The airline transport pilot and a passenger departed on a local flight as part of a flight of two airplanes in daytime visual meteorological conditions. Shortly after takeoff, witnesses heard the North American AT-6’s engine popping; another witness reported a possible loss of power. The plane entered a right turn and appeared to slow. It […]
NTSB Accidents
Ag pilot dies when plane hits cell tower wires
After completing an aerial application flight, the commercial pilot was returning to the base airport over 15 nautical miles away when the Air Tractor AT-502 hit terrain near West, Texas, and was consumed by a post-impact fire. The pilot died in the crash. Although the wreckage was significantly fragmented and damaged by fire, no evidence […]
Metal fatigue primary focus of NTSB investigation in fatal Piper Arrow crash
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The National Transportation Safety Board has issued an investigative update on its investigation of the April 4, 2018, crash of a Piper PA-28R-201 near Daytona Beach, Florida. Two people suffered fatal injuries following an in-flight separation of the airplane’s left wing shortly after takeoff. The airplane subsequently collided with terrain and was destroyed. […]
Turbojet Seguin Quickie crashes during flight test
The commercial pilot and a colleague built the single-place, composite airplane with the intention of using it for air racing. Rather than using the single piston engine and propeller specified by the original plans, they opted to power the Seguin Quickie with two turbojet engines. The engines were designed and intended for use only on […]
Pressure leads to plane crash
The pilot of an experimental amateur-built airplane reported that he felt pressured by a trailing airplane while in the traffic pattern at the airport in Grass Valley, California. He further reported that this pressure caused him to turn base and then final sooner than expected, which resulted in an increased airspeed and higher than expected […]
Fuel exhaustion brings down 182
According to the FAA Aviation Safety Inspector who arrived at the scene shortly after the accident near Reno, Nevada, he located the uninjured pilot in command (PIC) and a passenger-rated pilot who were the only occupants of the airplane. The inspector reported that the PIC told him that he had fueled the Cessna 182 prior […]
Instructional flight ends fatally
The sport pilot had recently purchased the airframe-parachute-equipped light-sport airplane, a Jihlavan Airplanes SRO KP 5 ASA, and was receiving instruction in it to satisfy insurance requirements. Radar data indicated that, during the flight, the airplane’s groundspeed decreased from 94 to 62 knots, consistent with airwork including slow flight and stall practice. Subsequently, several witnesses […]
Fuel exhaustion leads to student’s forced landing
The solo student pilot reported that while on a cross-country flight the Cessna 150’s engine started to “sputter” and then stopped. During the forced landing near Albuquerque, N.M., the plane hit a ravine, sustaining substantial damage to the engine mount. The airplane recovery specialist reported that he drained about two gallons of fuel from the fuel […]
Carb icing leads to Beech C23’s water ditching
The pilot reported that, during the climb-to-cruise portion of the cross-country interisland flight over open ocean water, the Beech C23’s engine began to run roughly. He applied carburetor heat, which resolved the engine roughness. He decided to continue his flight. As the flight approached his destination, the engine began running roughly again, accompanied by a significant […]