aviation accidents

The pilot checked weather and requested that the airplane be serviced with full fuel before the cross-country flight. Fuel receipts show the Piper PA 28-180 was serviced with 34.5 gallons. The airplane’s fuel capacity was 50 gallons. He performed a preflight inspection including confirming that its fuel tanks were full. About an hour after takeoff, he […]

The non-instrument-rated pilot contacted flight service to inquire whether the conditions for his 15-nm flight, planned for about one hour later, would be suitable for visual flight rules (VFR) operations. He received an abbreviated briefing that included only the current conditions at both his departure and destination airports, both of which reported VFR conditions. He subsequently departed […]

The pilot reported that, during the final portion of the planned two hour, 15-minute cross-country flight, about 10 miles from the destination airport and while descending through 4,000 foot mean sea level, the engine began to run roughly and eventually lost total power. The RV-7 had insufficient altitude remaining to glide to the closest airport, so he […]

The pilot reported that, during the landing on the private grass strip in Cherryville, N.C., the main landing gear on the Maule M4-220C collapsed. A post-accident examination of the main landing gear assembly revealed that both tubes of the “A” frame assembly on each main landing gear exhibited buckling about mid-length and that both of […]

The Aventura 2 pilot was conducting touch-and-go landings on a river in Rockledge, Florida. About 300 feet above ground level, the engine began to misfire and subsequently failed. He did not have sufficient altitude to switch fuel pumps and attempt an engine restart, so he chose to conduct a forced landing. During the landing flare, the […]

The two pilots were on a multi-leg cross-country trip in the Mooney M20C to visit friends and relatives. Both pilots had current medical certificates, and it could not be determined who was acting as pilot-in-command at the time of the accident. The pilot seated in the right front seat had owned the airplane for over […]

The commercial pilot was traveling in a Navion G to attend an air show the following day. Upon arrival at the destination in Hamilton Township, N.J., he attempted a night instrument landing system approach but, due to low visibility, flew a missed approach. He subsequently requested and received vectors for a second attempt of the […]

During a local sightseeing flight in Page, Arizona, the pilot noticed that the Cessna 207’s engine had lost partial power, and he initiated a turn back toward the airport while troubleshooting the loss of power. Despite these attempts, the engine would not regain full power and was surging and sputtering randomly. The pilot entered the […]

The private pilot had recently purchased the Pitts Model 12, and the flight was the second leg of his cross-country trip to fly the plane home. After the first leg, he topped off the main and auxiliary (wing) fuel tanks, which, according to the pilot’s operating handbook (POH), provided a total usable fuel quantity of […]