The pilot landed the RANS S-6ES at a private airstrip near Mullen, Neb., where the airplane contacted gopher mounds and soft ground. The nose landing gear collapsed, the airplane nosed over, and it sustained substantial empennage damage. The NTSB determined the probable cause as the gopher holes and soft terrain the airplane encountered, which resulted […]
Fuel exhaustion brings down Cessna 182
The Cessna 182 departed from a private airport that did not have fuel available for purchase. The pilot elected to refuel while en route to his destination instead of other airports located near the departure airport. The pilot further reported that upon reaching the airport that he intended to refuel at, he found it was […]
Stinson ground loops
According to the pilot, he was completing a local sightseeing flight in his Stinson 108 with friends near Lawrenceville, Ga. The weather was “clear and calm.” He was cleared for a three-mile straight in approach to Runway 7. Following a normal, stabilized approach, a “small bounce” occurred after the initial touchdown. The airplane deviated to […]
Go-around goes bad
During a practice touch-and-go landing in the Cessna 172 in Deer Valley, Ariz., the student pilot did not properly maintain runway alignment during the landing flare. The flight instructor took control of the plane as the wheels touched down on the runway, and attempted a go-around. However, during the go-around, the CFI did not retract […]
Rudder cable separates in flight
While in flight, the Champion 7GCB’s rudder cable separated. The pilot was able to return to the airport in Pearsall, Texas, and align the airplane to land. During the landing flare, the plane began to drift and the pilot was not able to correct the drift. He initiated a go-around, however the airplane then entered […]
Carb icing contributes to 182 crash
The Cessna 182 pilot reported that he had flown a group of skydivers to altitude for an intentional parachute jump about three miles north of the airport near Boulder, Colo., and was returning for landing at the time of the accident. The plane was on final approach when the engine lost power. Attempts to restore […]
Pilot mistakenly retracts landing gear
The Cessna T310R pilot reported that during the landing roll of his second uneventful landing at San Luis Obispo, Calif., the right main landing gear started to shimmy. He slowed the plane and proceeded towards the nearest taxiway. Before exiting the runway, he went to retract the flaps when he inadvertently raised the landing gear […]
Loss of power proves fatal
The pilot, who was also the owner/builder of the RV-7A, departed for a cross-country flight from his home airport near Jackson Hole, Wyo. Witnesses reported that, following departure, they observed the airplane climb to about 500 to 600 feet above ground level while it was maneuvering onto the downwind leg. Witnesses also reported that the […]
Aborted takeoff bends Piper
The pilot reported that during takeoff from a snow-covered mountain ridge line near Delta Junction, Alaska, the Piper PA 18-150 did not attain sufficient airspeed to takeoff before reaching the end of the site, so he aborted the takeoff. During the aborted takeoff, the airplane rolled to the end of the site and hit an […]