Aircraft: FlightDesign CTSW. Injuries: 2 Minor. Location: Fullerton, Calif. Aircraft damage: Substantial. What reportedly happened: The pilot, who was practicing landings, aborted the first two approaches because the airplane was too high and fast. On the third landing, he descended to about 10 feet over the runway, when a gust of wind blew the plane […]
Currency flight ends with crash
Aircraft: Beech Bonanza. Injuries: 1 Fatal. Location: Theodore, Ala. Aircraft damage: Destroyed. What reportedly happened: The accident happened during a night currency flight in marginal VFR conditions. The 164-hour pilot did not file a flight plan or obtain a weather briefing prior to departure from an airport in a sparsely populated area. About four minutes […]
Unsecured load results in flat spin
Aircraft: Mooney 20R. Injuries: 1 Fatal. Location: Hollister, Calif. Aircraft damage: Destroyed. What reportedly happened: The pilot departed for an 11-hour ferry flight across the Pacific Ocean. The aircraft had been outfitted with a ferry fuel system in the form of a 238-gallon collapsible bladder tank located in the cabin behind the pilot’s seat, above […]
Over-water approach ends badly
Aircraft: Piper Malibu. Injuries: 3 Fatal. Location: Destin, Fla. Aircraft damage: Destroyed. What reportedly happened: The instrument-rated pilot m who had logged 407 hours, was attempting to execute a GPS approach over water at night. The published minimums for the GPS approach were 460-foot ceiling and one-mile visibility. Recorded air traffic control voice and radar […]
Clogged fuel filter brings down Tiger
Aircraft: Grumman Tiger. Injuries: None. Location: Navada, Texas. Aircraft damage: Substantial. What reportedly happened: According to the pilot, the airplane was at cruise flight at 3,000 feet when the engine sputtered and lost power. Attempts to restore engine power were unsuccessful, so the pilot made a forced landing in a plowed field. The post-accident engine […]
Failure to refuel leads to engine failure
Aircraft: Cessna 172. Injuries: None. Location: Winter Haven, Fla. Aircraft damage: Substantial. What reportedly happened: The pilot reviewed the weather prior to departing on the 416-nautical mile cross-country flight. He fueled the airplane with 30.1 gallons of fuel the morning of the flight but did not refuel en route. About three miles from the destination […]
VFR into IMC proves fatal
Aircraft: Piper Comanche. Injuries: 2 Fatal. Location: Norfolk, Neb. Aircraft damage: Destroyed. What reportedly happened: The non-instrument rated pilot departed on a night cross-country flight in marginal VFR. When the airplane did not show up at its destination, a search was initiated. The following evening, the airplane wreckage was located in an open field. It […]
CFIT for Mooney pilot
Aircraft: Mooney M20. Injuries: 2 Fatal. Location: Copake, N.Y. Aircraft damage: Destroyed. What reportedly happened: The accident flight happened at night. The phase of the moon was waxing crescent with only 22% of the moon’s visible disc illuminated. The 1,410-hour pilot was flying on an IFR flight plan although the weather conditions at the time […]
Primer out, airplane down
Aircraft: Luscombe 8A. Injuries: 1 Fatal. Location: Schaumburg, Ill. Aircraft damage: Destroyed. What reportedly happened: According to a witness on the ground, the airplane took off and had climbed to about 150 feet above the runway when the engine quit. The airplane stalled, and spun into the ground. During the post-crash investigation it was discovered […]