Accident Probes

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….

At 14:00 EST, a Cessna 152 and a Cessna 140A collided during landing on runway 16 at the Clearwater Air Park. None of the three occupants was injured. The 152, which held a flight instructor and a student pilot, landed on runway 16 and was about 1,500 feet down the runway when the Cessna 140 landed on top of it….

At 09:50 PST, an amateur-built Questair Venture and a Bellanca 8GCBC collided near Sylmar, The Questair was maneuvering to land at Van Nuys, and the Bellanca was operating as a pipeline patrol flight and was orbiting over a construction site near the point of the collision. Both aircraft were in contact with the Van Nuys Air Traffic Control Tower. The pilot and passenger on each plane were killed. The Bellanca pilot contacted the Van Nuys control tower at 09:42, saying, Newhall Pass. Well be here for about five minutes. The tower approved the request and assigned a transponder code, which the pilot verified. The airplane was orbiting in left turns at 2,000 feet msl over a construction sit…

At about 14:30 EST, a Piper PA-28-236 and a Cessna 172M collided near Parkertown. None of the three occupants was injured. The pilot of the Piper said he was level at 3,300 feet and flying north when he felt a bump. He thought he hit a bird and returned to his departure airport, Lorain County Regional Airport. The airplane had a tire mark on top of the fuselage and damage to the vertical stabilizer. The pilot did not recall seeing the Cessna at all. The Cessna pilot said he departed from Sandusky, Ohio, and was climbing through 3,300 feet for 3,500 feet when he noticed a vertical fin just slightly to the right of the airplane. The pilot said there was no time to take evasive action. After im…

At 17:29 PST, a Cessna 172N and a Piper PA-28-140 collided in mid-air while in the traffic pattern at Palm Springs. The two instructors and three students involved were not injured. The Cessna had been cleared for closed right traffic on runway 31R and was in a turn from crosswind to downwind. The Piper had been cleared into the airport traffic area and told to report two miles out on a 45-degree entry to the downwind for runway 31R. The tower controller had advised the Cessna of a Piper inbound from the northwest, and the Piper had been told of two Cessnas in right closed traffic. The Piper failed to make a position report as instructed. The airplanes collided at about 1,500 feet msl opposi…

At 07:48 CST, a Cessna 182M and a Cessna 208B collided in mid-air near McAlester Regional Airport. The pilot of the 182 was killed but the pilot of the Caravan was not injured. The pilot of the 182 had elected to divert to McAlester after getting an in-flight weather report that called for icing along his route of flight. The Caravan was departing when the pilot heard the 182 pilot call Unicom for an airport advisory. The Caravan pilot gave him the winds and active runway and heard no further transmissions. The Caravan was departing the pattern on an extended downwind when he saw the 182 making what appeared to be a normal crosswind to downwind turn. The Caravan pilot rolled right and descen…

The world of charter pilots is different from that inhabited by those who fly for fun, people who use their planes for business travel, or even airline pilots.

Many are contract pilots who get paid when they make a trip, putting pressure on them to complete trips under almost any conditions. They may fly a variety of equipment in varying condition, despite Part 135 rules that may say otherwise.

Charter customers are a demanding lot. They expect airline-style performance with private plane-style convenience. They want to be on time, and they vote with their checkbooks.

With that kind of environment, the safety record of Part 135 passenger flights borders on remarkable. But like any o…

Pilots are a self-sufficient lot. The pilot in command has ultimate authority for the safety of the flight, and there are few pilots who can resist the slight smirk that comes with ultimate authority.

A skilled pilot has confidence in his or her ability to fly the airplane, certainly, but also to make the judgment calls that ensure the flight ends safely. But as experience increases, sometimes the judgment gets harder.

An interesting thing happens with a lot of pilots. As their skill improves, so does their equipment. A young pilot may think a set of wings, an engine and a fuselage just dandy. But as the logbook grows, so does the desire for more capability. For a pilot who likes to…