Aircraft: Silvaire Luscombe 8F. Injuries: None. Location: Tok, Alaska. Aircraft damage: Substantial. What reportedly happened: The pilot was attempting to land. He told investigators that the airplane had recently been modified with hydraulic brakes, but there were no pre-accident mechanical anomalies with the airplane. The pilot said he inadvertently applied excessive pressure to the brakes, which resulted in […]
aviation accidents
Beechcraft encounters thunderstorm
Aircraft: Hawker Beechcraft A36. Injuries: 1 Fatal. Location: Macon, Miss. Aircraft damage: Destroyed. What reportedly happened: The pilot had obtained his instrument rating less than two years before the accident and had accrued about 32 total hours of actual instrument experience. While on a long cross-country flight on an IFR flight plan, he attempted to fly through a […]
Student loses control on landing
Aircraft: Cessna 172. Injuries: 1 Minor. Location: Wichita, Kan. Aircraft damage: Substantial. What reportedly happened: The student pilot, accompanied by a CFI, was practicing takeoffs and landings. When the airplane touched down on the second landing, it veered sharply to the right. The CFI took control of the plane and tried to stop the turn by applying full […]
Stuck rudder pedal bends Stearman
Aircraft: Boeing A75N1. Injuries: None. Location: Foley, Ala. Aircraft damage: Substantial. What reportedly happened: The pilot, who was attempting to land, felt the airplane was high on final approach, so he established a forward slip to lose some altitude. He did not fully arrest the rate of descent before flaring and the plane bounced upon touchdown and the […]
Flat tire tears up Piper
Aircraft: Piper Tri-Pacer. Injuries: None. Location: Norwich, N.Y. Aircraft damage: Substantial. What reportedly happened: During the landing roll the airplane pulled to the left. The pilot applied right rudder to correct and the airplane ground looped, which resulted in substantial damage to the left wing. The post-accident examination revealed that the left tire was deflated. Fragments of the […]
Student crashes on straight-in approach
Aircraft: Cessna 152. Injuries: None. Location: San Antonio, Texas. Aircraft damage: Substantial. What reportedly happened: The student pilot planned to practice solo takeoffs and landings at a nearby tower-controlled airport. Her logbook revealed that this was her second solo flight and the first time she traveled to the nearby airport without a flight instructor on board. On the […]
Low altitude plus tall trees a bad combo
Aircraft: Cessna 170B. Injuries: None. Location: Winterville, N.C. Aircraft damage: Substantial. What reportedly happened: The pilot was participating in a bean bag drop competition at the airfield. He was flying from the left seat while his right-seat passenger was to drop the bean bag onto the target. The pilot overflew the runway at 70 feet AGL and banked […]
Crosswind creases Piper
Aircraft: Piper Malibu. Injuries: None. Location: Springfield, Vt. Aircraft damage: Substantial. What reportedly happened: The pilot was attempting to land when the airplane encountered a strong gust of wind from the right. He applied full right rudder in an attempt to compensate for the wind, but the airplane veered off the left side of the runway and into […]
Emergency landing goes badly
Aircraft: Glasair III. Injuries: None. Location: Darby, Mont. Aircraft damage: Substantial. What reportedly happened: According to the pilot, approximately two hours into a VFR cross-country flight, he noted indications of excessive cylinder head and exhaust gas temperatures. He attempted to correct the issue by enrichening the mixture, which resulted in a higher fuel burn than he had planned, […]