The pilot departed on the two-hour flight with the fuel quantity gauge of each fuel tank indicating about half full, but did not verify the quantity of fuel present in the tanks prior to the flight. Approximately 20 minutes from the destination airport, the left fuel tank gauge indicated between empty and one-quarter full, and […]
NTSB Accidents
Seaplane pilot misjudges altitude over glassy lake
The pilot of the float-equipped Cessna 206 reported that he intended to practice water landings and operations after about seven months of seaplane inactivity due to winter. He was flying above a lake in Gilford, N.H., with glassy water conditions surveying the surface for ice or other hazards when the airplane’s floats inadvertently contacted the […]
Crosswind contributes to homebuilt accident
The pilot reported that the accident occurred during the third flight test of the recently completed amateur-built Mustang II. He noted there were no anomalies with the airplane during his preflight inspection or before-takeoff engine run-up. After an uneventful takeoff, he proceeded to a nearby practice area where he completed basic flight maneuvers and measured […]
Crop duster dies after plane hits power lines
The pilot was preparing to spray a hay field near Garfield, Kansas, when the Air Tractor AT-502B collided with the top set of power lines that were about 60 feet tall and hit the ground. The pilot was killed in the accident.The operator said that this was the pilot’s first time spraying this field and that he was not […]
Malfunctioning brake breaks Piper
The flight instructor was flying the Piper PA-34-200 and demonstrating a short-field landing during the instructional flight in Spring, Texas. The CFI reported that, after the plane touched down about 90 mph, the right brake pedal went full forward, and the brakes were not slowing the airplane. He pumped the brake pedal several times to […]
Total loss of engine power brings down 172
According to the pilot, before departure, the Cessna 172 contained about 24 to 26 gallons of fuel, and a pre-takeoff engine run-up detected no anomalies. Shortly after takeoff, when the airplane was about 100 to 200 feet above ground level, the engine sputtered and experienced a total loss of power.The pilot attempted to land on […]
Homebuilder’s miscalculations results in fuel starvation
During the building process of the Zenith CH-601XL, the pilot said he determined the unusable fuel amount in the fuel tanks with them uninstalled in the wings, placed on saw horses in a level attitude, but did not take into account wing dihedral, wing incidence, or pitch attitude. On the day of the accident, he […]
Fuel exhaustion brings down Beech A36
The Beech A36 departed on the accident flight, and after flying 1 hour, 18 minutes using fuel from the left tank, the pilot switched fuel tanks, and the engine lost power. A passenger reported that there was a strong headwind, so the pilot was diverting for fuel. Attempts to restore power were unsuccessful. During the […]
Failure to use carb heat while flying by glacier leads to accident
The Cessna 182 pilot was flying down a glacier near Cooper Landing, Alaska, for an extended period of time at a low power setting without the carburetor heat on. Near the toe of the glacier, he attempted to add power to level the plane, but the engine did not respond. He said that their altitude […]