Aircraft: Grumman American. Injuries: 2 Fatal. Location: Corona, Calif. Aircraft damage: Destroyed. What reportedly happened: The Grumman was flying in mountainous terrain on what was supposed to be an introductory instructional flight. According to a witness on the ground, as the plane approached the foothills, it entered a series of turns while flying unusually low […]
Intoxicated non-pilot crashes after attempt at aerobatics
Aircraft: Polaris Polar Star. Injuries: 2 Fatal. Location: Dewees Island, S.C. Aircraft damage: Destroyed. What reportedly happened: According to witnesses, the non-certified pilot was attempting to fly loops in an unregistered, experimental Polaris Polar Star. The weight-shift-control aircraft consisted of an inflatable boat attached to a fabric-covered wing. Since the aircraft qualified as a light-sport […]
Darkness leads to spatial disorientation
Aircraft: Cessna 182. Injuries: 2 Fatal. Location: Erwin, N.C. Aircraft damage: Destroyed. What reportedly happened: The private pilot, 79, held an instrument rating. According to a logbook recovered from the wreckage, he had accumulated 1,973 hours. In the 12 months preceding the accident, he logged 12 total hours of flight experience, of which 0.2 hours […]
Clogged fuel lines for RV
Aircraft: RV6. Injuries: None. Location: Hartford, Ky. Aircraft damage: Substantial. What reportedly happened: The pilot had logged 2,643 hours, including 360 in the RV, which he built. He filled the auxiliary fuel tanks just prior to departing on the accident flight. It was the first time in eight or nine months that he used the […]
Lean mixture results in departure crash
Aircraft: Piper Pawnee Brave. Injuries: None. Location: Cambridge, Neb. Aircraft damage: Substantial. What reportedly happened: The pilot was departing on the first agricultural application flight of the day. As he was taxiing he noticed the engine temperature rising, so he leaned the mixture. He completed his engine run-up and took off. As the airplane was […]
Brakes put airplane on back
Aircraft: Cessna 120. Injuries: None. Location: Pendleton, Ore. Aircraft damage: Substantial. What reportedly happened: The pilot was on a local flight and decided to make an off-airport landing in an open field. The touchdown in the tailwheel-equipped airplane was uneventful until the pilot applied hard braking to minimize the landing roll on the rough terrain. […]
Density altitude bad for takeoff
Aircraft: Zenith CH701. Injuries: 1 Minor. Location: Paxton, Illinois. Aircraft damage: Substantial. What reportedly happened: According to the pilot, he took off with a slight, quartering tailwind in high density altitude conditions. The airplane did not continue climbing or gain altitude and the pilot realized that he would not clear power-lines at the end of […]
Taylorcraft lands with tailwind
Aircraft: Taylorcraft F-22. Injuries: None. Location: Payson, Ariz. Aircraft damage: Substantial. What reportedly happened: The pilot and a pilot-rated passenger had planned to practice touch-and-go takeoffs and landings on runway 6, but the other airplanes in the traffic pattern were using runway 24, so they switched to runway 24. The airplane was set up to […]
Poor approach dings Super Cub
Aircraft: Piper Super Cub. Injuries: None. Location: Cordova, Alaska. Aircraft damage: Substantial. What reportedly happened: The private pilot was practicing touch-and-go takeoff and landings. The first two approaches and landings were uneventful. During the third landing, the approach was not stabilized. Instead of going around, he attempted to extend the approach down the runway. The […]