Aviation Safety

At 0740 eastern time, a Grumman AA-5B struck trees while on the ILS Rwy 33 approach at Johnstown-Cambria County Airport. The pilot was killed. The pilot was assigned a heading of 300 degrees to intercept the final approach course and instructed to maintain an altitude of 4,600 feet until established on the approach. He reported he was established on the approach and contacted the tower. He made two routine transmissions but reported no problems. Analysis of the airplanes radar track showed it was 100 feet above glideslope when it reached a position 6.7 miles from the initial approach fix, which itself was 6.7 miles from the runway. It began a descent of 850 feet per minute and struck a ridg…

At about 1645 Alaska time, a Beech V35B crashed about a half-mile from Skagway Airport after the pilot lost control on initial climb. The pilot and two passengers were killed. Witnesses said the airplane departed runway 02 and then began a tight, climbing left turn. The direction of the turn placed the airplane near rising terrain. The airplane then descended nose down into the trees in an area about 220 feet higher than airport elevation. The Airport/Facility Directory warns that, upon departing runway 02 that pilots should maintain runway heading for a half mile for noise abatement purposes. Wind at the time was 040 at 13 knots….

At 0749 eastern time, a Piper PA-32-300 crashed while making an instrument approach into Seamans Field. The pilot and passenger were killed. The pilot was cleared for the VOR-A instrument approach at Seamans Field, which requires a 600-foot ceiling and a 1-mile visibility. Witnesses said the weather was extremely foggy, with visibility less than 50 feet. The airplane flew over the airport at a very low altitude and crashed. They said there was no indication the pilot attempted to add power for a missed approach until after the first sound of the airplane hitting a tree. The last entry in the pilots logbook had been made more than a year earlier….

At approximately 1430 Pacific time, an amateur-built Kitfox Lite Squared crashed near the southeast end of runway 13 at Homedale Municipal Airport. The pilot was not injured. The aircraft had received its temporary experimental airworthiness certificate on the morning of the accident, and this was to be its first flight. The pilot initiated the takeoff on runway 13 with a left quartering tailwind of at least 10 knots. The pilot said he did this to avoid taking off over a nearby residential area. He said the aircraft sank/mushed to the ground shortly after takeoff….

At 1505 eastern time, a Bombardier Canadair CL600-2B19 experienced smoke in the cockpit shortly after takeoff from Charleston International Airport. The flight diverted to Raleigh Durham International Airport, in Raleigh, North Carolina, and landed without further incident. No one was injured. The crew said they pushed back from the gate in heavy rain and departed. They were cruising at 27,000 feet when they heard a thump. The autopilot disengaged, and all six flight and navigational screens went blank. Power came back on almost immediately and all six screens illuminated. Examination of the avionics and electronics bay found black soot on the wire bundles and relays….

At about 1430 eastern time, a Cessna 172RG, N9673B, was substantially damaged while landing at Floyd Bennett Memorial Airport. The pilot and two passengers were not injured. The pilot said he was on approach to runway 19, when he encountered a thunderstorm cell and was advised by another pilot to use runway 30. The pilot said he made the approach at about 75 to 80 knots in anticipation of crosswinds or wind shear. He said that he was touching down when he encountered a wind gust that picked up the left wing, causing the airplane to land hard. The airplane sustained damage to the propeller, firewall, nose gear and lower portions of the fuselage….

At 1448 eastern time, a Boeing PT-17 struck trees while the pilot and passenger were performing an operational check of airframe-mounted cameras near Franklin Macon County Airport. The pilot was killed and the passenger suffered serious injuries. A witness said he saw the airplane flying in the valley below his vantage point on his balcony. He stated that the engine was missing and back-firing….

At 1727 central time, a Cessna 172 and a Piper PA-28-181 collided in mid-air near Lake Elmo. The flight instructor in the Cessna was killed and the student pilot received serious injuries. The pilot and passenger in the Piper were killed. The Cessna had departed the Downtown St. Paul Airport on an instructional flight and was en route to Lake Elmo Airport. The Piper departed the South St. Paul Municipal Airport and was en route to Silver Bay, Minnesota….

At 1930 central time, a Cessna 182 nosed over while landing on runway 36 at the Cady Aerial Airport. The pilot suffered minor injuries. The pilot had released four parachute jumpers at 11,000 feet and was planning to refuel at Cady. The wind was reported as 230 at 3 knots, so the pilot concluded either end of the runway would work. He extended his downwind to lose altitude, but he was still high and fast on final. The airplane landed approximately halfway down the 2,500-foot runway, overran the end of the runway, and nosed over. The pilot said he should have performed a go-around….

At 1540 eastern time, a Beech 1900D operating as a U.S. Airways Express flight, crashed into water near Yarmouth, killing the two pilots aboard. The flight was a nonrevenue positioning flight. The flight departed runway 24 at Hyannis, destined for Albany, N.Y., and the crew reported a runaway trim. The airplane climbed in a left turn to about 1,100 feet and the controller cleared the pilots to land on any runway. Witnesses observed the airplane in a left turn, with a nose-up attitude. The airplane then pitched nose-down, and impacted the water at an approximate 30-degree angle. The flight data recorded showed the airplanes pitch trim was 2 degrees negative at takeoff and then reached a 7-de…