November 2, 2024, Anchorage, Alaska
CubCrafters CC18-180 Top Cub
At about 1436 Alaska time, the airplane sustained substantial damage when it stalled shortly after liftoff and impacted the departure runway. The solo pilot was seriously injured. The airplane was owned by the U.S. Department of the Interior and operated by the National Park Service.
The pilot reported that, after the airplane became airborne, he was unable to move the flight control stick forward and the airplane started climbing aggressively. The pilot attempted to use the elevator trim control to lower the nose and level the airplane, but it stalled and began an uncontrolled, nose-down descent to the runway. The pilot was able to level the airplane slightly, but there was insufficient altitude to recover from the stall. Examination revealed that the curved rear flight control stick was installed in reverse, allowing it to contact the pilot’s seatback, limiting movement and preventing it from moving forward.
November 5, 2024, Mesa, Ariz.
Honda HA-420 HondaJet
The airplane was destroyed at 1639 Mountain time when it overran the runway during a takeoff attempt. The pilot and three passengers were fatally injured, one passenger was seriously injured and the occupant of an automobile was fatally injured.
Security video captured the airplane accelerating on the runway until it was about 2100 feet from the departure end. The airplane subsequently began to decelerate and overran the departure end of the runway. It maintained runway heading and struck the airport perimeter fence about 600 feet beyond the runway and continued across a roadway. The airplane then struck a vehicle before coming to rest upright on the far side of the road. The airplane fuselage fractured forward of the wing leading edges and a post-impact fire ensued.
Examination confirmed flight control continuity from the cockpit to all flight control surfaces and all major components were identified at the accident site. There was no evidence of any parts separating from the airplane prior to the airplane impacting the perimeter fence. The control column gust lock was not installed, and there were no anomalies noted with the brake and anti-skid system. Recorded data show the airplane accelerated to about 130 knots before it began to decelerate.
November 6, 2024, East Troy Wis.
de Havilland Canada DHC-1 Chipmunk
At 1600 Central time, the airplane sustained substantial damage when it landed short of a runway after total loss of engine power. The solo private pilot received minor injuries.
The pilot stated the airplane’s two fuel tanks had a total capacity of nine gallons each. During his pre-flight inspection, he noted there was three gallons of fuel in the left tank and four gallons in the right one. He took off and performed one touch-and-go landing at the departure airport and then departed the traffic pattern to perform steep turns. While on the downwind pattern leg, the left tank fuel gauge indicated two gallons and the right one showed three gallons. About halfway down the final leg and at about 250-300 feet agl, the airplane experienced a total loss of engine power. The pilot switched fuel tanks, but the engine did not regain power. The pilot performed a forced landing and landed about 300-400 feet short of the runway. Examination revealed the left fuel tank contained no fuel and the right had less than a gallon. There was no fuel in the system downstream of the tanks.
November 15, 2024, Nunn, Colo.
Beech 35-B33 Debonair
The airplane was destroyed at about 1000 Mountain time when it impacted a farm field under unknown circumstances. The solo pilot was fatally injured.
The flight originated in Chadron, Nebraska, with Hudson, Colorado, as its destination, about 180 nm away. The accident site was 20 nm west of a direct route between the starting point and intended destination. The debris field was roughly 500 feet long by 400 feet wide. All major components of the airplane were accounted for at the accident site. Examination revealed no anomalies with the airframe. The #2 and #4 cylinders were displaced aft and had fractured the engine case, but there were no signs of a pre-impact powerplant failure or malfunction. Both propeller blades exhibited twisting, leading edge nicks and gouges, chord-wise scratching and blade polishing, indicating it was under power at impact.
November 15, 2024, Manvel, Texas
Piper PA-23-160 Apache
At 1639 Central time, the airplane was substantially damaged when it was force-landed in a pasture shortly after takeoff following an engine failure. The flight instructor and pilot receiving instruction were not injured.
The airplane had flown multiple flights that day with no reported issues. During the initial climb, at about 100 feet agl, the left engine experienced a total loss of power. The crew was unable to maintain altitude, so they maneuvered for a forced landing in a pasture off the left side of the runway. During the landing roll, the nose landing gear collapsed.
The pilots secured the airplane and egressed without further incident. Examination revealed the fuel tanks remained intact and were mostly full of fuel. The left engine oil dipstick indicated adequate oil, and the engine’s exterior did not exhibit signs of catastrophic failure.
November 17, 2024, Jackson, Wyo.
Bombardier CL-600-2B16 Challenger
The airplane was substantially damaged at about 0945 Mountain time when its left main wheel assembly caught fire after an aborted takeoff. The two pilots and nine passengers were not injured.
The captain later stated they miscalculated the load and needed to burn about 500 lbs. of excess fuel prior to takeoff. He notified the primary passenger that they would have to stop at the end of the runway to burn the excess fuel to remain under their maximum takeoff weight. While taxiing, the captain added power and used the brakes to burn off excess fuel, using about 65 percent power. While holding short of the runway prior to takeoff, the captain advanced the power again while holding the brakes for about 10 to 15 minutes.
