Accident Probes

We’ve all been there: At an en route fuel stop—or after a precautionary landing—we find something wrong with the airplane. Could be a bad magneto, a cold cylinder, a starter that won’t engage or a dead battery. If we’re lucky, the airport at which we find ourselves has a shop that can handle the challenge. […]

July 1, 2023, Cedar Rapids, Iowa Berkut 540 Experimental At about 0853 Central time, the airplane was substantially damaged when it was force-landed on a road after engine failure. The solo pilot was not injured. During initial climb, at around 3400 feet msl, the pilot realized the engine had lost partial power. Fuel pressure, fuel […]

Anyone familiar with accident investigation likely has heard the phrase “chain of events.” It refers to any number of factors contributing to the accident or its severity. Of course, the vast majority of accidents result from one or more mistakes made by a human, generally referred to as pilot error. Mechanical causes pose much less […]

June 1, 2023, Pellston, Mich. Piper PA-28-181 Archer II/III At about 1155 Eastern time, the airplane sustained substantial damage when its left main landing gear strut failed, leaving the wheel assembly attached only by the brake line. The flight instructor and student pilot were not injured in the subsequent landing. On takeoff following a touch-and-go […]

When considering which airplane one should fly—whether renting, clubbing, owning or via some other arrangement—a time-honored maxim is to consider your mission and use one that’s most suitable. Since it’s never that simple, such an answer usually elicits a big “duh” from the questioner. It would be nice to have one airplane to meet all […]

May 1, 2023, Batesville, Miss. Cessna 182D Skylane At about 1345 Central time, the airplane sustained substantial damage when it departed the runway while landing. The pilot and passenger were not injured. Visual conditions prevailed. Nearing the destination, the pilot was experiencing moderate to heavy chop. The first approach was too high, so he conducted […]

One important thing pilots too often minimize is the need for proficiency at their craft. Just because you have something in your wallet saying you legally can do Thing A, it doesn’t mean you can always do it well, or to minimum standards. An FAA medical certificate is similar: On a certain day not that […]

Cessna 208B Grand Caravan Uncommanded Pitch Down The pilot reported the Garmin GFC 600 autopilot engaged uncommanded and pitched the aircraft nose down. Autopilot would not remain disengaged. At this writing, maintenance has not determined cause of failure. Autopilot system was installed 74.4 hours and 32 days before occurrence. Part total time: 74.4 hours Cessna […]

April 2, 2023, Oxbow, Ore. Cirrus Design SR22 At 0950 Pacific time, the airplane was destroyed when it impacted mountainous terrain under unknown circumstances. The pilot and the passenger sustained fatal injuries. Instrument conditions prevailed; no flight plan was filed. The pilot requested flight-following services from ATC at 0934, while heading north at 11,900 feet […]

One of the riskiest everyday operations pilots are likely to encounter is an instrument takeoff and departure into relatively low clouds. The increased risk comes from the takeoff itself—we’re never really sure the airplane will fly until we try it—and the much smaller margin for any error that being close to the ground in IMC […]