NTSB Accidents

The pilot/builder of the experimental amateur-built, tailwheel-equipped Pitts S1S had just completed a flight as part of phase one flight testing. He reported an uneventful approach to landing at the airport in Sedona, Ariz., with the main landing gear touching down first. However, as soon as the tailwheel made contact with the runway, the airplane yawed […]

The Cessna 172 pilot was using an iPad for navigation, and mistakenly landed in a field near Watertown, Conn., rather than his intended destination, an airport with a turf runway. After landing, he taxied the airplane to a corner of the field and commenced a takeoff roll, estimating the available takeoff distance to be about 600 […]

The pilot of the tow plane, a Piper PA-25-235 had already launched a series of gliders without incident just before the accident near Warner Springs, Calif. Downwind departure operations were in effect due to wind conditions and the local topography. The glider pilot had been briefed on the departure procedures earlier in the day and had experience […]

The pilot and pilot-rated passenger were performing aerobatic maneuvers in the experimental amateur-built Acro Sport II near Middletown, Ohio. A witness reported she heard the airplane approaching and then saw it at a lower altitude than she normally saw aircraft in the area. The airplane then started to pitch nose up into a loop. As […]

The commercial pilot was conducting a cross-country personal flight in the Cirrus SR-22. He reported that, during cruise flight, the airspeed began to decrease, and the engine began to lose power. He attempted to restore engine power, but was not successful. He then conducted a forced landing to a road in Langola Township in Minnesota. During the landing roll, […]

During the approach at night, the Bellanca 17-30A experienced a total loss of engine power, and the pilot performed a forced landing into trees near Monroe, Ga., seriously injuring two. Subsequent examination of the engine revealed that the oil filter adapter was loose and that it was installed incorrectly with two copper crush gaskets rather than […]

The pilot was landing at a private airport near Gustavus, Alaska, that is used to support fish cannery operations. A road runs parallel to the runway with multiple intersections where motor vehicles cross the runway. The airport is equipped with a pre-landing alert system to warn ground personnel that an aircraft is approaching. The pilot […]

Witnesses reported seeing the Aerostar 601P  flying slowly toward the airport near Austin, Texas, at a low altitude. The left engine was at a low rpm and witnesses reported hearing “sputtering,” “knocking,” or making a “banging” noise, while seeing trailing black smoke. One witness said that, as the airplane passed over him, he saw the tail “kick” horizontally to the […]

The commercial pilot took off for a personal flight in a Cessna 162 and flew uneventfully for about 44 minutes, including a touch-and-go landing at another airport about 10 minutes before the fatal accident, after which he made several turns in the area around Borrego Springs, Calif. According to the recovered flight data from the avionics system, […]