General Aviation Accident Bulletin, September 19, 2022

Recent general aviation and air carrier accidents.

0

AVweb’s General Aviation Accident Bulletin is taken from the pages of our sister publication, Aviation Safety magazine. All the reports listed here are preliminary and include only initial factual findings about crashes. You can learn more about the final probable cause on the NTSB’s website at www.ntsb.gov. Final reports appear about a year after the accident, although some take longer. Find out more about Aviation Safety at www.aviationsafetymagazine.com.


June 2, 2022, Ennis, Texas

Cessna 172P Skyhawk

At about 1803 Central time, the airplane was substantially damaged during a forced landing following loss of engine power. The flight instructor and pilot were not injured. Visual conditions prevailed.

While en route to a nearby airport, engine power dropped about 200 rpm on two occasions. A subsequent approach to the airport resulted in a go-around due to excess energy. When the throttle and carburetor heat controls were advanced to the full forward position, engine power increased only to about 2000 rpm. The flight instructor adjusted the mixture control and reapplied carburetor heat in an attempt to increase engine power, but the power decreased and the flight instructor executed a forced landing. During the landing roll, the flight instructor turned right to avoid cows and the airplane impacted a tree.


June 3, 2022, Oceanside, Calif.

Cessna 208B Supervan 900

At about 1347 Pacific time, the airplane was substantially damaged when it landed short of the intended runway after its engine failed to respond. The left-seat pilot was fatally injured; the right-seat pilot instructing the left-seater was seriously injured. Visual conditions prevailed for the skydiving operation.

The skydiving flights started at about 1015 and averaged 17 minutes in duration, followed by about 15 minutes on the ground between flights; the airplane’s engine was operating for the duration. The pilots completed six flights without incident and departed on the accident flight at 1331. The right-seat pilot could not recall many details but remembered the throttle became unresponsive at about 400 feet AGL.

Automatic Dependent Surveillance—Broadcast (ADS-B) data depicts the airplane turning onto the final approach at an altitude of about 2360 feet AGL and 2.6 NM from the runway’s approach end. About two nm from the runway, it made a 360-degree right turn, rolling out at about 985 feet AGL. Some 33 seconds later, the airplane’s groundspeed dropped to 92 knots as it descended. There were about 50 gallons of JetA fuel in the right wing. There was none in the left tank, but the fuel line was found separated at the fuselage. Preliminary findings are consistent with the engine running at low power at the time of impact.


June 6, 2022, Kenedy, Texas

Cessna 182G Skylane

The airplane was destroyed at 1522 Central time when it collided with terrain short of the intended runway. The pilot and passenger were fatally injured. Visual conditions prevailed.

Automatic Dependent Surveillance—Broadcast (ADS-B) data revealed the flight initiated a descent from 5600 feet MSL at 1508, about 23 miles north of the intended airport. The descent continued and, at about 1516, the airplane appeared to align with the runway’s extended centerline. Some three seconds before the final data point, the airplane entered a gradual left turn. The airplane came to rest about 0.8 nm from the runway threshold.


June 6, 2022, Panama City, Fla.

Piper PA-28RT-201 Arrow IV

At about 1610 Central time, the airplane was substantially damaged when it collided with terrain following catastrophic engine failure shortly after takeoff. The pilot and one passenger were fatally injured and another passenger sustained serious injuries. Visual conditions prevailed.

The airplane arrived earlier in the day; surveillance video shows the pilot returned to the airplane about 1530. He walked around the airplane but only “stopped in front of each wing, never the engine or cowling,” according to the NTSB. At 1551, the airplane taxied from the ramp and began its takeoff roll at about 1606. According to ADS-B data, the airplane reached about 1200 feet MSL before it began to descend and entered a 180-degree left turn. It completed the turn, continued to descend and impacted trees and terrain about 1.7 miles from the runway threshold.

Examination revealed oil along the right bottom side of the fuselage and a hole in the crankcase near the #4 cylinder; the oil sump contained the #4 cylinder’s connecting rod cap, connecting rod bolts and bearing pieces, plus other metallic debris. Parking area pavement revealed a small puddle of engine oil where the airplane was initially parked. A second, larger area of oil—measuring about six feet on a side—was found at its second parking location, where the pilot conducted his walk-around.


June 7, 2022, Hemet, Calif.

Beech 77 Skipper

The airplane sustained substantial damage at about 0930 Pacific time when it landed long after its pilot declared an emergency and reported loss of engine power. The student pilot sustained fatal injuries. Visual conditions prevailed.

The accident flight was the pilot’s second solo cross-country flight. An airborne witness heard the accident pilot over the CTAF, saying, “Right downwind for 23, I have no power.” The witness saw the accident airplane fly a faster-than-normal approach speed and pass over the departure end of Runway 23 at about 100 feet AGL. Another witness recalled the airplane making a left turn and touching down on the soft dirt surface of a plowed field, then colliding with a retaining wall.


This article originally appeared in the September 2022 issue of Aviation Safety magazine.

For more great content like this, subscribe to Aviation Safety!

Other AVwebflash Articles

LEAVE A REPLY