Aviation Safety

The wheel-equipped airplane sustained substantial damage when it collided with the ice-covered surface of Lake Clark and sank at about 1110 Alaska time. The Commercial pilot and one passenger sustained minor injuries; the remaining three passengers received fatal injuries. Instrument conditions prevailed at the accident site. The accident pilot later reported there were no mechanical problems with the airplane. He related he was flying low, a few hundred feet above the lake in blowing snow and whiteout conditions, when the airplane collided with the surface of the lake. The accident airplane sank in water estimated at 800 feet deep….

At 1812 Eastern time, the airplane descended into a rock quarry while maneuvering for a forced landing. Visual conditions prevailed; the pilot reported minor injuries, and the airplane was substantially damaged. According to the pilot, at an attitude of approximately 2000 feet, and five miles out from Runway 20, the engine began to lose power. The pilot switched from the left main fuel tank to the right one. Engine power was regained for a brief moment and then started to decrease again. The pilot switched from the right main tank to the auxiliary tip tanks, and noted no increase in engine power….

The airplane was substantially damaged during a runway excursion while landing at 1446 Eastern time. Visual conditions prevailed; there were no injuries. The pilot later reported a right crosswind during approach and landing. He stated the landing was normal, on centerline and that touchdown was at the 1000-foot runway markings. As the nose lowered the aircraft veered sharply to the left. He reportedly held full right rudder and right aileron but the aircraft did not respond. The aircraft departed the left side of the runway, struck a runway light and came to rest in the muddy grass area next to the runway pavement. A post-accident inspection did not reveal any anomalies with the nose wh…

At about 1530 Central time, the airplane was destroyed after colliding with terrain while maneuvering. The Commercial pilot and passenger received fatal injuries. Visual conditions prevailed. Witnesses reported the the pilot had been doing aerobatics. One witness said the airplane pulled out of a loop, rolled abruptly left, and then dove into the ground….

February 1, 2005, Shallotte, N.C.
Cessna T210M
At 1857 Eastern time, the airplane collided with trees and power lines in the vicinity of Shallotte, N.C., while maneuvering during a forced landing. Visual conditions prevailed. The airplane was destroyed, and there was a posr-crash fire. The Private pilot reported minor injuries; the Private pilot-rated passenger was fatally injured. The flight originated from Atlantic City, New Jersey, on February 1, 2005, at 1615. The airplane had been in cruise flight at 3000 feet, receiving flight following from ATC, when engine power decreased to idle. As the pilot was making a Mayday call, he lost sight of a highway on which he plan…

A rusty pilot attempts to ferry a twin with fuel-system and propeller problems.

Exercising care in your flying involves more than just setting personal limits or adhering to the FARs. Being a careful pilot should be a frame of mind.

An airplanes dynamic stability can have a major impact on whether it makes a good instrument platform. Heres how you can measure yours.

It was Thanksgiving week, a few years ago. The plan was to fly our Piper Arrow from Bowling Green, Ky., (BWG) to Atlantas Dekalb-Peachtree (PDK) to pick up a friend, then to Gatlinburg, Tenn., (GKT) for two others, and return home. It seemed like a neat little plan, easily done using a well-mantained, trusted and reliable airplane.

The forecast was for light rain all day, with temperatures dropping to 33 degrees F after overnight; ceilings around 800 feet. My plan was to be back home by 1800 local, well before the cold front was supposed to move in. I filed for PDK at 7000 feet and took off at 1300 local in light rain. I was on the gauges the whole way, with a 15-knot headwind.

Checki…

One of the things about aviation that never ceases to amaze is the professionalism with which most participants try to treat each other. There are always exceptions, of course, but most people involved in this industry seem to enjoy themselves and work hard to do their jobs well and help others. Until a recent flight in the Washington, D.C., area where I base, I would have put the men and women of ATC in that category.

The bubble burst for me one clear, windy Saturday in February. I base my Debonair at the Manassas, Va., airport (HEF), a towered facility nestled completely within the Washington Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ). Ive been flying from HEF since 1978, and Ive watched…