Aviation Safety

The airplane was substantially damaged when it impacted terrain at 1605 Eastern time while maneuvering near Gladwin, Mich. The pilot was fatally injured. Visual conditions prevailed. Several witnesses reported seeing the airplane maneuvering over their position at a low altitude. The airplane was observed circling in a counterclockwise (left) direction prior to it descending into a wooded area. The airplanes wings quickly banked to the right and left just prior to the airplane descending vertically (nose down) into the trees.

While taxiing slowly in reduced visibility, on the taxiway centerline and using the taxi and landing lights, the pilot noticed a parked airplane to his right and applied brakes. The airplane yawed to the left and its right wing collided with the left side of the fuselage of a parked Cessna Citation. The pilot stopped the airplane, notified ground control that he had collided with another airplane and shut down.

At approximately 1115 Central time, the airplane was substantially damaged during a forced landing following a loss of engine power. The private pilot and sole occupant received serious injuries. Visual conditions prevailed. After reporting the loss of engine power, ATC cleared the pilot to land. A controller observed the airplane on short final with the landing gear still retracted. Before the controller could query the pilot about the landing gear, the pilot reported that he would not be able to land at the airport and maneuvered the airplane for an open field near the ramp of a major highway.

The aircraft was destroyed in a post-crash fire, and its commercial pilot and two passengers were fatally injured at 1315 Central time when the helicopter collided with trees and terrain after takeoff from a creek bed. Visual conditions prevailed. The helicopter was operating from a creek bed oriented approximately north/south. The creek bed was about 70 feet wide, with cliffs and tall trees on both banks. A four-strand set of power lines oriented approximately east/west crossed the creek about 125 feet above the water. Several witnesses stated that the power lines were discussed with the pilot, either one-on-one, or in groups. The pilot assured one witness “it was safe.”

At 0918 Pacific time, the airplane impacted trees about mile beyond its departure runway, coming to rest inverted in an open field. The airplane was destroyed. The commercial, instrument-rated pilot and the passenger were fatally injured. Instrument conditions prevailed for the flight to Visalia, Calif. Weather conditions at the time of the accident included calm winds were calm, mile visibility in fog and a ceiling of 100 feet. The FAAs data include a primary target dropping off the radar scope at 800 feet msl. The accident pilot was not the regular pilot for the company, but was named on the insurance policy as an approved pilot-in-command.

The airplane was substantially damaged during a forced landing at 1253 Eastern time. The commercial pilot was not injured; visual conditions prevailed. During a repositioning flight, the pilot noticed oil coming out of the engine. He decided to perform a forced landing to a field, during which the airplane impacted a tree, substantially damaging the right wing and fuselage. Examination revealed the engine crankshaft oil seal was partially dislodged, and protruding from the front of the engine case.

At 0855 Pacific time, the airplane impacted trees while maneuvering. The airline transport pilot and his two passengers received fatal injuries, and the aircraft was destroyed by the impact and a post-crash fire. The business flight was operating in an area of fog and low visibility.

The 79-hour solo student pilot later said he was on final approach at an indicated airspeed of 70 knots with the airplane configured with 20-degrees of flaps. After crossing over trees at the north end of the runway and while “still descending in a nose-down attitude…the airplane literally dropped out of the air.” The airplane struck the runway, collapsing the nose gear, and skidded approximately 900 feet before coming to rest on the main landing gear and the bottom of the engine cowling.

At 1937 Pacific time, the airplane experienced a loss of power and encountered rough terrain during a forced landing on the desert floor. The airplane sustained structural damage to the firewall and fuselage areas. The private pilot and one passenger were not injured. Visual conditions prevailed.

The airplane was destroyed upon impacting mountainous terrain while in a climb at approximately 1930 Pacific time. Both the left-seat and right-seat certificated airline transport pilots sustained fatal injuries. Visual dark night conditions prevailed. A local law enforcement helicopter pilot, who was on an aerial patrol mission at the time of the accident, subsequently reported observing an explosion in mountainous terrain southwest of Las Vegas. The pilot stated he flew directly to the impact area, which took approximately five to seven minutes.