The pilot departed on a cross-country flight in his experimental, amateur-built Zenair 601XL, which was equipped with an electronic ignition system. He did not detect any electrical system anomalies before departure, but, about 14 minutes into the flight, the avionics switched to internal battery power. The pilot was unable to troubleshoot the electrical system, and […]
aviation accidents
Pilot crashes his recently purchased 150
The pilot was relocating the recently-purchased Cessna 150J, departing on the three-hour flight with full fuel tanks, which provided an endurance of about five hours. During the descent to the airport in Bixby, Oklahoma, he advanced the mixture control to full rich, applied carburetor heat, and began to retard the throttle. The engine then suddenly […]
Mosquito abatement flight ends fatally
The airline transport pilot and commercial copilot were conducting a mosquito abatement application flight near Slidell, Louisiana. Although flight controls were installed in both positions, the pilot typically operated the Beech 65. During a night, visual approach to landing at their home airfield, the airplane was on the left base leg and overshot the runway’s […]
Landing on sand bar goes awry
The pilot of the tailwheel equipped Piper PA-18 reported that during the landing roll on a sandbar in Palmer, Alaska, as the sand transitioned from dry sand to wet sand, he applied brakes and the airplane nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the lift strut and the empennage. According to the pilot there […]
Pilot crashes after failing to prepare to land at unusual island airport
The private pilot and a passenger departed for a personal flight in a Cessna 172 to an island airport located on top of a plateau near Avalon, California. While on final approach for landing, the airplane descended below the elevation of the runway threshold. The pilot attempted to conduct a go-around, but was unable to […]
Cessna 182 hits goose
The pilot reported during day visual meteorological conditions, he struck a goose at an altitude of about 2,000′ mean sea level while in cruise flight. The Cessna 182’s wind screen was shattered after the impact. The pilot reported he continued to the nearest airport in Moorestown, Michigan, and landed without further incident. A post-accident examination revealed […]
Landing gear separates on landing
The airline transport pilot/owner was conducting a personal cross-country flight in the Piper Sport LSA. The pilot reported that, after the main landing gear touched down at the airport in Mansfield, Ohio, he eased the backpressure on the control stick and that the nose landing gear (NLG) then separated from the airplane. The airplane slid […]
Fractured exhaust pipe contributes to Cirrus crash
While in cruise flight, the private pilot experienced a vibration and noise that seemed to be originating from the Cirrus SR20’s engine. He reported that the engine RPM became erratic, and the airplane became harder to control due to the unusual vibration. As he proceeded to the closest airport for a precautionary landing, the engine […]
Gusty winds bring bad end to skydiving flight
The pilot was landing the de Havilland DHC 6 Twin Otter in gusty crosswind conditions following a parachute jump flight, reporting that the gusty conditions had persisted for the previous 10 skydiving flights that day. During the landing roll, when the nose wheel touched down at the airport in Fentress, Texas, the airplane became “unstable” […]