Witnesses reported seeing the Cessna 172 flying in an easterly direction at a very low altitude before striking the northwest corner of an office building in Anchorage, Alaska. The airplane’s wreckage continued traveling east while descending into an adjacent office building and subsequently struck an electrical transformer. A postcrash fire consumed the airplane wreckage. The […]
NTSB Accidents
Loss of control fatal to two
The private pilot and his passenger departed on a cross-country flight. Shortly after takeoff, the pilot reported to the controller that he was having an engine problem and wanted to return to the airport. One witness heard the engine surge during the takeoff roll. Another witness stated that the Cirrus SR22 was on the ground […]
Open door distracts pilot
The pilot reported that prior to the takeoff roll, his son, who was in the front right seat, had difficulty shutting and locking the cabin door. The pilot reached over and ensured the door was locked. Shortly after liftoff the cabin door came open. He maneuvered the Beech 56 to stay in the traffic pattern […]
New pilot loses control on landing
The newly-certificated private pilot was conducting a sightseeing flight near San Jose, California, at night with friends in a Cessna 172. He was not familiar with the airport. During the initial approach to land, he performed a go-around. He returned to land and, during the landing roll, lost directional control of the airplane, which subsequently […]
Loss of engine power proves fatal
As the Cessna 182Q neared its destination airport in dark night visual meteorological conditions at the conclusion of a cross-country flight, the private pilot reported a partial loss of engine power. The air traffic controller provided the pilot with a vector and information for the nearest airport, which according to his display, was equipped with a […]
Bird hits Cessna 525
The pilot reported that while climbing through 3,000 feet mean sea level (MSL), a flock of birds was seen immediately in front of the Cessna 525. About a second after seeing the flock of birds, a single bird hit the leading edge of the right wing. The pilot returned to the airport in Monroeville, Alabama, and […]
Maintenance error leads to crash that seriously injures pilot
The pilot reported that the Cessna 120 was on final approach to the airport in Gonzales, Louisiana, when the engine started to lose power. He applied carburetor heat and switched fuel tanks, but engine power was not restored, so he made a forced landing to a field near the airport. The pilot was seriously injured. […]
Thorp’s canopy disconnects during takeoff
The pilot departed on a flight around Independence, Oregon. During the initial climb, the canopy on the Thorp T-18 partially disconnected and the airplane vibrated violently. He made a precautionary landing in a field, and the right wing hit a fence post. Post-accident examination revealed that the mechanism that allowed the canopy to move fore and aft […]
Equipment failure leads to oil starvation
During the en route climb to cruise altitude, the low oil pressure warning light activated. The pilot notified air traffic control, received vectors to the nearest airport, and began a descent as the oil pressure continued to decrease. About three miles from the airport in Fayetteville, Arkansas, the Cirrus SR22’s engine experienced a total loss […]