Several witnesses reported they observed the RV-3 make a steep climb shortly after takeoff from the airport in Las Cruces, N.M., and then make two 90° left bank turns to enter the downwind leg of the traffic pattern. During the turns, the wings were rocking back and forth, the airplane was in a nose-high attitude and not […]
Pilot hits brake instead of rudder
The pilot reported the approach and landing were normal to an airport in Los Lunas, N.M., and he used right rudder to compensate for a left crosswind. During the landing roll his left foot slid off the rudder pedal and the RV-4 began to veer to the right. When he moved his foot back on the […]
Beech 58 hydroplanes on landing
The pilot advised a local air traffic controller that he was inbound on approach for landing to an airport in San Antonio, Texas. The controller instructed him to circle and then land on Runway 14, gave him the wind conditions, and told him that there was “rain on the airport.” A witness reported observing the […]
Tiger Moth hits restaurant after pilot loses control
According to the pilot, the deHavilland Tiger Moth’s engine power and performance were “good,” and the airplane demonstrated its “gentle” handling characteristics through both left and right 30° banking turns. The plane crossed the airport in Williamson, Georgia, about traffic pattern altitude and then entered a vertical, nose-down descent. The pilot reported he could not recall […]
Champion groundloops after pilot’s foot gets tangled
The pilot reported that during the takeoff roll in a Champion 7ECA at an airport in San Diego, he inadvertently actuated the left brake when his left foot became entangled within the rudder pedal and control cable. He then lost control of the plane and subsequently groundlooped, which resulted in structural damage to the fuselage. […]
RV-8A hits deer while landing
The pilot was making a night landing in visual meteorological conditions in San Antonio, Texas. During the rollout, a deer ran across the runway and was struck by the RV-8A, which resulted in substantial damage to the right wing spar. The NTSB determined the probable cause as an unintentional collision with a deer at night. […]
Fuel exhaustion brings down C177
According to the pilot, while enroute on a cross country flight the Cessna 177’s engine began to “sputter” before experiencing a total loss of power. The pilot declared an emergency and performed a forced landing on a dirt road near Landrum, S.C., resulting in substantial damage to the engine firewall. The pilot reported that his […]
Instructional cross-country flight ends fatally
The student pilot had planned the instructional cross-country flight from his home base airport to another airport about 100 miles away with an intermediate stop to practice landings. However, just before departure, the flight instructor changed the destination to a different airport that was located further away and in mountainous terrain. However he did not […]
Cessna 210’s landing gear fails
The pilot stated that, after takeoff from the airport in Bullhead City, Arizona, he heard a loud bang after he moved the landing gear handle to the “up” position on the Cessna 210B. The landing gear indication lights did not illuminate. He cycled the landing gear handle, which had no effect. In addition, the flaps would not […]