The pilot stated that the purpose of the flight was to take the 11 passengers on a hot-air balloon sightseeing tour near Wittman, Arizona. He reviewed the weather forecast for the day, which disclosed that wind speeds would be less than 8 mph. The morning departure occurred in calm wind conditions and the pilot maneuvered the […]
NTSB Accidents
Student’s second solo goes awry
According to the student pilot, he was performing his second solo flight, and he reported a total flying time of 45 hours. As the Cessna 172 became airborne during the initial takeoff, it “…violently veered 90° to the left.” He immediately applied right rudder and reduced the throttle to idle. The airplane landed on the left […]
Partial loss of engine power brings down 182
The private pilot was conducting a personal flight near Hartford, Conn., in a Cessna 182. He reported that, while the airplane was climbing after takeoff, he noticed the engine began running roughly, and it then lost power. He attempted to regain full power by using the carburetor heat, but was unsuccessful, so he decided to conduct […]
Lack of training contributes to crash
The pilot reported he had recently obtained the pusher-type airplane, a RANS S-14, and that the accident flight was the first time he had flown it or any pusher-type airplane. He performed numerous taxi tests at the airport in Kewanee, Ill., over a three-hour period and then decided to take off and fly around the […]
Wrong frequency, dark night bad combination
The Socata TB20 Trinidad pilot was conducting an instrument approach for landing in night instrument meteorological conditions at the airport in Hilton Head Island, S.C. After receiving the approach clearance from air traffic control, he tuned his communication radio to the airport’s common traffic advisory frequency (CTAF) and attempted to activate the airport lighting by […]
New RV-3 owner perishes in crash
Several witnesses reported they observed the RV-3 make a steep climb shortly after takeoff from the airport in Las Cruces, N.M., and then make two 90° left bank turns to enter the downwind leg of the traffic pattern. During the turns, the wings were rocking back and forth, the airplane was in a nose-high attitude and not […]
Pilot hits brake instead of rudder
The pilot reported the approach and landing were normal to an airport in Los Lunas, N.M., and he used right rudder to compensate for a left crosswind. During the landing roll his left foot slid off the rudder pedal and the RV-4 began to veer to the right. When he moved his foot back on the […]
Beech 58 hydroplanes on landing
The pilot advised a local air traffic controller that he was inbound on approach for landing to an airport in San Antonio, Texas. The controller instructed him to circle and then land on Runway 14, gave him the wind conditions, and told him that there was “rain on the airport.” A witness reported observing the […]
Tiger Moth hits restaurant after pilot loses control
According to the pilot, the deHavilland Tiger Moth’s engine power and performance were “good,” and the airplane demonstrated its “gentle” handling characteristics through both left and right 30° banking turns. The plane crossed the airport in Williamson, Georgia, about traffic pattern altitude and then entered a vertical, nose-down descent. The pilot reported he could not recall […]