The pilot was taking off from a sloping beach in Kenai, Alaska, in his tailwheel-equipped Piper PA-18A-150. He noted that the tide had come in, narrowing his takeoff path. During the takeoff roll, the right main landing gear tire hit an object on the beach, the plane pivoted to the left, and the left wing […]
aviation accidents
Improper fuel planning breaks 172
The pilot departed on the two-hour flight with the fuel quantity gauge of each fuel tank indicating about half full, but did not verify the quantity of fuel present in the tanks prior to the flight. Approximately 20 minutes from the destination airport, the left fuel tank gauge indicated between empty and one-quarter full, and […]
Seaplane pilot misjudges altitude over glassy lake
The pilot of the float-equipped Cessna 206 reported that he intended to practice water landings and operations after about seven months of seaplane inactivity due to winter. He was flying above a lake in Gilford, N.H., with glassy water conditions surveying the surface for ice or other hazards when the airplane’s floats inadvertently contacted the […]
Crosswind contributes to homebuilt accident
The pilot reported that the accident occurred during the third flight test of the recently completed amateur-built Mustang II. He noted there were no anomalies with the airplane during his preflight inspection or before-takeoff engine run-up. After an uneventful takeoff, he proceeded to a nearby practice area where he completed basic flight maneuvers and measured […]
Crop duster dies after plane hits power lines
The pilot was preparing to spray a hay field near Garfield, Kansas, when the Air Tractor AT-502B collided with the top set of power lines that were about 60 feet tall and hit the ground. The pilot was killed in the accident.The operator said that this was the pilot’s first time spraying this field and that he was not […]
Malfunctioning brake breaks Piper
The flight instructor was flying the Piper PA-34-200 and demonstrating a short-field landing during the instructional flight in Spring, Texas. The CFI reported that, after the plane touched down about 90 mph, the right brake pedal went full forward, and the brakes were not slowing the airplane. He pumped the brake pedal several times to […]
Total loss of engine power brings down 172
According to the pilot, before departure, the Cessna 172 contained about 24 to 26 gallons of fuel, and a pre-takeoff engine run-up detected no anomalies. Shortly after takeoff, when the airplane was about 100 to 200 feet above ground level, the engine sputtered and experienced a total loss of power.The pilot attempted to land on […]
Crash into wind turbine proves fatal
During a dark night cross-country flight, the instrument-rated pilot was approaching the intended airport for landing when the Piper PA32R-300 collided with the blades of a wind turbine tower near Highmore, S.D., killing all four aboard. The weather had started to deteriorate and precipitation echoes were observed on radar. Witnesses in the area described low […]
Homebuilder’s miscalculations results in fuel starvation
During the building process of the Zenith CH-601XL, the pilot said he determined the unusable fuel amount in the fuel tanks with them uninstalled in the wings, placed on saw horses in a level attitude, but did not take into account wing dihedral, wing incidence, or pitch attitude. On the day of the accident, he […]