Shortly after departing from Tallahassee, Fla., on an instrument flight rules flight, the Mooney M20R abruptly lost all electrical power while operating in IMC. The pilot reported that, given the abrupt nature of the electrical power loss, he assumed it was due to a short circuit, so he did not troubleshoot the electrical problem. He […]
NTSB Accidents
Low-altitude turn brings Air Tractor down
The pilot was performing aerial application of chemicals to a field near Simmesport, La., when the Air Tractor AT-301 began to settle during a low-altitude turn. The settling was consistent with flight at a high angle-of-attack or high drag condition, and the airplane may have been near or at its stall speed. The pilot was […]
Bad soft field landing damages Glastar
The pilot landed the experimental nosewheel-equipped Glastar 500 feet beyond the landing threshold of the grass runway at Sequim, Wash., performing a full-flap, power-off approach. The runway was crossed by two asphalt taxiways, and during the ground roll, he observed a depression in the turf just before the first taxiway intersection. He applied back pressure […]
Off-airport landing breaks 150
The pilot reported that he held a helicopter rating and he was receiving flight instruction to add an airplane single engine land rating to his private pilot certificate. He was on a solo cross-country flight in the Cessna 150D and had been inflight for about three hours when he became disoriented and was unable to […]
Control lock contributes to Cessna 172 crash
The pilot stated that in preparation for a night flight from Portsmouth, N.H., he flew earlier that same evening. He inspected the Cessna 172S and noted the control lock was not installed in the control column. While searching for the control lock he located a “straight pin” in a seatback pocket and installed it. He […]
Carburetor malfunction cited in Harrison Ford’s accident
A report on AVweb notes that a carburetor malfunction led to the loss of engine power in the Ryan PT-22 flown by Harrison Ford when he made a forced landing in March. The NTSB also cited faulty shoulder harness hardware that contributed to Ford’s injuries. The actor and pilot was hospitalized after the accident, which […]
Go-around goes bad
The pilot of the amphibian Piper Super Cub reported that she was flying a visual approach to a lake, over mountainous terrain, near Eagle Bay, N.Y. On an approximate 3/4 mile final approach to the lake, she observed a boat near her intended landing area and performed a go-around to circle for another approach. During […]
Tornado crashes when spark plug separates from cylinder
Shortly after takeoff in Wild Rose, Wis., the Titan Tornado’s engine lost power. The airplane hit trees and then terrain, resulting in substantial damage and serious injury. A post-accident examination revealed that one spark plug and its lead assembly had separated from its cylinder. Examination of the threads and the orifice on the cylinder revealed […]
Flight into IMC fatal
The instrument-rated pilot departed in the Cirrus SR22 with a reported cloud ceiling of 400 feet above ground level and 3 miles visibility. A witness, who was about 0.3 nautical miles west of the departure end of the runway in Chesterfield, Mo., saw the SR22’s navigation lights for about three to five seconds as it traveled […]