It was the first officer’s takeoff. He held the brakes and applied takeoff power, and then he released the brakes and the airplane began to accelerate. At about 30 knots, the crew heard a rumble on the left side of the airplane and aborted the takeoff. As the airplane slowed, ATC informed the crew that their left wheel appeared to be on fire. After the airplane came to a stop on an adjacent taxiway, the flight crew and passengers evacuated without injury.
November 17, 2024, Seguin, Texas
Pitts S1E Special Experimental
At about 1415 Central time, the airplane was substantially damaged when it ground-looped on landing following a rudder cable failure. The pilot was not injured.
The pilot was practicing aerobatic maneuvers when he felt the left rudder lose tension and go to the firewall, and then lost rudder control. The pilot regained control using aileron and elevator, stabilizing the airplane in upright flight. He then found that while he had right rudder control, he was unable to center the rudder due to the unresponsive left rudder pedal.
The pilot returned to the airplane’s base but was unable to control the airplane’s yaw until he found the broken left rudder cable and was able to center the rudder. During the landing roll, the airplane veered to the right and the pilot attempted to correct with left rudder but was unable to overcome the friction of the tailwheel.
The airplane ground looped, nosed over, and came to rest inverted, resulting in substantial damage to the vertical stabilizer, lower left wing and upper wings. Examination revealed the left rudder cable had separated at the attachment linkage to the left rudder pedal.
November 19, 2024, Chattanooga, Tenn.
Cessna 172S Skyhawk SP
The airplane was substantially damaged at 1851 Eastern time during an attempted partial-power go-around in instrument conditions. The flight instructor and private pilot sustained minor injuries.
Shortly after takeoff on the instrument training flight, at 1700 feet msl, engine power dropped to 2300 rpm. The private pilot declared an emergency, advising ATC they were in instrument conditions and needed to return to land with the engine losing power. He and the flight instructor worked with ATC to get the airplane vectored back to the airport, where they finally located the airport visually.
The airplane was too fast on touchdown, so they executed a go-around to avoid going off the end of the runway and into trees. As the airplane climbed above the trees, the engine lost all power. The only option was an off-field landing to a road. The airplane clipped trees and came to rest on the side of the road, with damage to both wings and the fuselage.
November 24, 2024, Windham, N.Y.
Mooney M20J 201
At about 1809 Eastern time, the airplane was substantially damaged when it flew into terrain under control. The solo pilot was fatally injured.
The airplane departed Churchville, Maryland, around 1640, destined for Albany, New York. Sunset at Albany occurred at 1625, with the end of civil twilight at 1656. The ADS-B data revealed that the airplane began a shallow descent from about 5000 feet msl.
At about 1805, ADS-B data showed the airplane had descended below 4000 feet and, by 1807, below 3500 feet. The airplane’s last ADS-B data was recorded at about 1808, with the airplane approximately 720 feet laterally from the initial impact point and at 3025 feet msl, which was within 100 feet of the accident site’s elevation.
The pilot had been in contact with ATC and receiving VFR flight following services. While in contact with ATC, the pilot reported moderate to heavy turbulence at 5000 feet. The pilot subsequently descended to about 4300 feet and reported that the turbulence had subsided; this was the pilot’s last transmission to ATC.
The airplane impacted wooded, mountainous terrain located below the mountain peak at 3524 feet. All major components of the airplane were accounted for at the accident site.
November 24, 2024, Gillette, Wyo.
Piper PA-28R-200 Arrow II
The airplane was substantially damaged at about 1630 Mountain time when its engine began to sputter shortly after takeoff and it could not maintain altitude. The pilot and passenger sustained minor injuries.
The takeoff was the third of the day, part of a multi-leg cross-country. As the airplane passed midfield, the pilot smelled fuel and the engine began sputtering. He initiated a right turn back to the airport, but the airplane was unable to maintain altitude. The airplane touched down in a field and collided with a fence, damaging its wings. The airplane’s maintenance records indicated an annual inspection was completed two days earlier. The airplane had accrued 5.5 flight hours since the inspection.
November 27, 2024, Muskogee, Okla.
Cessna 340A
At about 0008 Central time, the airplane sustained substantial damage when both engines failed during approach to landing. The pilot sustained serious injuries, and the four passengers—one adult and three minors—sustained minor injuries.
Prior to the flight from Montana, the airplane’s fuel tanks were “topped off.” It departed Livingston, Montana, at about 1840 and then flew nonstop to Muskogee. Shortly after receiving a visual approach clearance, the pilot reported a loss of engine power in both engines; restart attempts were unsuccessful. During the forced landing, the airplane’s right wing impacted the permanent static display of a USAF T-33A jet trainer on airport property, about 3350 feet northwest of the approach end of Runway 13. The airplane came to rest upright in a grassy field. Manufacturer records show that the airplane was built with a total fuel capacity of 183 usable gallons.
