Aircraft: RV-8. Injuries: 1 Fatal. Location: Armistead, Calif. Aircraft damage: Destroyed. What reportedly happened: Multiple witnesses located near the accident site reported seeing the airplane flying over their position about 130 feet above the ground followed by it performing several barrel rolls. The pilot made a 180° turn, then initiated a loop at a low altitude. The airplane […]
NTSB Accidents
VFR into IMC kills two
Aircraft: Piper Cherokee. Injuries: 2 Fatal. Location: Chickasha, Okla. Aircraft damage: Destroyed. What reportedly happened: The non-instrument rated private pilot obtained an outlook weather briefing and was told that instrument meteorological conditions prevailed along his route of flight, with ceilings below 1,000 feet and visibilities less than three miles in mist and fog. Weather at the time of […]
Tired pilot forgets landing gear
Aircraft: Piper Navajo. Injuries: None. Location: Kaltag, Alaska Aircraft damage: Substantial. What reportedly happened: The pilot, who was attempting to land in icing conditions, had a hard time seeing the runway. He retracted the landing gear to prevent ice from building up on the gear. As he applied power to abort the approach, he suddenly saw the runway […]
Student stalls, spins
Aircraft: Rans S-12. Injuries: None. Location: Festus, Mo. Aircraft damage: Substantial. What reportedly happened: Neither the student pilot nor his instructor had flown the airplane before the accident flight. The student pilot had recently purchased the airplane and was receiving flight instruction toward a sport-pilot license. The CFI reported that the airplane was high on final approach so […]
High flare, bad bounce
Aircraft: Grumman American. Injuries: None. Location: Furnace Creek, Calif. Aircraft damage: Substantial. What reportedly happened: The pilot told investigators that he was attempting to land and he flared too high. The airplane landed hard and bounced. The pilot added power during the bounce to do a go-around, then changed his mind and decided to abort the go-around. The […]
Caravan encounters ice
Aircraft: Cessna Caravan Injuries: 1 Minor. Location: Kwigillingok, Alaska. Aircraft damage: Substantial. What reportedly happened: The pilot reported that he was flying in visual meteorological conditions for most of the flight. As he approached the airport, he inadvertently entered an area of instrument meteorological conditions that resulted in a buildup of ice on the airframe and windscreen. He […]
Crosswind bends Bonanza
Aircraft: Beech Bonanza Injuries: None. Location: Cheyenne, Wyo. Aircraft damage: What reportedly happened: The pilot stated that he was landing with a 40° crosswind. During the flare, when the airplane was about 5 feet above ground level, the airplane veered to the right. The pilot was unable to regain control of the airplane before it touched down and […]
Stoned pilot crashes Piper
Aircraft: Piper Pawnee Injuries: 1 Fatal. Location: Jacksonville, Fla. Aircraft damage: Destroyed. What reportedly happened: The pilot was working as a banner tow pilot. According to company’s Banner Tow Pilot Training Record, he had completed 6.3 hours of flight training as of Feb. 28, 2011. The training included 0.3 hours of “full stall recovery,” 0.5 hours of “Emergency […]
Poor fuel management results in ditching
Aircraft: Waco YMF5. Injuries: None. Location: Marathon, Fla. Aircraft damage: Substantial. What reportedly happened: According to the pilot, at the beginning of the day the main fuel tanks of the airplane were 7/8ths full. The pilot spent the day conducting sightseeing flights departing from an island airport. The accident happened on the third flight of the day. The […]