Accident Probes

At about 1710 Eastern time, the airplane was substantially damaged when it impacted a field while performing low-level aerobatics. The private pilot and passenger were fatally injured. Visual conditions prevailed.

The float-equipped airplane was substantially damaged at 1630 Eastern time during a forced landing following a total loss of engine power. The private pilot/owner and passenger sustained minor injuries. Visual conditions prevailed.

At about 1205 Eastern time, the airplane was substantially damaged during a forced landing following a partial loss of engine power during cruise flight. The private pilot was not injured, but the pilot-rated-passenger incurred minor injuries. Visual conditions prevailed.

By The Numbers: U.S. Civil Aviation Accidents

Under basic Part 91 rules for certified aircraft, everything aboard has to be documented and working. The aircraft can remain airworthy if failed equipment isn’t required for the operation, and is placarded and isolated from other systems. But an airplane is like any other mechanical contrivance: it’s subject to wear and tear: A system may function, but not as intended.A good example can be braking systems. Those on typical personal airplanes are hydraulically actuated, as…

To me, showing off in an airplane means conducting an efficient flight as planned and avoiding the worst weather, culminating in a smooth landing and an on-time arrival. For others, it might mean loops and rolls, flying inverted or a seemingly endless series of other aerobatic maneuvers visible to spectators. Each operation carries its own risks.

The pilot and flight instructor had been flying for over two hours, doing air work and making touch-and-go landings at area airports. Returning to the airplane’s base, they were making a final touch-and-go landing when the engine lost power. Unable to glide back to the runway, the flight instructor made a forced landing in a plowed field north of the airport. The airplane touched down hard, shearing off the landing gear and sliding 60 feet before coming to a stop. The firewall was buckled. The flight instructor and pilot sustained minor injuries. Examination revealed the fuel selector was positioned on the left fuel tank. One quart of fuel was drained from the left fuel tank. The right fuel tank had not been compromised and contained fuel.

Straight and level can be boring, there’s no question about it. Occasionally racking over into a steep bank, or performing the commercial-certificate maneuvers when you don’t have to, are among the ways non-aerobatic pilots can relieve some of the monotony of using an airplane for transportation. For some, it’s all about showing off. Others may just want to challenge themselves, perhaps to see if they can still perform as they did on their checkride. And most of the time, that’s okay—a steep turn or max-performance maneuver every now and then usually won’t have an adverse consequence, presuming the airplane’s limitations are respected.

At about 0830 Eastern time, the airplane was substantially damaged during a forced landing. The engine lost all power shortly after takeoff. The airline transport pilot sustained minor injuries and a passenger was not injured. Visual conditions prevailed. The pilot reported taking off and climbed to 2500 feet msl when the engine began to vibrate and lose power, and the cabin began to fill with white smoke. The pilot shut down the engine and performed a forced landing to a soy bean field. During the landing roll, the airplane nosed over. The airplane was equipped with a Franklin 6A-350-C1, 220-hp engine. Initial examination revealed the No. 4 cylinder head was partially separated and the No. 4 cylinder piston was displaced.

The Flick,” the big picture, is how situational awareness often is described. As short descriptions go, it’s a good one. The big picture can mean different things to different people, of course, but it generally breaks down into knowing where you are, where you’re going, what it’s going to take to get there and whether the resources to complete the flight are available. The resources can be any number of things. In particular, they usually boil down to keeping tabs on fuel, weather and terrain. Lose the flick on either one of these three, and you could find yourself in these pages.