The non-instrument-rated pilot departed late in the afternoon in marginal visual flight rules (VFR) conditions. After climbing the Cessna 172 to the desired cruising altitude, he was forced to descend due to worsening weather conditions to maintain VFR. Shortly after, an air traffic controller advised the pilot that the weather conditions at the destination airport […]
NTSB
Touch-and-goes go bad
Two witnesses reported that they saw the pilot performing touch-and-go landings at the airport in Macon, Ga. During takeoff, the Piper J3C-65 lifted off about halfway down the runway and began a right turn to the crosswind leg of the traffic pattern when it was about 100 feet above ground level (agl). As it began […]
Fuel exhaustion dents Piper
In a statement provided by the pilot, the fuel calculations for the flight in the Piper PA 18-150 were based on the fuel burn from the flight the day before. On the day of the accident, the pilot used a clock timer from the time of engine start to estimate the longevity of the fuel […]
Improper use of carb heat contributes to crash
The pilot reported that, during the descent to the airport in Lexington, Texas, he applied carburetor heat but that he then removed carburetor heat when leveling off. He reduced the throttle to slow the Cessna 182 while on final approach. When he advanced the throttle to maintain airspeed, the engine power did not increase and […]
Vacationing pilot crashes into ocean
According to the operator/owner, the non-instrument-rated pilot was visiting the United States on vacation and had rented the Piper PA-28-161 for a week. The pilot planned a day trip to an airport located about 2.5 hours from the airplane’s home base, and the accident occurred on the return leg near Stuart, Fla. After departing on […]
Taylorcraft crashes into snowbank
The pilot reported that he was departing to the north from a snow-covered grass runway in Hartford, Wis., in a ski-equipped tailwheel Taylorcraft BC12-D. A plowed asphalt runway intersected the snow-covered runway, and snowbanks were located on the north and south side of the plowed runway. During takeoff, the plane hit the snowbank on the […]
Icing brings down SR22
About 90 minutes before the flight, the pilot received a preflight weather briefing, which included an advisory for moderate icing between the freezing level (expected to be at or below 10,000 feet mean sea level and 22,000 feet msl.) The pilot reported that the Cirrus SR22 encountered instrument meteorological conditions with light icing accumulation about […]
Decision to try aerobatics fatal
A witness reported that the pilot made a radio transmission announcing his intention to perform a rolling maneuver in the RANS S10. He and another witness stated that they then saw the airplane roll through an inverted position and then transition into a steep, high-speed dive. The left wing separated from the fuselage and the […]
Stripped spark plug hole starts fatal chain of events
The Sonex had just departed the airport in Wellington, Fla. One witness reported that during the initial climb the engine “sputtered,” and another reported that it “backfired.” The pilot made a steep turn back toward the airport, but the airplane stalled and spiraled to the ground. The pilot died in the crash. The plane was […]