the off position at the time of the crash.
Investigators determined that it was likely that the airplane experienced a partial power loss, possibly due to carburetor icing, and further determined that the pilot, still becoming familiar with the handling characteristics of the airplane, likely became preoccupied with restoring full engine power and maneuvering the airplane toward the airport to land and unintentionally entered an aerodynamic stall.
Probable cause: The pilot’s failure to maintain adequate airspeed, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall. Contributing to the accident was a partial loss of engine power due to the formation of carburetor ice.
NTSB Identification: ERA12FA093
This December 2011 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: Cirrus SR22. Injuries: 2 Fatal. Location: Boynton Beach, Fla. Aircraft damage: Substantial
What reportedly happened: Both people on board the Cirrus were pilots. At the time of the accident, the plane was returning from an airshow and flying in formation with two aerobatic airplanes.
Aircraft: Cessna Skymaster. Injuries: 1 Fatal. Location: Casper, Wyo. Aircraft damage: Destroyed.
What reportedly happened: The 61-year-old pilot, who was the owner of the airplane, held multiple ratings and had logged 4,582 hours, including 687.3 hours in the Skymaster. Additionally, he recorded 644.7 hours of actual instrument time and 648.9 hours of night time.
Aircraft: Ercoupe 415-C Injuries: 1 Serious, 1 Minor. Location: Mulberry, Fla. Aircraft damage: Substantial.
What reportedly happened: The pilot did not have a valid medical certificate, which was required for the flight. He filled the airplane’s fuel tanks and flew about 45 minutes to another airport. He did not refuel.
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