Probable cause: The student pilot’s failure to maintain directional control during the landing flare.
aviation accidents
High performance plane, crosswind too much for student pilot
Probable cause: The student pilot’s failure to maintain lateral control of the high-performance airplane during the go-around in crosswind conditions.
Engine control unit malfunction leads to seized engine
Probable cause: The engine’s excessive cylinder head temperatures and the subsequent seizing of the engine, which resulted from an engine control unit that caused the engine’s fuel-air mixture to be too lean.
Hard landing bends 172
Probable cause: The pilot’s improper landing flare, which resulted in a hard, bounced landing.
Uptick in homebuilt accidents in 2018
“What this increase tells us is that enhancing safety is not simply a target number to be reached, but a continual effort to build on the positive foundation we have already established.”
Fuel starvation leads to Mooney crash
Probable cause: The pilot’s inadequate preflight and in-flight fuel management, which resulted in an intermittent loss of engine power due to fuel starvation.
Backcountry landing damages RV-9’s wings
Probable cause: The pilot’s selection of an unsuitable taxiway, which resulted in the wings striking hidden fence posts.
Failure to maintain yaw control ends in crash
Probable cause: The pilot’s failure to maintain yaw control and the exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack in the traffic pattern, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall/spin.
Pilot’s first landing in Pietenpol ends in nose-over
Probable cause: The pilot’s excessive rudder and brake applications during landing, which caused the airplane to nose over.