General Aviation Accident Bulletin

Recent general aviation and air carrier accidents.

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

August 1, 2016, Spanish Fork, UT

Beech C99 Airliner

At about 1840 Mountain time, the airplane sustained substantial damage following a collision with an object while being operated as a scheduled FAR 135 cargo flight. The solo commercial pilot was not injured. Visual conditions were reported.

The pilot later related he was in cruise climb at about 8500 feet msl when he noticed something in his peripheral vision, then felt a “thud” as something struck the airplane. There was no loss of control or abnormal control feel, so he continued the flight and landed uneventfully. Upon landing, about 12 inches of the airplane’s vertical stabilizer was missing; there also was substantial damage to the rudder. Initial examination showed no evidence of organic material. A detailed examination by the NTSB is pending.

August 2, 2016, Destin, FL

Cessna 414A Chancellor

The airplane descended into the Gulf of Mexico at about 2025 Central time, shortly after takeoff. The solo commercial pilot was fatally injured and the airplane was destroyed. Night visual conditions prevailed; an IFR flight plan was active.

A pilot-rated witness observed the airplane early in its takeoff at between 50 and 100 feet agl with its landing gear retracted. Other witnesses noted the airplane flew over a building adjacent to them at an estimated 150 feet agl. The airplane continued over the Gulf of Mexico, and then banked sharply right, with one witness describing the wings being nearly vertical. The airplane appeared to roll wings level, before it began descending and impacted the water.

August 2, 2016, Flagstaff, AZ

Piper PA-34-200T Seneca II

At about 2122 Mountain time, the airplane was destroyed when it impacted trees and terrain shortly after takeoff. The solo airline transport pilot received fatal injuries. Night visual conditions prevailed.

At 2119:44, the pilot told ATC he was “off two one” and climbing to “eleven thousand five hundred.” At 2120:17, ATC advised it had radar contact. At 21:22:57, ATC initially advised that radar contact had been lost, then made repeated, unanswered calls to the flight. Radar returns indicated the airplane climbed at about 1000 fpm for about 60 seconds; then the climb rate dropped to and remained at about 400 fpm for another minute. The airplane reached a maximum radar altitude of 8400 feet msl, then descended to ground impact during the next 20 seconds. Field elevation at the departure airport is 7014 feet.

Evidence indicates the airplane hit terrain at high speed and power settings. According to the NTSB, the 76-year-old pilot held multiple certificates and ratings, and reported 11,858 total hours on a second-class medical certificate application in March 2016. The 2157 weather observation included winds from 240 degrees at three knots, visibility 10 sm and a broken ceiling at 11,000 feet.

August 3, 2016, Fond du Lac, WI

Sonex Waiex

The airplane impacted terrain at about 1155 Central time, following a partial loss of engine power. Both the private pilot and flight instructor were seriously injured; the airplane was substantially damaged. Visual conditions prevailed.

According to preliminary information, the pilots were performing touch-and-go landings. Shortly after a takeoff, “the pilots reported a loss of engine power. During the forced landing, the airplane collided with a transmission line and impacted terrain. An inspection of the airplane revealed substantial damage to the fuselage and both wings.”

August 4, 2016, Russellville, OH

Cessna 150L

At 2009 Eastern time, the airplane was force-landed in a soybean field after the engine lost power. One pilot sustained a minor injury; the other pilot was not injured. The airplane was substantially damaged. Visual conditions prevailed.

According to the pilots, the airplane was descending for landing when they heard a loud “bang” and the engine lost power. Unable to maintain altitude, they made a forced landing in a soybean field, struck a ditch and nosed over. Examination revealed the Number 2 cylinder had separated between the flange and the head.

August 5, 2016, Wasilla, AK

Cessna 210-5/de Havilland DHC-2T

The two airplanes collided in mid-air while landing. Both aboard the Cessna—a flight instructor and a pilot receiving instruction—sustained minor injuries. The commercial pilot of the de Havilland DHC-2T Turbine Beaver and its sole passenger were not injured. Visual conditions prevailed.

The de Havilland DHC-2T pilot subsequently told investigators he was conducting a long straight-in final to land. While on final approach, at about 20 feet above the runway, the Cessna overtook the de Havilland from directly above, impacting the propeller. Following the impact with the Cessna, he continued the approach and landed.

The Cessna sustained substantial damage to its empennage and fuselage, while the de Havilland sustained substantial damage to its right wing. The pilots of both airplanes stated that there were no pre-impact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframes or engines.

August 5, 2016, Waco, TX

Cessna P210N Pressurized Centurion

At about 1700 Central time, the airplane was substantially damaged when its landing gear collapsed during landing. The pilot and four passengers aboard were not injured. Visual conditions prevailed; the flight was operated IFR.

While in cruise flight, the pilot reported an electrical system problem and elected to divert. After receiving an initial vector from ATC, the airplane lost all electrical power. According to the NTSB, the pilot then successfully lowered wing flaps and landing gear, followed by an uneventful approach. After touching down, the landing gear collapsed and the airplane departed the left side of the runway before coming to rest.

August 6, 2016, Burns Flat, OK

Bugatti-DeMonge 100P Experimental

The experimental amateur-built airplane impacted terrain during takeoff at about 0820 Central time. The airline transport pilot was fatally injured; the airplane was destroyed during the impact and post-impact fire. Visual conditions prevailed.

At least one witness reported the airplane lifted off and began climbing. During the climbout, the airplane banked to the right and then to the left. The airplane’s left bank steepened; it descended nose-first and subsequently impacted terrain inverted. At 0753, recorded weather included winds from 040 degrees at nine knots and 10 sm of visibility under clear skies.

The airplane came to rest about 1900 feet and 335 degrees from the departure runway’s threshold, on a 330-degree heading. Much of the airframe was consumed by fire. The rudder cables were traced to the their respective pedals, but control continuity for the elevators and ailerons could not be established. No pre-impact anomalies with the drivetrain or engines were observed.

August 6, 2016, Cardington, OH

Cessna 180

At about 1515 Eastern time, the airplane impacted a building. The commercial pilot received minor injuries; the airplane was destroyed. Visual conditions prevailed.

The pilot was planning to land to the east on a private grass runway. After noticing people on the ground, he maneuvered to land in the opposite direction. The airplane touched down with its flaps fully extended, floated and then drifted right, so he decided to go around. He advanced the throttle to full forward and the engine gauges appeared normal, but the airplane felt “anemic” and climbed slowly. The next thing he remembered was seeing the building in his windscreen.

The airplane impacted a small pole barn just past the end of the runway. The pilot exited the airplane before a post-crash fire engulfed it. The pilot reported the engine had accumulated about two operating hours since a top overhaul. Visual inspection of the engine did not note any obvious discrepancies. The FAA carburetor icing probability chart indicated the airplane was operating in an area associated with a serious risk of carburetor ice formation at glide power settings.

This article originally appeared in the November 2016 issue ofAviation Safetymagazine.

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