The Phantom X1 pilot flew a visual traffic pattern to a grass runway near Three Rivers, Mich., utilized by a combination of light-sport aircraft, powered parachutes, and radio-controlled aircraft. While on downwind at 400 feet above ground level, he noticed three ground vehicles parked in a lot often used by pilots when they flew radio-controlled […]
First flight after maintenance fatal
The Piper PA 32-300 had been parked on the ramp at the airport in Ardmore, Okla., for two or three months waiting for completion of engine maintenance work. The evening before the accident, the pilot and the passenger, who held a mechanic certificate, were seen replacing the engine’s Nos. 4 and 6 cylinders. On the day of […]
Cropduster hits antenna guy wire
The Air Tractor pilot was spraying a corn field near Cimarron, Kansas, bordered by radio antennas. He had sprayed the field previously and planned to use the same pattern this time. However, on his initial pass, he focused on the inner guy wire anchor point, which caused him to inadvertently fly between the inner and […]
Loose engine throttle cable contributes to crash
As the pilot leveled the Cessna 206 at 2,500 feet mean sea level during the descent for landing, he advanced the throttle but observed no response from the engine. He could not restore engine power, however the propeller continued to spin. He noted that the throttle “felt very loose” when he attempted to add power. The […]
Damaged cylinder contributes to fatal crash
A friend of the commercial pilot reported that the purpose of the personal flight was to relocate the Beech S35 to an airport about 19 miles northeast of the departure airport, where it could be stored in a hangar while the pilot was on an extended trip overseas. He added that the pilot attempted to complete […]
Failure to comply with AD contributes to crash
The pilot/owner reported that, while on final approach to the airport in New Orleans, the Piper PA28-161’s engine experienced a total loss of power. He was unable to restart the engine, and the airplane was unable to glide to the runway, so he subsequently ditched the airplane into a lake. The pilot evacuated the airplane and swam […]
Cessna 140 crashes trying to avoid deer
The pilot of the tailwheel-equipped Cessna 140 was attempting to depart from the runway at the airport in Luray, Va., when a deer suddenly began approaching the runway from the left. He attempted to steer the airplane left to avoid the deer as it crossed, and in the process, it departed the left side of the runway. […]
Pilot’s impairment leads to crash into the ocean
The airline transport pilot was conducting a cross-country personal flight. Radar data indicated that the Cirrus SR22 took off from the departure airport and then climbed to an altitude of 21,000 feet mean sea level before leveling off and maintaining that altitude for about an hour. The pilot then contacted an air route traffic control center […]
Night flight fatal for four
The pilot and three passengers boarded the Cessna 172 for a flight at night near Willoughby Hills, Ohio. The controller cleared the flight for takeoff and observed the airplane lift off about 2,000 feet down the runway. Shortly after liftoff, the pilot contacted the controller and reported that the airplane was not “climbing fast” and that […]