On March 7, 2023, a Piper Warrior and a Piper J-3 Cub on floats collided over Lake Hartridge, just east of Winter Haven Regional Airport (KGIF) in Winter Haven, Florida. Sadly, all four people on board the airplanes perished in the accident.
aviation accidents
Crop dusters collide in midair
The failure of both pilots to see and avoid the other airplane.
Risk mitigation 101
How did a fatal mid-air collision happen? The answer to that question is not casual query. In a very real sense, our lives depend on finding the likely answer and including that knowledge in our future flying.
Hand propping procedure goes awry
The pilot’s inadequate engine hand propping procedure which resulted in the airplane’s unexpected movement and subsequent impact with a fueling station.
Not being familiar with fuel selector proves fatal for pilot
A total loss of engine power due to the flight crew incorrectly placing the fuel selector between fuel tank detents, which resulted in fuel starvation. Contributing to the accident was the lack of a placard on the fuel selector, the lack of obvious fuel tank detents in the fuel selector, and the flight crew’s lack of understanding of proper fuel selector operation.
Crawfish chimneys get the best of Texas pilot
The pilot’s decision to takeoff with known obstacles on the runway and his subsequent failure to avoid the windsock on takeoff.
Human Factors: Batten down the hatches…and all the other stuff too
This accident is a good reminder that while loose lips sink ships, it’s loose items in the cockpit that can wreak havoc with flight controls.
Pilot seriously injured when plane hits cactus
The pilot’s failure to maintain obstacle clearance during takeoff, which resulted in a collision with a cactus and impact with terrain.
Failure to remove towbar just the first of pilot’s mistakes
The pilot’s failure to remove the towbar from the nose landing gear before takeoff, which resulted in a sustained adverse yaw condition, and his failure to adequately monitor the fuel system while circling the airport, which resulted in fuel starvation and loss of power to the right engine.