NTSB Accidents

Before the flight in the experimental Thorp T-18, the pilot unbolted and rebolted the pilot’s seat from its middle position to the forward position. He did not check to see if the flight control stick movement would be restricted in this new configuration. During the takeoff roll, the plane would not rotate when he moved the […]

A Piper PA-28-140 and a Pitts Special S-1S collided in midair while both airplanes were on final approach to land in Westminster, Maryland. The Piper was equipped with a two-way radio and the Pitts was not. Both pilots were flying their airplanes on a visual approach to the same runway. The Piper entered the traffic pattern […]

The commercial pilot was conducting a cross-country flight in the experimental Fouga CM 170R Magister. While descending to the destination airport, both engines flamed out. The pilot estimated that the airplane should have had about 1.5 hours of fuel remaining when the engine flameouts occurred. He determined that the plane would not be able to glide to the […]

The pilot was departing on a cross-country flight in the twin-engine Piper PA-23-160. A witness stated that before takeoff, he spent about 20 minutes in the run-up area at the airport in Port Clinton, Ohio. As the airplane left the runway, witnesses heard a “popping” noise come from the airplane. The plane struggled to gain altitude, […]

The student pilot was conducting a solo flight in a Cirrus SR20 at an uncontrolled airport in Fort Collins, Colo. An airport video showed the student attempting to land on a runway about 30 seconds after the departure of a Sikorsky UH-60 helicopter. The student pilot reported that he was aware of the helicopter and […]

The non-instrument-rated pilot departed on a cross-country flight in the Piper PA 28-181 after topping off the fuel tanks. Radar data and fuel records revealed that, about three hours later, the airplane stopped at an airport and was fueled. It subsequently departed and flew toward the destination airport for about 30 miles, but it then returned to the same airport to be […]

The pilot reported that, shortly after the skydiving flight departed, the Cessna 210’s engine experienced a “mechanical failure,” so he made a forced landing in a farm field south of the airport near Sussex, N.J. The airplane nosed over in the mud, which resulted in structural damage to the airframe. During a post-accident test run of the […]

The pilot was conducting an early morning repositioning flight of the Cessna 404. Shortly after takeoff, he reported to air traffic control that he had “lost an engine” and would return to the airport. Several witnesses reported that the engines were running rough and one witness reported that he did not hear any engine sounds […]

According to the pilot, he flew the traffic pattern to a touchdown zone landing on runway centerline at the airport in Wachula, Florida. However, after touching down, the Piper PA-46 “floated back up,” then touched down again “with authority.” It bounced again, then “weather vaned some,” and he became concerned that the airplane was “chewing up […]