Aircraft: Beech Duke. Injuries: 2 Fatal. Location: Edwards, Colo. Aircraft damage: Destroyed. What reportedly happened: The pilot, 67, held a private pilot certificate with airplane single, multiengine, and instrument privileges. At the time of the accident he held a third class airman medical certificate and had in excess of 1,300 hours total time. The pilot-rated […]
NTSB Accidents
Poor maintenance leads to fatal crash
Aircraft: Cessna U206G. Injuries: 2 Fatal, 2 Serious. Location: Leverett, Mass. Aircraft damage: Destroyed. What reportedly happened: The airplane was in cruise flight at 3,000 feet AGL when the engine developed a vibration, then lost power. The pilot attempted a forced landing in an open field. The airplane cleared trees adjacent to the field but […]
Poor planning leads to fuel exhaustion
Aircraft: Piper Cherokee. Injuries: 1 Minor. Location: Wittmann, Ariz. Aircraft damage: Substantial. What reportedly happened: The student pilot was making a solo cross-country flight involving four legs. Before beginning the final leg, he made multiple full stop and touch-and-go landings that he had not included when he did his preflight planning. During the final leg […]
Sandbar landing goes bad
Aircraft: Piper Super Cub. Injuries: None. Location: Carnation, Wash. Aircraft damage: Substantial. What reportedly happened: During a local area flight, the pilot decided to make a practice landing on a gravel bar near the middle of a river. With limited landing distance, he decided to fly his approach at a low airspeed, with the intention […]
Poor approach, poor landing
Aircraft: Cessna 150. Injuries: 2 Minor. Location: Kenmare, N.D. Aircraft damage: Substantial. What reportedly happened: The pilot, who was attempting to land in a farm field, applied full flaps while on final approach but did not flare quickly enough prior to touchdown and the airplane bounced twice. The nose gear collapsed and the airplane nosed […]
Mountain flight goes bad
ircraft: Aviat A-1B. Injuries: None. Location: Heber City, Utah. Aircraft damage: Substantial. What reportedly happened: The pilot was practicing the procedures for making approaches to backcountry remote airstrips and was flying in approach configuration about 40 to 60 feet over a mountain ridge. Although the wind was light and variable, just as the airplane was […]
Poor maintenance leads to crash
Aircraft: Cessna 172. Injuries: None. Location: Pineville, La. Aircraft damage: Substantial. What reportedly happened: Following the installation of an overhauled engine and the completion of an annual inspection, the pilot/mechanic who performed the work elected to fly the airplane. During takeoff the engine indications were normal and the airplane climbed to about 500 feet AGL […]
No rudder leads to lack of control
Aircraft: Cessna 172. Injuries: None. Location: Gaithersburg, Md. Aircraft damage: Substantial. What reportedly happened: The student pilot, who was attempting to land, made the approach five knots faster than normal because of a headwind. During the landing flare, the plane encountered a gust of wind, and bounced on the runway. The pilot added power to […]
Drugs, poor health contribute to fatal accident
Aircraft: American Champion 8GCBC. Injuries: 1 Fatal. Location: Bremerton, Wash. Aircraft damage: 1 Fatal. What reportedly happened: The pilot, 74, held an airline transport pilot certificate with an instrument rating. His most recent FAA third class medical certificate was issued in September 2010 with three limitations: Must wear corrective lenses, not valid for night flying, […]