The pilot reported that, during the landing on the private grass strip in Cherryville, N.C., the main landing gear on the Maule M4-220C collapsed. A post-accident examination of the main landing gear assembly revealed that both tubes of the “A” frame assembly on each main landing gear exhibited buckling about mid-length and that both of […]
NTSB Accidents
Mechanical issue brings down Aventura
The Aventura 2 pilot was conducting touch-and-go landings on a river in Rockledge, Florida. About 300 feet above ground level, the engine began to misfire and subsequently failed. He did not have sufficient altitude to switch fuel pumps and attempt an engine restart, so he chose to conduct a forced landing. During the landing flare, the […]
Flight into IMC ends with CFIT
The two pilots were on a multi-leg cross-country trip in the Mooney M20C to visit friends and relatives. Both pilots had current medical certificates, and it could not be determined who was acting as pilot-in-command at the time of the accident. The pilot seated in the right front seat had owned the airplane for over […]
Fuel mismanagement contributes to fatal accident
The commercial pilot was traveling in a Navion G to attend an air show the following day. Upon arrival at the destination in Hamilton Township, N.J., he attempted a night instrument landing system approach but, due to low visibility, flew a missed approach. He subsequently requested and received vectors for a second attempt of the […]
Sightseeing flight ends fatally
During a local sightseeing flight in Page, Arizona, the pilot noticed that the Cessna 207’s engine had lost partial power, and he initiated a turn back toward the airport while troubleshooting the loss of power. Despite these attempts, the engine would not regain full power and was surging and sputtering randomly. The pilot entered the […]
New owner crashes Pitts
The private pilot had recently purchased the Pitts Model 12, and the flight was the second leg of his cross-country trip to fly the plane home. After the first leg, he topped off the main and auxiliary (wing) fuel tanks, which, according to the pilot’s operating handbook (POH), provided a total usable fuel quantity of […]
Wrong flap selection contributes to crash
The pilot intended to perform a short field takeoff due to trees at the end of the 2,350-foot-long runway in Indian Trail, N.C. A pre-takeoff engine run up of the Piper PA 28-180 revealed no anomalies, and he initiated the takeoff with the wing flaps extended 10°. “Immediately” after takeoff, the pilot raised the flaps, […]
Taylorcraft hits treetops
During a flight near Summerville, Ga., to take pictures of the passenger’s house, the Taylorcraft BC-65 entered a left turn. The passenger stated that he heard the pilot say “oh no,” and moments later the plane hit the tops of the trees. A witness on the ground stated she heard the airplane fly over and […]
Fuel exhaustion brings down Mooney
The pilot departed on the 40-mile flight with an unknown quantity of fuel onboard the Mooney M20, but he estimated that it had about 10 gallons more than he thought was needed for the flight. While maneuvering to land at the airport in Georgetown, Del., he increased the engine power twice, but it did not […]