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.gov. Final reports appear about a year after the accident, although some take longer. Find out more about Aviation Safety at www.aviationsafetymagazine.com.

Cessna Model T210M Turbo Centurion

December 11, 2016, Mecca, CA

The airplane landed off-airport in rough terrain at an unspecified time. The commercial pilot sustained serious injuries; the airplane sustained substantial damage. Visual conditions prevailed.

The pilot reported that he had to adjust his route of flight due to weather. About 100 miles from the destination airport, he switched fuel tanks, and the engine began to run rough. About 12 miles from the destination, he switched fuel tanks, and the engine lost all power. He could not glide the airplane to the airport and touched down hard in hilly desert terrain.

Stinson 108-3

December 16, 2016, Ionia, MI

At about 1045 Eastern time, the ski-equipped airplane was substantially damaged while landing. The solo private pilot was not injured. Visual conditions prevailed.

Shortly after takeoff from a snow-covered runway, the pilot heard a thump and noticed the left main landing ski tip had rotated up, past vertical, and was in contact with the left wing strut. He decided to land on another snow-covered runway but was unable to reposition the left ski. Upon landing, the ski separated from the axle, the left gear leg dug into the snow and the airplane rapidly decelerated before nosing over.

Examination revealed Nicropress sleeves built into ski-support cables attached to the left landing gear leg were inadequately compressed. The pilot reported the airplane operated on skis each winter since February 2009, when he purchased them used. The forward and aft support cables were already fabricated and installed at the time, and they had required no maintenance over the years since.

Bellanca 17-30A Super Viking

December 18, 2016, Blaine, MN

The airplane was substantially damaged during a forced landing at about 1500 Central time. The solo pilot was not injured. Visual conditions prevailed for the flight.

While in cruise flight, the engine lost power. After the pilot switched fuel tanks and turned on the fuel boost pump, engine power was restored. Approaching a divert field, the engine began to knock and then seized. The pilot executed a forced landing onto a road, during which the airplane’s left wing impacted a sign. Examination revealed significant damage to the engine, including a fractured piston rod cap and counterweights.

Cessna Model 150

December 19, 2016, Palm Bay, FL

At about 1400 Eastern time, the airplane was substantially damaged during a forced landing after experiencing smoke in the cockpit. The flight instructor and a student pilot received minor injuries. Visual conditions prevailed.

During recovery from a simulated engine failure, both pilots first smelled and then observed smoke in the cockpit. The flight instructor took the flight controls, selected a forced landing site and maneuvered the airplane for landing. Upon touchdown, the nose landing gear settled into low brush and soft terrain, where the airplane stopped, nosed over and came to rest inverted. Examination of the engine compartment revealed wires connected to the battery relay exhibited thermal damage.

Aeronca 15AC Sedan

December 23, 2016, Pontiac, MI

The airplane was substantially damaged at about 1618 Eastern time, while landing. The solo private pilot was not injured. Visual conditions prevailed.

The pilot reported that the purpose of the accident flight was to practice landings in the tailwheel-equipped airplane. He completed 14 uneventful touch-and-go landings before performing a full-stop landing on Runway 27R. Shortly after touchdown, the airplane swerved to the left. The pilot attempted to regain directional control and the airplane then swerved to the right. The airplane collided with a snowbank alongside the runway and nosed over.

The majority of the pilot’s time in type was flown while the accident airplane was equipped with floats instead of wheels. The conventional landing gear was reinstalled on the accident airplane earlier in December 2016; the accident occurred during the second flight after the reinstallation. Local weather included wind 190 degrees true at six knots.

Piper PA-28-161 Warrior II

December 23, 2016, Middlebury, VT

At about 1145 Eastern time, the airplane was substantially damaged when it impacted trees and terrain during initial climb. The solo private pilot was fatally injured. Visual conditions prevailed.

The pilot cleared off snow from the airplane’s wings the morning of the flight and preheated the airplane. He then performed a preflight inspection and sumped the fuel tanks. During initial climb, at about 150 feet agl, the airplane’s wings “wagged,” the engine “skipped” and then the engine sound “went back to normal.” The airplane continued to climb, then turned left, reaching a bank angle of about 45 degrees. The airplane “stalled” and “rapidly” descended until it struck trees. Another witness stated the engine “sputtered” several times. The carburetor was disassembled and no liquid was noted in the fuel bowl. However, the carburetor floats exhibited damage consistent with hydraulic deformation.

Cessna Model 182 Skylane

December 26, 2016, Gatlinburg, TN

The airplane was destroyed when it collided with mountainous terrain at about 1602 Eastern time during descent for landing. The private pilot and two passengers were fatally injured. Instrument conditions prevailed; no flight plan was filed.

The flight was receiving VFR flight-following services at 9500 feet msl when the pilot initiated a descent for landing. Radar data depict a descent on a track of about 340 degrees, directly toward the destination, at between 130 and 150 knots groundspeed. At 1558, about 20 miles from its destination, the airplane descended below the minimum vectoring altitude of 8000 feet msl and continued its descent on the same ground track and about the same speed. At 1602, the radar target was at 5400 feet msl and abeam a 6500-foot peak when the radar target disappeared.

Cessna Model 525C/Citation CJ4

December 29, 2016, Cleveland, OH

The airplane was destroyed at 2257 Eastern time when it collided with Lake Erie shortly after takeoff. The pilot and five passengers are missing and presumed fatally injured. Night visual conditions prevailed; the flight operated on an IFR clearance.

The controller cleared the pilot for takeoff and instructed him to turn right to a heading of 330 degrees and maintain 2000 feet msl. Surveillance data indicate the airplane entering a right turn shortly after crossing the runway’s departure end. The airplane became established on a magnetic course of 310 degrees and reached approximately 2925 feet msl. About five seconds later, the airplane entered a descending right turn that continued until the final data point. The final data point was located 1.83 miles northwest of the departure airport. Airplane debris, including the cockpit voice recorder, was ultimately located about 0.10 mile northeast of the final data point.

Cessna Model 182 Skylane

December 29, 2016, Dabob, WA

At about 1844 Pacific time, the airplane collided with terrain. The private pilot and three passengers were fatally injured; the airplane was substantially damaged. Dark night visual and instrument conditions prevailed.

After radar and radio contact were lost, a search located the wreckage on December 30, 2016, in steep, heavily wooded terrain. Radar data of a primary target consistent with the accident airplane show it traveling northwest at about 2800 feet msl before descending to between 2500 feet and 2000 feet. The radar target then performed three left 360-degree turns to a northerly heading at between 1700 feet msl and 1100 feet msl before the last radar target was recorded. The wreckage revealed that the airplane collided with trees in steep rising terrain. Weather observed 20 miles south of the wreckage and nine minutes before the accident included calm wind, 10 miles of visibility and an overcast ceiling at 600 feet agl.

This article originally appeared in the March 2017 issue of Aviation Safety magazine.

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