Aircraft: Bellanca 7ECA. Injuries: None. Location: Tehachapi, Calif. Aircraft damage: Substantial. What reportedly happened: The accident occurred just before dusk. The non-instrument-rated pilot stated that prior to departure, weather reports indicated that clear skies prevailed at the departure airport with patches of fog at his destination. Despite the possibility of fog, he decided to attempt […]
aviation accidents
Student pilot hit by propeller
Aircraft: Cessna 172. Injuries: 1 Serious. Location: Albermarle, N.C. Aircraft damage: Substantial. What reportedly happened: The student pilot and flight instructor had landed, parked, and secured the airplane. They returned about 15 minutes later and attempted to restart the airplane but were unable to do so. An external battery supply was connected to the airplane […]
Nose-first landing bends Cessna
Aircraft: Cessna 172. Injuries: None. Location: McKinney, Texas. Aircraft damage: Substantial. What reportedly happened: The pilot reported that windy conditions existed during the flight, but the wind was not a crosswind during landing. However, the airplane touched down hard on the nosewheel, bounced, and then settled onto the runway. Post-accident examination revealed that the nosewheel […]
Tailwheel failure in Pitts
Aircraft: Aerotek Pitts S-1T. Injuries: None. Location: Billings, Mont. Aircraft damage: Substantial. What reportedly happened: The pilot was returning to his home airport. During the first landing attempt he lost control of the airplane during the landing roll, so he aborted the landing. On the second landing attempt, he again was not able to maintain directional control and […]
Student hogs rudders
Aircraft: Allegro. Injuries: None. Location: Adrian, Mich. Aircraft damage: Substantial. What reportedly happened: While on approach for a touch-and-go landing, when the airplane was about 30 feet above the ground, the flight instructor directed the student pilot to go around. The student added power, and the airplane began to roll and yaw to the left. The student incorrectly […]
Improper maintenance leads to gear failure
Aircraft: Cessna 150. Injuries: None. Location: Juneau, Alaska. Aircraft damage: Substantial. What reportedly happened: The flight instructor was demonstrating a short field, three-point landing. The touchdown was normal, but during the landing roll a gust of wind pushed the airplane, and it began to turn to the right. When the instructor applied left brake in […]
Pilot mistakes torque tube for brakes
Aircraft: Piper Cherokee. Injuries: None. Location: Newport News, Va. Aircraft damage: Substantial. What reportedly happened: The pilot thought that he positioned his feet on the toe brake pedals during engine start. After starting, the engine accelerated to a higher rpm than expected, and the airplane began to roll forward. The pilot pressed down with his […]
Carb icing results in off-airport landing
Aircraft: Piper Comanche. Injuries: None. Location: McAllen, Texas. Aircraft damage: Substantial. What reportedly happened: After taking off and climbing to about 1,200 feet, the engine began to run rough and lost power. The pilot turned back toward the airport, but the plane didn’t have enough altitude to glide to the runway and it came down […]
Strong winds result in crash
Aircraft: RV-9A. Injuries: 2 Minor. Location: Brunswick, Ga. Aircraft damage: Substantial. What reportedly happened: As the pilot approached the destination airport, he received a radio call from another pilot who reported leaving the traffic pattern at the destination airport because of wind conditions. The pilot continued his approach to land but later aborted the landing […]