The CFI and student pilot had completed the first leg of a night cross country flight and were departing back to their home airport. During the takeoff roll at the airport in Saluda, S.C., a deer ran onto the runway, colliding with the Piper PA-28-140’s right wing. The CFI assumed control of the airplane from […]
NTSB
Inadequate preflight plus diverted attention equals bad combination
Prior to the flight, the pilot removed an insulating blanket and heat source from the Piper PA-16 and conducted his preflight inspection. Following a normal engine run up, he initiated takeoff from the airport, where he thought the airplane seemed sluggish and that the rate of climb didn’t feel normal. He determined that the engine […]
Fuel starvation leads to forced landing
The pilot stated that, before the flight, he conducted a preflight inspection but that he did not verify the fuel level in each fuel tank of the Beech A45. During the initial climb, the engine lost power, and he then performed a 180° turn toward a field adjacent to the runway in Hollister, Calif. About […]
Pilot’s overreaction proves fatal
The Beech 95-B55 was inbound to the airport in LaGrange, Ga., conducting an instrument approach in visual meteorological conditions, when the pilot announced its position over the airport’s common traffic advisory frequency (CTAF). Witnesses described the airplane’s approach as fast and stated that it never touched down. The engines then rapidly accelerated to full power […]
First flight after annual ends in crash
The flight was the first flight in the Cessna P210N since its annual inspection, which occurred about six weeks before the accident. The pilot conducted a thorough preflight inspection and run-up. Before takeoff, he added full power with the brakes applied, and, after noting no abnormal engine or instrument indications, he took off. When the […]
Mechanical issue brings down RV-9A
The pilot reported that, during the approach to landing, the RV-9A’s propeller stopped spinning, but that the engine continued functioning normally. He subsequently made a forced landing to a field near Apopka, Fla. During the landing, the plane flipped over and came to rest inverted, which resulted in substantial damage to the wings and vertical […]
Water landing goes awry
According to the pilot, he was practicing an engine out maneuver to a landing on the water in the Piper PA-18-150 near Lake Wales, Fla. At 500 feet mean sea level, he “cut” the engine power and turned the carburetor heat to full on. As he neared the water, he started to flare when the […]
Bellanca suffers fuel starvation during transition from auxiliary tank
The Bellanca 17-30A was cruising at 8,500 feet when the engine experienced a partial loss of power. The pilot switched the fuel selector from the auxiliary tank to the left main fuel tank. During the transition, the engine experienced another loss of power. The pilot was unable to restore the power, so he shut down […]
Student pilot balloons on landing
The solo student pilot reported that he took off with the intent to remain in the airport traffic pattern in Ramona, Calif., and do touch and go takeoffs and landings. During the landing on the second circuit, the Cessna 172 ballooned during the flare. When he continued to attempt the landing, the plane ballooned a […]
