Aviation Safety

When one pilot goofs, a mistake can cascade through the whole pattern

The following information is derived from the FAAs Service Difficulty Reports and Aviation Maintenance Alerts.

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The FAA is encouraging owners of turbocharged Mooneys to inspect the V-band clamps attached to the turbochargers.The FAAs special airworthiness information bulletin cites a recent fatal accident of a Mooney M20M Bravo in which the tailpipe apparently separated from the turbochargers, allowing hot exhaust gases to be expelled into the engine compartment. The pilot reported smoke and fire in the cockpit before the aircraft crashed short of the airport, killing both aboard.Mooney recommends replacing the multi-segmented V-band clamps at 2,000 hours – the engines T…

Your July article Fat and Happy touches a subject aviation writers dont dare discuss publicly but is a fact of flying life. I have been flying for 27 years, logging 2,000-plus hours. I own a Cessna Turbo 206 and a Ram Series VII Cessna 414A.

I have always followed the POH when it comes to loading an airplane and very seldom overload. On those occasions when I have done it, I follow this personal strict criteria:

1) Never go beyond 1 percent, a maximum of 2 percent, which in the case of the 414 is around 70 to 140 pounds, which will be burned in the first 30 minutes.

2) Never exceed aft cg limits.

3) Never exceed zero fuel weight.

4) Never even consider the possibility of u…

At 1130 eastern time, an amateur-built RV-6A flipped over during an aborted takeoff from Malcolm McKinnon Airport. The pilot suffered minor injuries. The pilot said the right control stick was secured with the passenger seat belt, acting as a gust lock. He took off without removing the belt from the stick….

At approximately 2100 Pacific time, a Cessna R182 struck terrain following an aborted takeoff at Crest Airpark. The flight instructor, pilot and passenger were not injured. The pilot was undergoing transition training to fly complex airplanes. During takeoff after the first touch and go, the flaps failed to retract and the airplane would not climb. The flight instructor attempted to land on the remaining runway, but the landing gear did not extend completely. The airplane had a documented history of the flaps not cycling correctly, including on the flight prior to the accident flight. The flaps cycled normally during an initial inspection after the airplane was recovered….

At approximately 1145 mountain time, a Cessna R172E suffered a damaged wing while taxiing when it was knocked over by jet blast from a DC-9. The student pilot was not injured. The pilot was taxiing to the runway at Albuquerque International Airport when an American Airlines jet was cleared for taxi from Gate B1. As the DC-9 added engine power for taxi, the jet blast struck the Cessna and the wing spar was bent when the wing struck the ground….

At approximately 2115 mountain time, a Mooney M20C suffered a gear collapse while taxiing for take off at Boise Air Terminal/Gowan Field. The pilot and passenger were not injured. The pilot said he was taxiing for takeoff and approaching the end of the taxiway prior to turning onto the runway. He reduced power and the nose gear and left main gear collapsed without warning. The pilot also reported that the nose landing gear had collapsed after engine shutdown about two months earlier, but the reason for the nose gear collapse had not been determined….

At 0940 mountain time, a Cessna T210N was damaged during an in-flight fire while in cruise flight near Tribune. The pilot diverted to Tribune Municipal Airport and landed without further incident. The pilot reported the airplane had been in the air for more than 2.5 hours when the nose wheel suddenly extended. He diverted to Tribune and landed, but did not notice any evidence of fire until a postflight inspection revealed the cowling around the turbocharger had been consumed by fire….

At about 1100 central time, a Grumman AA-5B crashed on the runway during an aborted landing at David Wayne Hooks Memorial Airport. The pilot and passenger were not injured. The pilot said he was cleared to land behind a helicopter, which he recognized as a military CH-47 Chinook. After the Chinook landed on the numbers, the tower instructed the helicopter to air taxi to the helipads. The pilot mentioned to his passenger that they would land long to avoid rotor-wash, aiming for the IFR touch down blocks a thousand feet south of the numbers. At approximately 20 feet above the runway, the airplane encountered turbulence and the left wing violently dipped down, the left main gear hit the ground,…

At 1315 eastern time, a Cessna 205 crashed just after takeoff from Greensburg Jeannette Regional Airport, killing the pilot and three skydivers and leaving a fourth skydiver seriously injured. Witnesses said the engine began to sputter when the airplane was about a quarter mile from the runway. The pilot apparently tried to execute a turn back to land in the opposite direction, but the engine stopped sputtering and the turn was continued until the airplane was perpendicular to the runway. The airplane began to climb, then the engine ceased and the airplane crashed into trees. Examination of the wreckage found the fuel in the tanks, lines and boost pump was contaminated. The operator had been…