Following an uneventful takeoff and straight-out departure, the pilot leveled the Corben Baby Ace D about 1,000 feet above ground level, at which point, the engine began to sputter, and it subsequently lost power. The pilot initiated a return to the airport, however, due to the low altitude, he initiated a forced landing to a nearby […]
aviation accidents
Flight into icy conditions leads to loss of control
The two pilots, one of whom was a flight instructor, were conducting a cross-country flight in instrument meteorological conditions in the Beechcraft Baron 58. The pilot reported that, during the climb to 8,000 feet mean seal level (msl), light ice accumulated on the wings’ leading edges. Activation of the deicing boots eliminated about 30% to 40% […]
Cessna 152 hits powerlines
The pilot was practicing an engine out emergency maneuver with a student near Arlington, Texas, when the Cessna 152 collided with low wires. The wires came into contact with the airplane’s windscreen, resulting in a large portion of the screen fracturing. After the accident, the pilot stated that the power lines were barely visible even from […]
Flight review ends in crash
The flight instructor was conducting a flight review for the private pilot/owner of the Piper PA-28-140. The pilot departed from the 5,008-foot runway in Toccoa, Georgia, performed a touch-and-go landing without incident, and entered the traffic pattern for a simulated short-field landing. While on short final, the plane struck a berm that was located just […]
In-flight fire brings down Lancair Legacy racing at Reno
The pilot was participating in an air race when an in-flight fire in the engine compartment and a loss of engine power occurred. He was unable to discharge the fire extinguisher and declared an emergency. He flew off the racecourse and touched down the Lancair Legacy in rough terrain short of a runway in Reno, Nevada. Each […]
Student’s second solo ends in crash into hangar
On the student pilot’s second solo landing at the airport in Belen, N.M., the Piper PA 28-140 landed hard and bounced twice. The flight instructor, standing on the side of the runway, radioed instructions to go-around. The student pilot then applied full power, applied right rudder and retracted one notch of flaps. The flight instructor observed […]
Used tailwheel assembly fails on Pitts
The pilot/builder of the experimental amateur-built, tailwheel-equipped Pitts S1S had just completed a flight as part of phase one flight testing. He reported an uneventful approach to landing at the airport in Sedona, Ariz., with the main landing gear touching down first. However, as soon as the tailwheel made contact with the runway, the airplane yawed […]
172 pilot mistakenly lands in field
The Cessna 172 pilot was using an iPad for navigation, and mistakenly landed in a field near Watertown, Conn., rather than his intended destination, an airport with a turf runway. After landing, he taxied the airplane to a corner of the field and commenced a takeoff roll, estimating the available takeoff distance to be about 600 […]
Glider tow flight ends in serious injury to pilot
The pilot of the tow plane, a Piper PA-25-235 had already launched a series of gliders without incident just before the accident near Warner Springs, Calif. Downwind departure operations were in effect due to wind conditions and the local topography. The glider pilot had been briefed on the departure procedures earlier in the day and had experience […]