Aircraft: Cessna 172. Injuries: 1 Fatal. Location: Fresno, Calif. Aircraft damage: Destroyed. What reportedly happened: At the time of the accident the 52-year-old pilot did not possess a valid pilot’s certificate. According to FAA records, he had been issued a student pilot certificate and third class medical in November 1987. At that time, he indicated he had about […]
aviation accidents
Unusual attitude leads to crash
Aircraft: Cessna Turbo 206. Injuries: 2 Fatal, 2 Serious. Location: Show Low, Ariz. Aircraft damage: Destroyed. What reportedly happened: The private pilot, who did not have an instrument rating, and three passengers took off before dawn. The moon was below the horizon. At the time of the departure the airport’s automated weather observation system was reporting eight miles […]
Snow snags Aviat
Aircraft: Aviat A-1. Injuries: None. Location: Somerset, Colo. Aircraft damage: Substantial. What reportedly happened: The pilot attempted a takeoff on a snow-covered runway. Earlier in the day he had landed on the runway. The snow was about 6 inches deep. During the takeoff roll, the airplane struck a snow drift and nosed over. Probable cause: The pilot’s inadequate […]
Bad bounce for Cessna
Aircraft: Cessna 172. Injuries: None. Location: Honolulu, Hawaii. Aircraft damage: Substantial. What reportedly happened: The student pilot was on a solo flight. During the approach to land, the plane touched down hard and bounced twice. The pilot neutralized the flight controls to stop the bouncing. When directed by the tower air traffic controller to go-around, he applied full […]
Power-loss landing results in off pavement landing
Aircraft: Piper Cherokee. Injuries: None. Location: Chehalis, Wash. Aircraft damage: Substantial. What reportedly happened: The accident happened during a flight review. While performing a simulated engine-out forced landing at a non-controlled airport the pilot did not manage the glide profile in a manner that allowed him to glide all the way to the approach end of the runway. […]
Landing gear collapses on touchdown
Aircraft: Luscombe 8A. Injuries: None. Location: Umatilla, Fla. Aircraft damage: Substantial. What reportedly happened: The pilot was attempting to land in the tailwheel airplane. When it touched down it drifted to the left. He applied right rudder to correct, but the airplane continued left and off the left side of the runway, into a ditch, and nosed over. […]
Hard landing for Piper
Aircraft: Piper Seneca. Injuries: None. Location: Shelter Island, N.Y. Aircraft damage: Substantial. What reportedly happened: While attempting to land, the airplane crossed over trees at the runway threshold, then experienced a downdraft and decay in airspeed. It touched down hard and bounced. The right main landing gear broke off the airplane. The post-accident examination of the landing gear […]
Carb ice brings down Cessna
Aircraft: Cessna 150. Injuries: 1 Serious. Location: Fitchburg, Mass. Aircraft damage: Substantial. What reportedly happened: On the day of the accident, the student pilot, accompanied by a CFI, conducted a touch-and-go landing. While on the downwind leg of the traffic pattern for the second landing the engine began to run roughly. The student applied carburetor heat and kept […]
Wind gusts, deep snow bad combination
Aircraft: Cessna 180. Injuries: None. Location: Cascade, Idaho. Aircraft damage: Substantial. What reportedly happened: According to the pilot and a witness, the landing approach was normal. The airplane touched down in a three-point attitude close to the runway threshold and on the runway centerline. The airplane encountered a wind gust, became airborne again, drifted to the right, and […]