Aviation Safety

The Piper Navajo was substantially damaged after an explosion in its right wing during a takeoff attempt. No one among the Airline Transport-rated pilot or the six passengers aboard were injured. The pilot later told investigators that, about 700 feet into the takeoff roll, the left engine seemed to lose a little manifold pressure, and the pilot aborted the takeoff. While decreasing power during the aborted takeoff, the outboard section of the right wing exploded. The airplane was stopped on the runway, and its occupants evacuated. Examination revealed that the upper and lower portions of the outboard wing skin had separated from the wing structure. All wiring routed though the wing sectio…

After being cleared to descend from 8000 feet, the Piper Seminole collided with mountainous terrain while in cruise. Night VMC prevailed for the IFR flight from Phoenix Deer Valley to McClellan-Palomar Airport, Carlsbad, Calif.; both private pilots were fatally injured and the airplane was destroyed. Traveling west and approaching the Julian VOR, the airplane descended to 5200 feet in response to an ATC instruction. The airplane subsequently impacted trees on a 5500-foot ridgeline, 668 feet southeast of the Julian VOR….

At about 0700 local time, the Piper Seminole collided with terrain. The CFI, a certificated Private pilot receiving instruction and one passenger sustained fatal injuries; the airplane was destroyed. Maneuvers scheduled for the flight included power-on and -off stalls, slow-flight maneuvering, engine shutdown and feathering procedures, single-engine maneuvering and a Vmc demonstration, as well as approaches and landings. Witnesses reported that they saw the airplane rotating as it descended. One witness described its descent as a falling leaf. The operating arms of both main gear actuators were extended, which the airframe manufacturers representative said corresponded to the gear-down po…

At approximately 2040 local time, a Cessna 170B and a Cessna 210J collided in-flight. The 170B had departed Roseburg, Ore., en route to Vashon Island, Wash.; the 210J took off from Camas, Wash., with Paine Field, Everett, Wash., as its planned desitnation. There was one occupant onboard each aircraft. The Commercial pilot of the Cessna 210J was fatally injured; the Private pilot of the Cessna 170B sustained minor injuries. According to the FAA, both pilots received weather briefings but neither had requested or were receiving ATC services at the time of the collision. The 170Bs pilot later reported that he never saw the other airplane. A witness saw the two accident aircraft coming togeth…

The Twin Comanche was destroyed and both persons aboard fatally injured when the airplane impacted terrain while conducting a nighttime VOR/DME approach to Runway 23 at Uinta County-Burns Field, Evanston, Wyo. A pop-up IFR flight plan had been filed over Heber City, Utah; the flight originated at Panaca, Nev. At 2112 local time, the airplanes last position was 1 miles west of the airport at 7700 feet. At 2340, after ATC alerted local authorities that the flight plan had not been closed, airport personnel located the airplane approximately 150 yards northeast of Runway 23. Reported weather at the time of the accident included visibility 1 statute mile, light snow, mist; scattered clouds at…

The Mooney collided with trees and sank in a lake while attempting its third approach to Raleigh Durham International Airport (RDU) in IMC. The sole occupants, a Private pilot and passenger, died in the crash. After two attempts at the ILS Runway 5R approach, controllers offered to divert the flight to nearby Greensboro, N.C. However, the pilot attempted the approach again, and on the third try crashed into trees short of the runway, coming to rest in the lake….

The unregistered Experimental, flown by a noncertificated pilot, collided with power lines and trees during a nighttime low pass down Runway 21 at Mathis Airport in Cumming, Ga. The flight departed Mountain Airport, Cleveland, Ga., at 2015 local time. The unlighted runway was illuminated with car headlights. The airplane passed over the runway twice and on the third low pass was observed to almost hit the airports wind sock. Banking left in a northeast direction to avoid the windsock, the airplane appeared to stall and witnesses lost sight of it….

At about 1400 local time, the twin-engine floatplane was substantially damaged after colliding with trees while on approach to Massapoag Lake in Sharon, Mass. The solo Private pilot was fatally injured. According to the FAA, the pilot diverted to Massapoag Lake for unknown reasons. While on approach, the airplane struck trees and impacted a swamp area. Wind reported at a nearby airport was from 13 knots with gusts to 20 knots….

At 0724 local time, the twin turboprop destroyed when it impacted trees and terrain in Ferndale, Md., while approaching Baltimore-Washington International Airport. The solo ATP flying the non-scheduled cargo flight under FAR Part 135 was fatally injured. Visual conditions prevailed for the IFR flight from Philadelphia. At 0721, with the flight about 10 nm northeast of the airport, the pilot was cleared to land. Radar returns show the airplane continued on a westerly track, north of the airport, bypassing the approach end of Runway 33R consistent with a modified downwind for Runway 15L, and descended to 700 feet. Just prior to the Runway 15L abeam position, the airplane began a left turn. One…

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