The commercial pilot and three passengers departed on an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight in instrument meteorological conditions that included a ceiling of 200 feet agl. About a mile from the departure end of the runway at the airport in Pottsville, Arkansas, the A36 hit a ridge that was 216 feet above the airport’s elevation. […]
NTSB Accidents
Carb icing brings down Champ
The commercial pilot was taking off for a personal local flight in the Champion 7ECA. He reported that, shortly after takeoff and as the plane reached about 700 feet above ground level, the engine began to gradually lose power. He attempted to return to the departure airport, but was unable to maintain altitude. He then […]
Cessna 150 ends up on Florida golf course after cylinder fails
The commercial pilot was conducting a personal flight in the Cessna 150M. He reported that, several minutes after takeoff and while en route to his destination airport, the engine began to run roughly and lose power. He attempted to restore power without success. He then maneuvered the plane for a forced landing on the fairway […]
Piston seizure contributes to fatal crash of unregistered homebuilt
The private pilot taxied out and took off for a personal flight from a private grass runway in Bennington, Kansas, in an unregistered homebuilt airplane. A witness reported that, when the airplane reached 150 feet above the ground, the engine stopped. The pilot then turned the plane back toward the runway, and it then dropped […]
The role of language in aviation accidents
Language plays a greater role in aviation accidents than the industry may realize, according to a team from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, which is developing curriculum and training protocols in the hope of heightening awareness among pilots, air traffic controllers and others. One of the accidents the team studied as the January 1990 crash of Avianca Flight […]
Crankshaft failure proves fatal
The airline transport pilot was departing on a personal local flight in his Mooney M20M when the engine lost total power. Review of security video at the airport in Worcester, Mass., revealed that, after takeoff, the airplane reached an altitude of about 200 feet before turning right and reversing direction. The airplane subsequently stalled, rolled to the […]
Maule driver picks wrong field for landing
The pilot of the tailwheel-equipped Maule M7-260C reported that he landed in a field near Grace, Idaho, that had numerous gopher holes and mounds. During the landing roll, the main landing gear encountered a soft spot in the terrain and the airplane nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing strut, rudder, […]
Loss of control, fuel starvation prove fatal to two
The commercial-rated pilot and passenger — who owned the airplane — were conducting a cross-country business flight. Several witnesses reported seeing the Beech G35 overhead. One witness stated that the engine made a “sputtering” sound like it was running out of gas. She stated the airplane was flying north and then turned west when it […]
Student pilot’s landing bends F33
According to the flight instructor, during the turn from base to final, the Beech F33’s stall warning horn sounded and the descent rate increased. The CFI reported he told the student pilot to go-around, and the student increased power, but the plane continued to descend and touched down on the runway at the airport in […]