The pilot reported that the accident occurred during his fifth glider aero-tow flight since the Piper PA-25-235 had last been refueled. The aero-tow and glider release were uneventful, he told investigators. However, as he was returning to the airport in Boulder, Colo., the engine began to run intermittently before it eventually experienced a total loss […]
aviation accidents
Gust of wind contributes to hard landing
The student pilot was attempting to land the Cessna 172P at the airport in Bluffton, Ohio, when a gust of wind lifted the right wing, which caused the airplane to move to the left. The student pilot said he did not properly flare while trying to realign the plane on the runway and it landed […]
Soft field takeoff goes awry
The pilot stated that the preflight and engine run-up of the Cessna 172F were satisfactory prior to the departure from the 1,641-foot grass runway. The grass was a little high (estimated to be 5 to 6 inches) and soft due to rain from earlier that week. He consulted the POH and confirmed no flaps for […]
Selfies contribute to fatal 150 crash
The Cessna 150 departed on the local night flight in instrument flight rules conditions with 7 miles visibility and overcast clouds at 300 feet above ground level (agl). Radar data showed it departed the runway, made one flight around the traffic pattern, and landed six minutes later. It departed again to the west, did not […]
Blocked fuel line contributes to crash
The pilot, who was also the builder of the Van’s RV-10, departed for a cross-country flight from his home airport. The passenger reported that, following a normal departure, the airplane continued the takeoff climb through some cloud wisps and ascended above a lower cloud cover with an overcast layer above. Suddenly, the engine experienced a total […]
Training flight in the mountains proves fatal
A witness reported that he observed the Cessna 150 at an altitude of between 800 to 1,000 feet above ground level about two miles from his location. About the same time, he also heard the airplane’s engine sputter, and he then observed the airplane in a vertical, nose-down attitude for three to four seconds before […]
Broken alternator contributes to crash
The pilot reported that the flight departed about two hours after sunset and that, several minutes after departure, the Piper PA-28-235’s lights began to dim. He reduced the electrical load. however, within several minutes, the airplane lost all electrical power. He chose to continue to the destination airport, which was 21 nm from the departure airport […]
Three die after balloon hits power lines
Witnesses to the accident reported observing the Eagle C-7 balloon approaching the landing zone in Ruther Glen, Va., from the south where another balloon had just landed. A video obtained from one of the witnesses showed that, as the balloon descended and approached the landing site, the pilot engaged the burner. However, shortly after, the […]
Pilot crashes during candy drop
According to the pilot, he was flying the Just Aircraft Highlander about 500 feet above the ground, dropping candy to children as part of a church outing near Roxbury, Pa. He encountered a “rotor” wind off the nearby mountain and when he initiated a turn, the wing stalled. He lost control of the plane and […]