Aviation Safety

Like the audiences they serve, magazines are entities that are-or should be-in constant motion. How and what subscribers think about the articles theyre interested in reading in a monthly magazine arent fixed objects anchored on a distant horizon. Opinions change, viewpoints shift, tastes and inclinations evolve but throughout, theres one constant: For the readers of this magazine, the need for practical, timely information about flying airplanes safely never changes.

And that, in a nutshell, is and always has been the mission of Aviation Safety. It will now continue under the able guidance of a new editor, Joseph E. (Jeb) Burnside, a name many avid readers of aviation publications wil…

At 1123 mountain time, a Cessna T206H struck terrain during cruise flight near Walcott. The pilot was killed, but one passenger received minor injuries and one escaped uninjured. Instrument conditions prevailed at the accident site. The flight was on a VFR flight plan and the pilot had just received an IFR flight plan. The flight had originated at Broomfield, Colo., about an hour and a half earlier, and was en route to Jackson Hole, Wyo. The pilot was given an IFR clearance as the airplane neared Medicine Bow VOR, with the instruction to follow V-6, the 252 radial outbound from the VOR. However, as the airplane crossed the VOR it diverged south. An ELT signal was received 17 minutes later. O…

At 1245 eastern time, a Piper PA-28-161 taxied unoccupied into a parked airplane at Summerville Airport. The pilot suffered minor injuries and both airplanes were damaged. The pilot said he was preparing to deliver the airplane to Columbia, S.C., for avionics work. When he engaged the starter it made a spinning noise but would not turn the engine over. The pilot set the parking brake and attempted to hand prop the airplane. The engine started and the airplane began to move forward. The pilot climbed onto the wing to enter the cockpit but slipped and fell to the ground. He grabbed the outside of the airplane and was dragged across the ramp as he attempted to gain access to the cockpit. When h…

At 1100 eastern time, a Cessna 150F lost power on initial climb from Suffolk Municipal Airport. The pilot was not injured. The pilot said he had just taken off when the engine lost total power. The pilot performed a forced landing to a wooded area, where the airplane collided with trees. Examination of the engine revealed that the number four cylinder had separated at the mid-point on the barrel. The engine had been overhauled in 1994 and had accumulated about 800 hours of operation since then….

At 1945 eastern time, a Piper PA-32-260 struck trees and a snowbank while on approach to land at Perkiomen Valley Airport. The pilot and passenger were not injured. Night visual meteorological conditions prevailed and an IFR flight plan had been filed. The pilot said he was on final approach for runway 29 when the right wing apparently struck one or more limbs of a tree. The pilot continued toward the runway and struck an object at the end of the runway, shearing off the right landing gear. The pilot applied power and continued to fly down the runway to observe further obstructions. He then returned to land on runway 09. As the airplane touched down, it swerved off the right side of the…

Approximately 1412 central time, a Beech BE-23 lost engine power and was damaged in the forced landing that followed. The pilot was not injured. The pilot said he made a left downwind departure from runway 17 at Mena Intermountain Municipal Airport and climbed to 2,000 feet agl when the engine stopped producing power. The pilot attempted to re-start the engine, but was unsuccessful. He turned left and aligned the airplane with the runway while descending. The pilot flew along the length of the runway, but never landed. As the airplane approached the end of the runway, he aligned the airplane with a taxiway, but decided to turn and land in an open clearing, where it struck trees and power lin…

At 0950 Pacific time, a Lancair LC42-550FG operated by Lancair as a business flight, veered off the runway during the landing roll at Roberts Field and collided with a taxi sign. The pilot, flight instructor and two passengers were not injured. The flight departed from Bend, Oregon, about 10 minutes prior to the accident. The pilot said he flared about four feet above the runway and the stall warning horn sounded. He chopped the power and the aircraft rapidly descended to the runway. The pilot then applied full power and the aircraft veered to the left. The flight instructor got on the controls in an attempt to regain runway heading. The flight instructor called for the pilot to reduce pow…

At about 2216 central time, a Beech J35 crashed when the pilot lost control during a missed approach about 14 miles north-northwest of Pensacola Regional Airport. The pilot was killed. The non-instrument-rated pilot departed New Smyrna Beach, Fla., on an IFR flight plan at about 1920 eastern time and was en route to New Orleans. The pilot contacted Pensacola Approach about three hours later and requested an amendment to his flight plan. The pilot reported he had a fuel situation and needed to land at Pensacola. The flight was given priority handling and the pilot reported he could not get to fuel in a tip tank. The pilot made three tries at an ILS approach but could not become establishe…

At 1400 central time, an American Champion 8GCBC struck a ditch and nosed over while landing on a gravel road near Sunburg. The pilot was not injured. The pilot said the purpose of the flight was to take aerial photographs of some Minnesota farms. While in cruise, he got the sudden urge to use the bathroom and selected a gravel road to land on. The pilot stated that during landing rollout he noticed a sign on the left side of the road and he maneuvered to the right to avoid it, causing the right wheel to go into the ditch….