The student pilot’s inadvertent movement of the fuel shutoff switch to the “off” position while attempting to take a picture of himself, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel starvation and a subsequent ditching in open water.
aviation accidents
Bird hits prop, then pilot’s face
The airplane’s impact by a bird during the initial climb.
Passenger hits the brakes during landing
The passenger’s inadvertent application of the brakes during landing, which resulted in a nose-over.
Pilot crashes after being too focused inside cockpit
The pilot’s focus inside the cockpit during the base turn and final approach, which led to a high sink rate developing and a subsequent hard landing short of the runway.
Video: Strategies to avoid CFIT
The new video offers several strategies to avoid Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT), which make up more than 17% of all general aviation accidents.
It was like a tornado in the plane
The pilot’s distraction due to an open canopy during final approach, which resulted in a loss of altitude and ground impact short of the runway.
Stuck brake caliper leads to fire that destroys Piper
A stuck brake caliper, which overheated while the pilot was taxiing the airplane, caught fire, and subsequently destroyed the airplane.
We’re going to put it in the trees
It is the stuff of nightmares for pilots: Your engine starts running rough over mountainous terrain. That nightmare became reality for two Washington pilots, who survived to tell their story in Lightspeed Aviation’s No Tie Down video series.
Less flying led to fewer fatalities in 2020
Most aviation deaths in 2020 took place during general aviation operations, where 332 people were killed, compared to 414 the year before, according to statistic released by the National Transportation Safety Board.