The pilot stated he had an uneventful cross-country flight and on the downwind leg of the traffic pattern at the airport in Salisbury, N.C., he switched the fuel selector from the right tank to the left tank and turned on the boost pump. While on short final approach, the engine started losing power as the […]
Distracted pilot hits fence post
The pilot reported he was taxiing on the ramp at the airport in Abilene, Texas, after landing. He looked to his left at the line serviceman who was “marshalling” him and the right wing hit a fence post. The Cessna 182R sustained substantial damage to the right wing and fuselage. The line serviceman said he […]
First flight in homebuilt becomes pilot’s last flight
The private pilot/owner had recently completed the experimental, amateur-built Free Bird Classic and was conducting the first test flight near Kylertown, Pennsylvania. He completed two circuits around his private airstrip before witnesses saw the airplane approaching to land. While on final approach about 50-100 feet above the ground, the plane suddenly descended and hit terrain, […]
Plane gets away from distracted pilot
After the pilot started the Piper PA-46-350P’s engine, he noticed an error in the route programmed in the global positioning system (GPS). He reported the plane had begun to roll forward as he made changes to the GPS programming and he was not aware the airplane was moving. The airplane hit a steel pole and […]
Mechanic’s error bends Cessna 310
The commercial pilot and his passenger were returning to the airport near Tucson, Arizona, after a 30-minute personal flight. The pilot reported he configured the Cessna 310J for landing, but that the landing gear down indication did not illuminate. He cycled the landing gear several times, but the landing gear down indication still did not […]
Fuel exhaustion brings down Piper
According to flight service station records, the private pilot had planned a cross-country flight that was expected to be about 465 miles long and to take about 3 hours and 15 minutes. The first two-thirds of the flight were uneventful, but the pilot diverted to an alternate airport because the passenger needed a rest stop. […]
Engine failure at 2,000 feet
By Mark W. Johnson, CFI The morning was typical for a hot and humid July, with a few scattered clouds and a small line of rain showers to the south of the airport. My student was about to embark on his third training flight towards earning his private pilot certificate. Our aircraft, a Cessna 152, was […]
Pilot seriously injured when takeoff goes awry
The commercial pilot was conducting a personal flight in a Quest Kodiak 100 near Sheridan, Wyoming. Two witnesses saw the airplane lift off in an extreme nose-high attitude, level off, and then re-enter a nose-high attitude before it descended and hit the ground 1,500 feet south of the runway. The pilot was seriously injured in […]
Bad landing bends 180
The pilot of the tailwheel-equipped Cessna 180 planned to land at a mountain airport situated in a valley near McCall, Idaho. He overflew the airport and observed the windsock, which indicated the wind was out the north and then entered the left downwind for Runway 19, which has an uphill slope. While on downwind, the […]