The pilot reported that while en route to his destination, the wind at the Susanville, California, airport was reported as 180° magnetic, at 19 to 22 knots, gusting 25 to 28 knots. He added 5 knots to the “normal speed” of 70 knots for approach to “help compensate” for the gusts. About 20 feet above the […]
aviation accidents
Failure of brake line tubing leads to ground loop
The pilot reported that after a simulated rope break maneuver while towing a glider, he maneuvered to the runway in Midlothian, Texas, and landed “normal.” He said that during the landing roll the Cessna 305 “yawed” to the left. He applied right rudder inputs to correct the yaw, but it was ineffective. He said he […]
172 pilot exceeds angle of attack on takeoff
The pilot reported that after a “normal” landing, he performed a 180° turn at the end of the grass airstrip in New Enterprise, Pennsylvania, and started his takeoff roll. After accelerating to 65 miles per hour, he reported the Cessna 172 became airborne at the crest of an incline, but about 20 feet above the […]
Bird strike bends Piper
The pilot reported the Piper PA-23-250 was in cruise flight at 2,500 feet above mean sea level (1,920 feet above ground level) when he heard a “bang” and felt a jolt in the flight controls. He noted no abnormal flight characteristics, so he continued the flight and landed without incident in Joliet, Illinois. After landing, […]
Tail strike damages Aero Commander
According to the pilot, during the takeoff roll, a vehicle entered the runway at the airport in The Dalles, Oregon, and he immediately pulled back on the yoke in his Aero Commander 500B to climb and avoid the vehicle. As the airplane began to rotate, he simultaneously retracted the landing gear, and he felt a […]
Hard landing bends Cessna 177
The pilot reported that the Cessna 177 porpoised three times on the second landing, and bounced once on the third and final landing. He reported that while taxing to the fuel pump at the airport in Los Angeles, he noticed he had a “flat tire” on the nose wheel. During a post-accident examination of the […]
Pilot’s attempt to return to airport goes awry
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 […]
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 […]