Aviation Safety

First of all, I have subscribed to your magazine for years and enjoy it a lot. It usually gets read from cover to cover by my wife and me (both pilots). However, in the May issue (which Im just getting around to reading) the article on electrical failures wasnt up to your standards, in my opinion. It seemed to make things more complex than necessary, wasnt as clearly written as it could have been, but most importantly, had several important errors. Even the title-“When the Sparks Stop”-was misleading. The only sparks that should occur in an airplane are in the spark plugs.

The airplane was substantially damaged at approximately 0715 Mountain time upon impacting terrain while maneuvering to land. The private pilot was fatally injured, one passenger was seriously injured and one passenger sustained minor injuries. Visual conditions prevailed.

At 1933 Eastern time, the airplane was substantially damaged when it impacted trees and terrain shortly after takeoff. The commercial pilot sustained serious injuries; the flight instructor was killed. Visual conditions existed for the instrument proficiency check.

The airplane was substantially damaged during a forced landing on a vacant football field at about 2039 Eastern time on a Part 135 on-demand cargo flight. The commercial pilot was not injured. Night visual conditions prevailed.

The airplane was substantially damaged at noon local time when it impacted terrain during a forced landing. The private pilot was not injured. Visual conditions prevailed.

During an aerial application flight, the pilot was making a spray pass at approximately three feet above the crop. During the pass the engine sputtered and died. He entered an autorotation and attempted to slow from 50 mph. The aircraft impacted terrain and came to rest on its side.

The airplane was substantially damaged at about 1627 Pacific time during a forced landing following a loss of engine power during cruise flight. The private pilot sustained minor injuries and a flight instructor was seriously injured. Visual conditions prevailed.

At about 1354 Mountain time, the airplane was substantially damaged when it impacted a high school building during takeoff initial climb. Visual conditions prevailed. The private pilot and three passengers were killed. There were no reported ground injuries.

The aircraft descended and impacted terrain at 2018 Pacific time while in an airport traffic pattern. The private pilot and his passenger were killed, and the airplane was substantially damaged. Visual conditions prevailed.

The two gliders were involved in a midair collision at 1533 Mountain time. Neither pilot was injured. Both pilots were the sole occupants of their respective gliders. The Ash 26E sustained substantial damage, but the Ventus 2CT was not damaged. Both pilots were operating in visual conditions. Both gliders departed Parowan about three hours prior to the collision, and Parowan was the planned final destination for both pilots.