Aircraft: Piper Aztec. Injuries: 1 Fatal. Location: Bullard, Texas. Aircraft damage: Destroyed. What reportedly happened: Witnesses noticed the airplane making several turns before it pitched nose-up, climbed, rolled to the right, and then descended nose-down to the ground. Several witnesses observed airplane components floating to the ground behind the airplane. All witnesses reported hearing loud engine noises throughout […]
aviation accidents
Fuel starvation brings down Lancair
Aircraft: Lancair IV. Injuries: 1 Fatal. Location: Winnsboro, La. Aircraft damage: Destroyed. What reportedly happened: The purpose of the flight was to calibrate the fuel system on the homebuilt aircraft. Several witnesses on the ground heard an increase in engine rpm consistent with the pilot adding power to perform a go-around, then heard the engine lose power. The nose pitched […]
Maule caught in crosswind
Aircraft: Maule MXT-180A. Injuries: None. Location: Manzanita, Ore. Aircraft damage: Substantial. What reportedly happened: The pilot said everything seemed normal as the airplane crossed over the trees on final approach, and it was lined up with the runway centerline. But before the plane touched down, the wind shifted to a crosswind, and the airplane veered to the side […]
Tailwind takeoff leads to accident
Aircraft: Piper Pawnee. Injuries: None. Location: Harvey, N.D. Aircraft damage: Substantial. What reportedly happened: Prior to taking off on the aerial application flight, the pilot loaded applicant and fuel which, as reported by the pilot, put the airplane slightly over its maximum gross weight. In addition, he checked the automated report for the nearest airplane weather facility, which […]
Piper pilot flies into rising terrain
Aircraft: Piper Super Cub. Injuries: 1 Serious, 1 Minor. Location: McNeal, Ariz. Aircraft damage: Substantial. What reportedly happened: The pilot, who was taking a passenger on a tour of the local area, had previously conducted such flights, and had a normal route that he followed. However, on this occasion, he deviated from that route to “do something a […]
Thunderstorm claims two lives
Aircraft: Zenair CH 2000. Injuries: 2 Fatal. Location: Nephi, Utah. Aircraft damage: Destroyed. What reportedly happened: Several people on the ground saw the airplane flying low in the airport pattern during a thunderstorm. As the plane turned from a crosswind to a downwind leg, airplane stalled at an altitude of approximately 150 feet, pitched down and crashed. A […]
CFI turns fuel off in flight
Aircraft: Cessna 172. Injuries: None. Location: Bardstown, Ky. Aircraft damage: Substantial. What reportedly happened: The CFI and student pilot had practiced various maneuvers during the training flight and were returning to the airport. The airplane was about 2,500 feet AGL and within gliding distance of the airport when the flight instructor turned the fuel selector to the “OFF” […]
CFIT for Super Cruiser
Aircraft: Piper Super Cruiser. Injuries: 2 Fatal. Location: Rye, Colo. Aircraft damage: Destroyed. What reportedly happened: At the time of the accident, the pilot, 64, had logged more than 900 hours, including about 140 hours in the Super Cruiser. The pilot’s girlfriend said he flew frequently in the mountainous areas of Colorado, including near the Lake Isabel area […]
Poor maintenance, poor decisions kill pilot
Aircraft: Piper Twin Comanche. Injuries: 2 Fatal. Location: Canton, Mo. Aircraft damage: Destroyed. What reportedly happened: The 74-year-old pilot’s logbook was destroyed in a hangar fire in 2011, but remaining records indicated that he had about 6,459 total flight hours and 809 multi-engine hours. It could not be determined how many hours he had in a Twin […]