Accident Probes

At 16:00 CDT, two Beech D-45s (T-34s), part of the Lima Lima Flying Squadron, collided during a practice flight. One aircraft crashed, killing the pilot. The other was damaged but made a safe landing at Aurora Municipal Airport. The airplanes were part of a six-ship delta formation performing a non-aerobatic maneuver called a pop top break….

At about 07:30 CDT, a Continental Tomcat MK5A and a Texas Helicopter OH-13E collided in flight over a field in Heflin. Both pilots were killed. Both helicopters were registered to the same company and were performing agricultural operations. Witnesses said the OH-13 was flying south about 150 feet above the ground spraying herbicides. The Tomcat had just taken off from a flatbed truck and climbed to clear a stand of 100-foot trees. It then turned east into the sun and the two helicopters collided. Neither aircraft took evasive action….

At about 14:50 EST, a Cessna 172P and a Cessna 172R collided in flight on approach to Fitchburg Municipal Airport. The pilot of the 172P was killed and the student pilot in the 172R suffered serious injuries. According to several witnesses, the airplanes were on the final approach segment to the airport when the student pilots airplane overtook the private pilots airplane and struck it on the right side. The two airplanes locked together and made a slow, 180-degree turn while descending rapidly to the ground about 2,000 feet from the approach end of runway 32. The left landing gear strut of the student pilots airplane was embedded in the right side of the private pilots airplane. A sun p…

At about 17:15 EDT, a Boeing Stearman E-75 and a Taylorcraft BC12-D collided while they were both landing on runway 28 at the Farmers Pride Airport. None of the three aboard the two planes was injured. Neither pilot saw the other airplane until the two collided just as the Taylorcraft was touching down. The pilot of the Stearman had 156 hours with 26 hours in make and model, and the pilot of the Taylorcraft had 158 hours with 9 hours in make and model….

At 10:55 MDT, a United Express Beech 1900D and a Beech King Air struck each other while taxiing at Denver International Airport. No one was hurt. The United Express flight had landed and the King Air was taxiing for takeoff. The United Express pilot said he saw the King Air on his left side and applied maximum braking and full right pedal. The captain said it did not appear to him that the King Air pilot either saw him or slowed. The King Air departed Denver prior to the arrival of an FAA inspector and attempts to contact the pilot have been unsuccessful….

At 13:20 PDT, a Cessna 172P and an RV-6A collided in mid-air about six miles east of Pangborn Memorial Airport. Both aircraft received minor damage but the two occupants of the Cessna and the pilot of the RV-6A were uninjured. The Cessna had departed from Wenatchee about one hour prior to the collision for the local instructional flight and the RV-6A had just taken off from Wenatchee. The Cessna was on the VOR-A approach to Wenatchee, inbound on the 285 degree radial and near the final approach fix. The instructor was just about to announce their location and intentions on the Unicom frequency. The pilot of the RV-6A reported that he had announced his departure from runway 30 on Unicom, made…

At approximately 11:30 MST, a Cessna 150E and a Cessna TU206F collided in mid-air four miles southwest of Vance Brand Airport. The two occupants of the 150 and the sole occupant of the 206 were uninjured. Both airplanes were approaching to land. The pilot of the 150 saw the 206 at a close distance and tried to avoid it, but the wingtips struck. Both airplanes were able to land safely….

At about 10:23 EST, a Piper PA-44-180 and a Piper PA-28-161, both on instructional flights, collided near the departure end of runway 5 at the Deland Municipal Airport. The pilot and instructor in each plane were killed. The Warrior, part of Embry-Riddles fleet, had received a VFR clearance from Daytona Beach controllers for a flight to Leesburg, but apparently began flying traffic patterns on runway 5 in Deland after radar service was terminated with Daytona Beach Tower. The Seminole also left Daytona Beach on a local IFR clearance to perform a practice VOR 23 approach at Deland, to be followed by NDB and ILS approaches. After the Seminole was cleared for the VOR approach, the pilot cancel…

At 13:29 EDT, a Cessna 337C and a Cessna 305C collided in mid-air while conducting flybys at an airshow at Harriman and West Airport. Both pilots were killed. The 337 was painted to resemble an O-2 US Air Force Vietnam era observation airplane and the 305 was painted to resemble a US Army L-19, a Korean war and Vietnam era training and observation airplane. The two airplanes were part of a flight of three. The 337 was restricted to a minimum altitude of 500 feet agl and the 305 was restricted from climbing above 200 feet agl. The 305 was paired with an O-59 World War II observation plane. The 337 had made one pass over the field and was coming around for a second pass when the airplane start…

At 15:10 PDT, a Waco UPF7 struck a Cessna 195 while taxiing for takeoff at the Jean airport. The Cessna 195 was on a taxiway holding short of runway 2L waiting for departure and the Waco UPF7 was taxiing to runway 2L for departure. No one was injured. The airport manager said the taxiway is too narrow for the Waco to effectively S-turn. The Waco struck the tail of the Cessna with its propeller….