The owner/builder of the experimental amateur-built, tailwheel-equipped Lionheart biplane was seated in the front left seat, with another pilot seated in the right seat, and a passenger in the rear seat. The intent of the flight was to prepare both pilots for a flight review, with both trading off flight duties as necessary. They planned […]
NTSB Accidents
New Kitfox owner killed in familiarization flight
The NTSB determined the probable cause as the pilot’s failure to maintain airspeed during initial climb, which resulted in the airplane exceeding its critical angle of attack and experiencing an aerodynamic stall. Contributing to the accident was the inability of the flight instructor to take control of the airplane due to the lack of fully operational dual controls in the right-seat pilot position.
Wet runway contributes to crash
The pilot stated that his private grass runway in Port Eads, La., was wet, but he decided to takeoff anyway. During the takeoff roll, the Cessna 182’s left wheel struck a puddle just as he was lifting the airplane off the ground. This caused the right side of the airplane to become airborne before the […]
In-flight separation of propeller proves fatal for Lancair pilot
Shortly after departing on a personal cross-country flight in the Lancair IV and leveling off at the filed cruise altitude, the commercial pilot reported trouble maintaining altitude and descended to a lower altitude. He then reported both engine and instrument problems and requested to divert to a nearby airport. Subsequently, he reported that the engine […]
Overloaded plane crashes in mountains
While flying in mountainous terrain to show one of the passengers the Neihart, Montana, area, the pilot entered a canyon that started to narrow as the canyon’s walls rose. The pilot initiated a climb. The Cessna 177 then experienced a downdraft followed by a second downdraft, and he found a low spot in the trees and attempted […]
Distracted pilot crashes
The Phantom X1 pilot flew a visual traffic pattern to a grass runway near Three Rivers, Mich., utilized by a combination of light-sport aircraft, powered parachutes, and radio-controlled aircraft. While on downwind at 400 feet above ground level, he noticed three ground vehicles parked in a lot often used by pilots when they flew radio-controlled […]
First flight after maintenance fatal
The Piper PA 32-300 had been parked on the ramp at the airport in Ardmore, Okla., for two or three months waiting for completion of engine maintenance work. The evening before the accident, the pilot and the passenger, who held a mechanic certificate, were seen replacing the engine’s Nos. 4 and 6 cylinders. On the day of […]
Cropduster hits antenna guy wire
The Air Tractor pilot was spraying a corn field near Cimarron, Kansas, bordered by radio antennas. He had sprayed the field previously and planned to use the same pattern this time. However, on his initial pass, he focused on the inner guy wire anchor point, which caused him to inadvertently fly between the inner and […]
Loose engine throttle cable contributes to crash
As the pilot leveled the Cessna 206 at 2,500 feet mean sea level during the descent for landing, he advanced the throttle but observed no response from the engine. He could not restore engine power, however the propeller continued to spin. He noted that the throttle “felt very loose” when he attempted to add power. The […]