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.gov. Final reports appear about a year after the accident, although some take longer. Find out more about Aviation Safety at www.aviationsafetymagazine.com.
October 1, 2016, Taylor, Texas
Beechcraft C23 Sundowner
At about 0925 Central time, the airplane was destroyed after impacting trees and terrain during final approach. The pilot and the child passenger were seriously injured. Visual conditions prevailed.
Initial reports showed the airplane experienced a complete loss of engine power when about one half mile from the runway. During the accident sequence, both wings were separated at the wing root and the fuselage came to rest upright about 20 feet beyond initial impact with trees. The airplane was immediately involved in a fire. The pilot removed the child passenger, exited the airplane and walked to a nearby rural residence.
October 1, 2016, Hickory, N.C.
Culver PQ-14A Cadet
The airplane was destroyed at 1310 Eastern time when it collided with trees, terrain and a commercial building during a forced landing shortly after takeoff. The solo commercial pilot was fatally injured. Visual conditions prevailed.
Preliminary information indicates the airplane’s engine stopped producing power while taxiing for takeoff. Shortly after takeoff, the pilot reported the airplane was “having engine problems” and announced his intention to return. The controller cleared the airplane to land on any runway. Radar data revealed the airplane was about two miles south of the departure airport when it reversed course; the radar track ended in the vicinity of the accident site, about a mile from the approach end of the runway. Witnesses described the engine sound as “sputtering” and “revving up and down.”
October 1, 2016, Laurel, Miss.
Piper PA-28-140 Cherokee 140
At about 1019 Central time, the airplane was substantially damaged during a forced landing after a total loss of engine power while executing a go-around. The student pilot/owner was not injured. Visual conditions prevailed.
During the pilot’s first landing attempt, he realized he was too high and elected to go around. The pilot applied full power and the engine responded. He retracted the flaps and turned off carburetor heat. At that point, the engine started running rough. He turned carburetor heat back on, checked that the electric fuel pump was still on and switched fuel tanks, but engine power did not increase. The pilot was unable to maintain altitude and made a forced landing to a field adjacent to the airport. During the landing, the left main landing gear hit a large hole resulting in substantial damage to the left main gear, left wing and an engine mount.
October 1, 2016, Fort Lauderdale, FL.
Cessna Model 172S Skyhawk SP
The airplane was substantially damaged at about 1808 Eastern time during a precautionary landing. The commercial pilot and passenger were not injured. Visual conditions prevailed.
After a normal takeoff, and at 2500 feet msl and five miles northwest of the departure airport, the pilot noticed the oil temperature had risen to 245 degrees, the gauge’s red line. After informing ATC of his intention to return, the engine began running rough. After touchdown, the airplane bounced and was substantially damaged before it came to rest on the runway. The pilot stated that he did not go around or abort the landing because of the potential engine issue. Examination revealed the airplane had contacted the runway on its nose landing gear, which was bent forward and in contact with the lower engine cowling. Further examination also revealed that the propeller, the firewall, the lower forward fuselage skin and the floorboards were damaged.
October 2, 2016, Togiak, Alaska
Cessna Model 208B Grand Caravan
At about 1154 Alaska time, the airplane sustained substantial damage upon impacting steep, mountainous, rocky terrain. The airplane was being operated as a scheduled VFR Part 135 commuter flight. The two commercial pilots and one passenger aboard sustained fatal injuries. Visual conditions prevailed at the nearest airport.
Poor weather conditions prevented first responders from locating
the accident airplane until about 1630. The airplane’s fragmented wreckage was located on the southeast side of a steep, loose-rock-covered mountainside. The initial impact point was located north of and about 200 feet below the 2500-foothigh mountain’s summit. The wreckage path extended southeast to the main wreckage, which was located downslope on the southeast side of the ridgeline at the 1550-foot level. A post-crash fire incinerated a large portion of the fuselage and right wing. At 1156, the destination airport’s weather observation included calm winds, seven statute miles of visibility in light rain, scattered clouds at 3900 feet and an overcast at 4700 feet. The temperature was 45 degrees F, with a dewpoint of 43 degrees F.
October 2, 2016, Mandan, N.D.
Volaircraft 10A Darter
The airplane was destroyed at about 1557 Central time by a post-impact fire after it landed short of the runway. The solo student pilot was not injured. Visual conditions prevailed. According to local authorities, the airplane landed short of the runway and skidded to a stop beside it. After the pilot exited uninjured, the airplane caught fire and was destroyed. The pilot did not report any mechanical problems prior to the event and there were no witnesses.
October 2, 2016, Clarendon, Texas
Piper PA-28-180 Cherokee 180
At about 1520 Central time, the airplane was involved in a forced landing after its engine stopped producing power. The solo student pilot sustained minor injuries; the airplane was substantially damaged. Visual conditions prevailed.
The pilot reported that while in cruise flight the engine stopped producing power and he performed a forced landing to a field. During the landing, the airplane’s wings and firewall were damaged.
October 2, 2016, Rosamund, CA.
Cessna R172K Skyhawk XP
The pilot/owner and three non-pilots flew the airplane to another airport for lunch. The outbound flight was uneventful. After lunch, the four returned to the airplane.
The pilot later reported the preflight inspection and taxi to the
run-up area were normal. During the before-takeoff checklist, he noticed the two fuel tank gauges indicated different quantities from one another. The pilot decided to shut down the engine and physically “stick” the tanks to accurately determine the total fuel quantity, which he determined were satisfactory.
When the airplane was about 20 feet above the ground, it stopped climbing. The pilot “immediately recognized something was wrong,” according to the NTSB, and aborted the takeoff. The pilot was unable to stop the airplane on the runway, and it sustained substantial damage to the fuselage as a result. None of the occupants were injured. After the accident, the pilot determined that he had left the control lock in for the takeoff. Investigation revealed the manufacturer-issued control lock had been installed backward by the pilot. A yoke-mounted iPad limited the pilot’s view of the installed control lock, which reduced the potential for visual detection.
October 3, 2016, Fulshear, Texas
Fokker DR-1 Triplane
At about 1800 Central time, the airplane experienced a loss of engine power and was involved in a forced landing. The solo airline transport rated pilot was not injured; the airplane sustained substantial damage. Visual conditions prevailed for the post-maintenance test flight.
The airplane’s construction had just been completed and the engine installed. Numerous tests were performed before the accident flight. Later, the pilot departed and experienced a partial loss of engine power during the initial climb, and the airplane was not able to maintain altitude. The pilot made a forced landing into a tree nursery about one mile from the departure airport.
This article originally appeared in the January 2017 issue of Aviation Safety magazine.
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