The commercial pilot departed on a fire detection flight for a state fire commission using a predetermined flight route. He was receiving flight-following services from the dispatch center and was reporting his flight progress to a dispatcher. He reported entering the eastern boundary of the forest district near Oden, Ark., and then turning north toward […]
NTSB Accidents
CAP 172 crashes in Alaska
ANCHORAGE, Alaska — The pilot of a small plane that smashed into a building in downtown Anchorage on Tuesday was not authorized to fly the aircraft used in volunteer search-and-rescue missions, Civil Air Patrol authorities said. According to a report from NBCNews.com, Doug Demarest, 42, of Anchorage, died when the Cessna 172 clipped an office […]
Pilot loses control during landing
The pilot reported that just prior to landing in Kalispell, Mont., he noted there was ice on the Beech 58’s wings. He activated the de-ice boots and proceeded to land. During the landing flare, about 12 feet above the ground, the plane buffeted and the nose lowered. The pilot added full power to initiate a […]
Spatial disorientiation, lack of instrument proficiency fatal combination
The pilot filed an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan with flight services, and the briefer asked if he would like weather information. The pilot replied “no,” and stated that the weather “looked good.” However, at that time, the weather at the destination airport included visibility of 2 miles and a 400-foot overcast ceiling. The […]
VFR into IMC ends in crash into mountain
According to the pilot, he departed the Nashville area earlier in the day in his Rans S-6S and was en route to Greenville, South Carolina, at 9,500 feet above mean sea level (msl). He checked the automated surface observing systems weather report and that the clouds in the Morristown, Tennessee, area were reported to be […]
Plane hits runway sign during touch-and-go
The CFI reported that he and the private pilot had returned to the airport in Chandler, Ariz., to practice touch-and-go landings. On the third touch-and-go landing, the Aviat S 2C drifted to the right side of the runway just before touching down. The CFI subsequently took the controls and executed a go-around. During the go-around, […]
Search for lost cattle ends in fatal crash
The pilot was flying the Piper PA24-250 with two passengers on board to search for lost cattle in mountainous terrain near Collbran, Colo. Witnesses observed the airplane maneuvering at a low altitude. It was reported overdue, and the wreckage was subsequently located in a sparsely wooded area. All three on board died in the crash. […]
Bellanca hits taxiway sign on takeoff
The CFI and student pilot planned to conduct an instructional flight in the tandem-seat, tailwheel-equipped Bellanca 7ECA near San Jose, Calif. The student had a total flight experience of 20 hours, all of which was in the Bellanca. He had not soloed yet. The reported wind was calm with 10 miles visibility. The student was […]
Fuel exhaustion fatal
About an hour and a half into the cross-country flight and while on approach to the airport in Charlottesville, Va., the pilot reported a loss of engine power. He was unable to glide the Beech A36TC to the airport, and it subsequently hit trees and the ground in a residential area about three miles from […]