Aircraft: Beech Bonanza. Injuries: None. Location: Des Moines, Iowa. Aircraft damage: Substantial. What reportedly happened: According to the pilot, shortly after takeoff the airplane’s alternator indicated a discharge condition. He attempted to return to the departure airport. When the airplane was on final approach at about 100 feet AGL, the engine lost power. The plane […]
NTSB
Stuck valve leads to power loss
Aircraft: Cessna 180. Injuries: None. Location: Omaha, Neb. Aircraft damage: Substantial. What reportedly happened: The airplane was on final approach and a half-mile from the runway when the engine lost power. It came down in trees short of the runway. During the post-accident testing of the engine, it lost power when the throttle was moved […]
CFIT kills two
Aircraft: Beech Duke. Injuries: 2 Fatal. Location: Edwards, Colo. Aircraft damage: Destroyed. What reportedly happened: The pilot, 67, held a private pilot certificate with airplane single, multiengine, and instrument privileges. At the time of the accident he held a third class airman medical certificate and had in excess of 1,300 hours total time. The pilot-rated […]
Poor maintenance leads to fatal crash
Aircraft: Cessna U206G. Injuries: 2 Fatal, 2 Serious. Location: Leverett, Mass. Aircraft damage: Destroyed. What reportedly happened: The airplane was in cruise flight at 3,000 feet AGL when the engine developed a vibration, then lost power. The pilot attempted a forced landing in an open field. The airplane cleared trees adjacent to the field but […]
Poor planning leads to fuel exhaustion
Aircraft: Piper Cherokee. Injuries: 1 Minor. Location: Wittmann, Ariz. Aircraft damage: Substantial. What reportedly happened: The student pilot was making a solo cross-country flight involving four legs. Before beginning the final leg, he made multiple full stop and touch-and-go landings that he had not included when he did his preflight planning. During the final leg […]
Sandbar landing goes bad
Aircraft: Piper Super Cub. Injuries: None. Location: Carnation, Wash. Aircraft damage: Substantial. What reportedly happened: During a local area flight, the pilot decided to make a practice landing on a gravel bar near the middle of a river. With limited landing distance, he decided to fly his approach at a low airspeed, with the intention […]
Poor approach, poor landing
Aircraft: Cessna 150. Injuries: 2 Minor. Location: Kenmare, N.D. Aircraft damage: Substantial. What reportedly happened: The pilot, who was attempting to land in a farm field, applied full flaps while on final approach but did not flare quickly enough prior to touchdown and the airplane bounced twice. The nose gear collapsed and the airplane nosed […]
Mountain flight goes bad
ircraft: Aviat A-1B. Injuries: None. Location: Heber City, Utah. Aircraft damage: Substantial. What reportedly happened: The pilot was practicing the procedures for making approaches to backcountry remote airstrips and was flying in approach configuration about 40 to 60 feet over a mountain ridge. Although the wind was light and variable, just as the airplane was […]
Poor maintenance leads to crash
Aircraft: Cessna 172. Injuries: None. Location: Pineville, La. Aircraft damage: Substantial. What reportedly happened: Following the installation of an overhauled engine and the completion of an annual inspection, the pilot/mechanic who performed the work elected to fly the airplane. During takeoff the engine indications were normal and the airplane climbed to about 500 feet AGL […]