The Piper PA18-150 pilot reported that he and his father had flown to a location near Willcox, Arizona, to camp and hunt. They made three passes over an open area to find a suitable landing spot. The pilot stated that the grass appeared to be knee-to-hip height, but he believed it was safe to land. He set […]
NTSB Accidents
Glassy water fools Searey pilot
The non-certificated pilot reported that, following an uneventful local sightseeing flight in his Searey, he conducted a low pass over a lake near Stanwood, Wash., with glassy water conditions, but he did not intend to land. He thought the plane was about 3 or 4 feet above the water when it suddenly skimmed the water’s […]
Failure to maintain clearance results in fire
The pilot reported that during takeoff from a private dirt runway in Wikieup, Arizona, the Cessna 170’s main wheel landing gear hit a dirt berm. The airplane nosed over and a post-accident fire ensued, which consumed the fuselage and inboard portion of both wings. The NTSB determined the probable cause as the pilot’s failure to maintain […]
Hard landing bends 172
According to the flight instructor and the student pilot, they flew from their home airport to another airport where the student completed four landings without the flight instructor touching the controls. After the fourth landing, the CFI got out of the Cessna 172 at the airport in Immokalee, Florida, so the student could complete three […]
Fuel exhaustion brings down 310
The pilot and pilot-rated passenger reported that while in cruise flight, both of the Cessna 310’s engines experienced a partial loss of power. The pilot selected an open field near Aurora, Colo., and made a forced landing. Due to rough terrain, the plane sustained substantial damage to the wings and fuselage. The pilot stated that the […]
Crash after wake turbulence injures two
According to air traffic control (ATC) audio recordings, a tower controller cleared the Diamond DA20 for takeoff from the airport in Fort Carson, Colo., about 23 seconds after a UH-60 helicopter was cleared for takeoff from a midfield location. The tower controller ensured that a runway separation standard of 3,000 feet was present and did […]
Fire detection flight fatal
The commercial pilot departed on a fire detection flight for a state fire commission using a predetermined flight route. He was receiving flight-following services from the dispatch center and was reporting his flight progress to a dispatcher. He reported entering the eastern boundary of the forest district near Oden, Ark., and then turning north toward […]
CAP 172 crashes in Alaska
ANCHORAGE, Alaska — The pilot of a small plane that smashed into a building in downtown Anchorage on Tuesday was not authorized to fly the aircraft used in volunteer search-and-rescue missions, Civil Air Patrol authorities said. According to a report from NBCNews.com, Doug Demarest, 42, of Anchorage, died when the Cessna 172 clipped an office […]
Pilot loses control during landing
The pilot reported that just prior to landing in Kalispell, Mont., he noted there was ice on the Beech 58’s wings. He activated the de-ice boots and proceeded to land. During the landing flare, about 12 feet above the ground, the plane buffeted and the nose lowered. The pilot added full power to initiate a […]