aviation accidents

The pilot had recently purchased the American Champion Aircraft 8KCAB from the factory and was returning to his home airport when the accident occurred. The weather conditions initially forecast in the vicinity of the destination airport before departure were consistent with visual meteorological conditions, however, by the time the pilot was within 50 miles of […]

The pilot departed on a short cross-country flight and arrived at his destination airport near Coldwater, Mich. He overflew the airport and observed blowing snow on both runways. Because the wind was from 220°, he elected to land on runway 22. During the roll-out, the Cessna 340 hit the plowed snow at the intersection of […]

This was the first flight for the Piper PA24-250 in the last three months, during which time, it was parked on a ramp outside in the winter in San Jose, Calif. The pilot reported he performed a preflight inspection, but that he did not sump the fuel system. The main fuel tanks were full, and […]

During the approach for an attempted forced landing into a clearing near Poulsbo, Wash., the Ercoupe 415C hit trees and then collided with the ground in a nose-down attitude. The pilot sustained serious injuries during the accident but was able to call 911 on his cell phone. He subsequently died from complications related to his injuries […]

The pilot reported that, during the descent to the destination airport in Ashland, Mo., the Cessna 414’s left engine experienced a partial loss of power. He attempted to troubleshoot the issue. Unable to restore the engine power, he secured the left engine, feathered the propeller, and advised air traffic control of the situation. Shortly after, […]

The pilot reported that, while in cruise flight, the Piper PA-22-108 experienced a total loss of engine power about eight miles from the intended destination. Unable to restart the engine, he subsequently ditched the airplane in a lake near Forsyth, Mo. No fuel was found in the fuel system during the post-accident examination, however, the […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]