The pilot departed on the 40-mile flight with an unknown quantity of fuel onboard the Mooney M20, but he estimated that it had about 10 gallons more than he thought was needed for the flight. While maneuvering to land at the airport in Georgetown, Del., he increased the engine power twice, but it did not […]
SNJ-6 pilot loses control on landing
The pilot of the North American SNJ-6 had planned an overhead traffic pattern at the airport in Santa Fe, N.M, which provided for better visibility when he sat in the rear seat. While on downwind he was directed to extend downwind and fly a straight-in approach. He accepted the instructions, knowing his visibility for landing […]
Mistimed magneto contributes to crash
The pilot reported that before taking off for a local flight in the Piper J-3 in Hopkinsville, Ky., when he conducted the engine run up, the magneto drop for the right magneto was 150 rpm, which was 100 rpm greater than the drop for the left magneto. He later stated that the “engine ran up just […]
Improperly rigged landing gear collapses
The pilot, with three passengers, proceeded toward the runway in Dallas, Texas, for departure, in a Cessna 421A. As the twin-engine airplane approached the taxiway intersection, the right main landing gear collapsed, causing the right wing tank and right engine propeller to hit the ground. Examination of the airplane revealed substantial damage to the right […]
Attempt to teach himself aerobatics fatal for pilot
Several witnesses reported seeing the Stolp Starduster SA-300 spiral to the ground near Newton, N.C. A review of a video recorded by another witness revealed that, during the flight, the airplane entered a left spin and completed about seven revolutions before descending behind a treeline and hitting a wheat field, killing the pilot.A flight instructor […]
Chain of bad decisions fatal for three
The pilot, who was conducting a local personal flight in the Piper PA-28-140 with three passengers onboard, was departing from a turf and sand-covered runway in Fountain, Florida, that had a usable length of 2,600 feet. Although a relatively clear area was located beyond one end of the runway, he elected to depart in the opposite […]
Crash kills crop duster
A witness reported observing the Air Tractor AT-602 make a downwind turn that would realign it with the field the pilot was spraying near Gueydan, La. The plane then entered a descent and struck 30-foot power lines before hitting the ground about 30 feet forward of the power lines in a left-wing-low, steep nose-down attitude, […]
Fuel exhaustion contributes to crash
The pilot reported that the accident occurred during his fifth glider aero-tow flight since the Piper PA-25-235 had last been refueled. The aero-tow and glider release were uneventful, he told investigators. However, as he was returning to the airport in Boulder, Colo., the engine began to run intermittently before it eventually experienced a total loss […]
Gust of wind contributes to hard landing
The student pilot was attempting to land the Cessna 172P at the airport in Bluffton, Ohio, when a gust of wind lifted the right wing, which caused the airplane to move to the left. The student pilot said he did not properly flare while trying to realign the plane on the runway and it landed […]