According to the pilot, shortly after takeoff he noticed that there was no movement on the header tank fuel float gauge in the Ercoupe 415-C. He went on to say that the fuel float gauge then started to move “down quickly,” and since he still had the airport at Fairmont, West Virginia, in sight, he […]
aviation accidents
Pilot’s excessive speed on landing bends Cessna 206
The pilot was conducting a skydiver jump run. Before letting the skydivers out of the Cessna 206, the radio squelch interrupter failed, causing a constant static noise. After letting the skydivers out over the airport in Titusville, Florida, the pilot set up the descent based on the winds acquired for the previous landing on Runway […]
Searey flips after hitting submerged object in river
The pilot of the amphibious Searey stated that after a normal touchdown on a river in Augusta, Kentucky, “5-10 seconds later we were upside down.” The pilot and passenger were able to exit the airplane into the water and a nearby boater came to their assistance. The pilot stated he believed he struck a submerged […]
Pilot’s poor planning results in fuel exhaustion
During a local flight, the pilot reported that the engine on his Sonex quit while maneuvering about 1,200 feet above ground level. The pilot felt his only option was to land in a soybean field near Wolcottville, Indiana. He attempted to fly as slow as possible prior to touchdown. After rolling about 50 feet in the […]
Equipment failure contributes to crash in a forest
The pilot reported that, after takeoff, the Zenith CH-750’s engine lost partial power about 100 feet above ground level and that he then attempted to return to the airport in Allentown, Pennsylvania. He added that “the engine would not keep me flying and the airplane just fell into the forest.” The pilot was seriously injured in […]
NTSB releases final report on ICON A5 accident
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has released its final report on the May 8, 2017, accident in which ICON Aircraft employees Jon Karkow and Cagri Sever lost their lives. In an analysis of the accident, NTSB investigators note that Karkow, a commercial pilot, was performing a new employee familiarization flight with Sever, who had just […]
Loss of control bends Cessna 170
The pilot reported that while on short final to the airport in East Haddam, Conn., two flocks of geese departed the field in front of his airplane, but “no immediate evasion action was necessary.” During the landing roll, the Cessna 170 began to swerve and veered off the runway to the left. The pilot reported […]
Pilot mistakenly shuts off fuel valve
The student pilot reported that while on the downwind leg of the traffic pattern, after crossing abeam the runway touchdown zone, he inadvertently shut off the fuel valve instead of activating the carburetor heat in the Taylorcraft BC12-D. Unaware of his mistake, he continued on the landing approach believing the engine was operating at a […]
Distracted float pilot forgets to retract landing gear
The pilot of the amphibious float-equipped Cessna 185 reported that during the initial climb from an airport runway, he was distracted by other airport traffic and forgot to retract the landing gear. As he approached his destination, which was a lake near Emily, Minnesota, he did not perform the before landing checklist as he usually […]