aviation accidents

The pilot was departing on a cross-country flight in the twin-engine Piper PA-23-160. A witness stated that before takeoff, he spent about 20 minutes in the run-up area at the airport in Port Clinton, Ohio. As the airplane left the runway, witnesses heard a “popping” noise come from the airplane. The plane struggled to gain altitude, […]

The student pilot was conducting a solo flight in a Cirrus SR20 at an uncontrolled airport in Fort Collins, Colo. An airport video showed the student attempting to land on a runway about 30 seconds after the departure of a Sikorsky UH-60 helicopter. The student pilot reported that he was aware of the helicopter and […]

The non-instrument-rated pilot departed on a cross-country flight in the Piper PA 28-181 after topping off the fuel tanks. Radar data and fuel records revealed that, about three hours later, the airplane stopped at an airport and was fueled. It subsequently departed and flew toward the destination airport for about 30 miles, but it then returned to the same airport to be […]

The pilot reported that, shortly after the skydiving flight departed, the Cessna 210’s engine experienced a “mechanical failure,” so he made a forced landing in a farm field south of the airport near Sussex, N.J. The airplane nosed over in the mud, which resulted in structural damage to the airframe. During a post-accident test run of the […]

The pilot was conducting an early morning repositioning flight of the Cessna 404. Shortly after takeoff, he reported to air traffic control that he had “lost an engine” and would return to the airport. Several witnesses reported that the engines were running rough and one witness reported that he did not hear any engine sounds […]

According to the pilot, he flew the traffic pattern to a touchdown zone landing on runway centerline at the airport in Wachula, Florida. However, after touching down, the Piper PA-46 “floated back up,” then touched down again “with authority.” It bounced again, then “weather vaned some,” and he became concerned that the airplane was “chewing up […]

The pilot had planned to depart on a local solo flight in St. Petersburg, Florida. He completed a preflight inspection of the Cessna T182T, which was parked outside of the pilot’s hangar, and pointed towards a set of hangars about 50 feet away. He then primed the cylinders of the 335-horsepower engine with the throttle in […]

The Cessna 182Q pilot departed from a dirt airstrip in mountainous terrain earlier during the day, and was preparing to land at another mountain dirt airstrip near San Luis Obispo, Calif. He reported that the wind was about 7 to 10 knots, and that he was flying a stabilized approach during the downwind, base, and […]

The sport pilot was performing touch and go landings on Runway 17R at the airport in Colorado Springs, Colorado. During the fourth landing a wind gust turned the Champion 7EC to the left. The pilot attempted to correct the track of the airplane with the application of right rudder, however, the airplane did not respond. The […]