Accident Probes

At 2305 Eastern time, the airplane was substantially damaged during a ditching in the Setauket Harbor. The flight instructor, student and one passenger received minor injuries. One passenger is missing and presumed to be fatally injured at this writing. Night visual conditions prevailed. While cruising at around 2000 feet msl, the engine sputtered. Turning on the electric fuel pump and switching the fuel selector to the left fuel tank stopped the sputtering. The flight chose to divert to an airport 10 nm south.

Getting under a cloud layer and proceeding visually to a destination has been a temptation for pilots since the beginning. Airmail pilots, cruising at maybe 80 mph, had plenty of time to see and avoid obstacles down really low, but they still crashed airplanes. There were a lot fewer obstacles back then, and what were likely to be flying these days is a lot faster.

At about 1800 Eastern time, the airplane was substantially damaged when it impacted terrain during final approach. The solo pilot sustained fatal injuries. Visual conditions prevailed. Witnesses indicated the airplane lifted off within the first 1000 feet of the runway then began to bank sharply and reached a 90-degree bank as it climbed to treetop height. While cruising at FL190, the engines manifold pressure dropped from 29 to 15 in. Hg. The pilot arrived over the divert airport and began a circling descent.

Post-accident investigation indicated the warm front started moving faster and the weather deteriorated sooner than forecast. The airplanes radar target went directly toward the destination for about 110 miles, and descended to only about 800 feet agl. The track then turned into the afternoon sun and haze toward an airport only seven miles away. About two minutes later, the airplane turned left and descended below radar coverage.

At 1945 Eastern time, the airplane experienced a total loss of engine power, was force-landed on a road and struck a telephone pole with the left wing. The commercial pilot and the passenger were both seriously injured. Visual conditions existed.

The safety consequences associated with procedural noncompliance-failing to correctly perform normal checklists-have become hot button issues within the business aviation community and the NTSB. All general aviation pilots should heed the warnings raised.

Until the 1990s, when backup options became widely available for personal aircraft, a vacuum system failure in instrument conditions was an extreme emergency. These days it still is, but electric backup instruments are relatively inexpensive and easy to install.

To its credit, the business aviation community has risen to meet the challenge of procedural noncompliance. I serve on the National Business Aviation Association’s (NBAA) Safety Committee and for 2015, procedural non-compliance is one of the committee’s top safety priorities. I should point out that procedural noncompliance (PNC) is also on the NTSB’s 2015 Most […]

Fatal accidents involving experimental, amateur-built aircraft (EABs) during the 2015 federal fiscal year-October 2014 through September 2015-fell 20 percent from the previous 12-month period. The FAA has published for public comment draft revisions to two ACs, as well as a handful of others useful to GA and other operators. The FAAs efforts to approve a new, unleaded aviation gasoline are continuing, with an ongoing series of lab tests being conducted at the agencys Atlantic City, N.J., research facility.

This magazine often has discussed the so-called impossible turn: returning to the departure runway and landing downwind after an engine failure during takeoff. Our view of the impossible turn is that it is possible, but only with practice, sufficient altitude and some luck. Generally, executing a forced landing straight ahead is preferable to attempting a steeply banked turn at low altitude. This is especially true without engine power or sufficient airspeed above the wings stalling angle of attack to enable the steep turn.