The pilots of the twin-engine Piper PA-44-180 were conducting a cross-country instrument flight rules (IFR) flight. Although both pilots were instrument-rated and IFR-current, the right seat pilot had only 8.8 hours of actual instrument experience, and the left seat pilot had only 1.8 hours of actual instrument experience. While en route and likely operating in […]
NTSB Accidents
Snow-covered runway contributes to collision
Prior to departure, the pilot was taxiing the ski-equipped Cessna 180 back-and-forth on a hard-packed, snow-covered runway in North Pole, Alaska, to warm up the engine oil, and polish any frost that might have accumulated on the bottom of the skis. During the last taxi pass the airplane began to drift to the left. He […]
Engine failure ends fatally
On the morning of the accident, the pilot terminated his first flight early due to a fuel leak in the fuel tank sight gauge on the Sonerai II LT. He made a repair before taking off for a second flight. During the second flight, witnesses reported seeing the airplane in distress and hearing the engine […]
Distraction contributes to water ditching
The pilot stated that after takeoff the flight proceeded IFR towards the destination airport, The Florida Keys Marathon Airport in Marathon, Florida. He cancelled his IFR clearance, and performed the pre-landing checklist. While on the base leg over water during the dark night, he became distracted by the failure of the landing light. With the […]
Flight to inspect livestock ends in crash
The flight instructor/owner and pilot-rated passenger departed the local airport in a tailwheel-equipped Piper PA-18A to inspect ranch property and livestock near Wheatland, Wyo. The pilots planned to land in a pasture. The CFI was in the rear seat of the tandem cockpit airplane, while the pilot in the front seat was on the controls. […]
Fuel leak ends in fire
The pilot reported that, after the Bellanca 8KCAB lifted off after several touch-and-go landings, he suddenly smelled fuel and observed streaming fuel. The fuel appeared to come from the fuel system header tank area and streamed onto the cockpit floor between his feet. He landed the airplane straight ahead and taxied clear of the active […]
Continued flight into IMC ends in field
The non-instrument-rated pilot departed late in the afternoon in marginal visual flight rules (VFR) conditions. After climbing the Cessna 172 to the desired cruising altitude, he was forced to descend due to worsening weather conditions to maintain VFR. Shortly after, an air traffic controller advised the pilot that the weather conditions at the destination airport […]
Touch-and-goes go bad
Two witnesses reported that they saw the pilot performing touch-and-go landings at the airport in Macon, Ga. During takeoff, the Piper J3C-65 lifted off about halfway down the runway and began a right turn to the crosswind leg of the traffic pattern when it was about 100 feet above ground level (agl). As it began […]
Fuel exhaustion dents Piper
In a statement provided by the pilot, the fuel calculations for the flight in the Piper PA 18-150 were based on the fuel burn from the flight the day before. On the day of the accident, the pilot used a clock timer from the time of engine start to estimate the longevity of the fuel […]