Aviation Safety

At about 1010 Mountain time, the airplanes pilot executed a forced landing following a loss of engine power. The solo student pilot was not injured; the airplane sustained substantial damage to its left wing. Visual conditions prevailed. After a seventh touch-and-go, and on the upwind leg after reaching 400-500 feet agl, the engine quit. The student attempted to restart the engine but was unsuccessful. During the forced landing onto a dirt field the outboard section of the left wing was damaged.

The pilot had just completed practice for his air show performance and was landing. The pilot stated he landed fast and while braking to make an intersection, the brakes became hot and the right brake began to fade. The airplane began to track to the left and the pilot steered the airplane between two taxi lights. The airplane impacted a taxiway sign, breaking the lower right inboard spar.

At about 1541 Mountain time, the airplane experienced a total loss of engine power while cruising. The pilot diverted to the nearest airport but was forced to land in an open field. The airplane nosed over during rollout and was substantially damaged. The commercial pilot and passenger sustained minor injuries. Visual conditions prevailed. According to the pilot, he departed Boise with a total of 89 gallons of fuel. Upon landing in Pocatello, 57 gallons of fuel remained. Prior to departing for the return to Boise, he added 20 gallons of fuel to the airplane. Only about two gallons of fuel were found in the tanks.

The airplanes rotating propeller struck and injured a deplaning passenger at about 1138 Central time. The airplane received minor damage; the passenger was seriously injured and the pilot, who was the only other person remaining on board, was not injured. Visual conditions prevailed. Witnesses at the scene said the airplane had just returned from a flight where three parachutists had jumped from the airplane. The passenger had been aboard to observe the jump operations. The airplane was stationary on the taxiway with its engine operating when the passenger exited the right door, walked forward and was struck by the propeller.

At 1411 Central time, the airplane collided with terrain while performing aerobatic maneuvers. The airline transport pilot and passenger were fatally injured. Visual conditions prevailed. A witness reported the airplane performing a hammerhead-type maneuver. The witness reported a second maneuver was performed from which the airplane did not recover. The witness reported the engine sputtered and sounded like it went to idle as the airplane spun toward the terrain.

The airplane was destroyed at about 1121 Pacific time when it descended into terrain. Visual conditions prevailed. The private pilot and passenger were killed. A witness observed an airplane matching the make and model of the accident airplane make two high and fast approaches to land. After the second approach, the pilot initiated another go-around, which the witness described as employing a pitch attitude of about 45 degrees and left bank angle of about 60 degrees. The witness lost sight of the airplane seconds later but, a few minutes later, observed the crashed airplane next to the road on which he was driving.

At about 1630 Mountain time, the airplane was destroyed by fire while standing following unsuccessful attempts to start its engine. The private pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured. Visual conditions existed. The pilot was unsuccessful at his first five attempts to start the hot engine. Before the sixth attempt, the pilot observed smoke from the left engine cowling, followed by fire. An airport operations supervisor stated, after one or two minutes, “…the aircraft engine starter engaged and the engine began to run at a fairly high RPM, well above idle power.

The airplane was substantially damaged at about 1845 Mountain time, following a forced landing and impact with a tractor-trailer after a reported loss of engine power. The private pilot, his two passengers, and the tractor-trailer driver were not injured. Visual conditions prevailed. Shortly after takeoff, while troubleshooting a landing gear retraction problem, the pilot noticed airspeed was decreasing “like the engine wasnt producing full power.” The pilot elected to land on an Interstate highway. The airplane impacted a tractor-trailer with its left wing, coming to rest in an upright position. There was no post-crash fire.

The airplane was substantially damaged during a forced landing at about 1000 Central time, following a loss of engine power after takeoff. The solo airline transport pilot sustained minor injuries. Visual conditions prevailed. Shortly after takeoff, the engine began to “run rough, as if it had a fouled plug.” While turning to downwind the engine began to “shake violently,” and RPM and altitude were decreasing. The pilot selected a field and performed a soft-field landing, during which the airplane nosed over and came to rest in an inverted position.

At 0431 Pacific time, the airplane impacted a hill shortly after departure. The solo commercial pilot was killed and the airplane was substantially damaged. Instrument conditions prevailed; an IFR flight plan had been filed and a clearance had been issued. Recorded radar data was consistent with the airplane making a shallow left bank and gradually increasing in altitude towards the east. The target was first identified at a Mode C reported altitude of 100 feet msl. During the next minute, radar returns disclosed a gradual ascent to 1000 feet msl; the last two returns show an altitude of 900 feet and a slight change of direction to the south.