Aviation Safety

At 2041 mountain time, a Swearingen SA226TC was damaged in a gear-up landing on runway 35L at Denver International Airport. The two pilots were not injured. The crew lowered the landing gear selector in preparation for landing and heard the familiar sound of the gear extended, but the red transition lights remained illuminated, which they said had been a recurring problem with this airplane. They cycled the landing gear but it did not solve the problem as it had in the past. They said they were confident the landing gear was extended because the hydraulic pressure gauge indicated 2,000 pounds….

At 0325 mountain time, a Mitsubishi MU-2B-60 was damaged when it struck runway lights during its takeoff roll on runway 35 at Salt Lake City International Airport. The pilot was not injured. The pilot said he was cleared for takeoff and used the left runway edge lights to align the airplane, due to reduced visibility from a rain shower. During the roll the airplane destroyed 15 to 20 lights and the left engine, cowling and propeller were damaged, as well as the pressure vessel….

At approximately 1400 Pacific time, a Cessna 150 suffered a loss on control on takeoff from a private airstrip near Coos Bay, seriously injuring the student pilot and his passenger. The pilots son, who witnessed the accident, said he thought the pilot would abort the takeoff because it sounded like the power was being reduced. The son added that then the power increased, but the airplane rotated at too slow an airspeed….

At 1215 mountain time, a Christen Industries Pitts S-2B crashed in a field three miles north of Longmont, killing the pilot and passenger. Witnesses said the airplane was in a vertical climb, ran out of airspeed, nosed over and came down in a spiral. They also reported hearing the engine surging, then fail. The airplane had departed about 2:15 earlier, and the endurance of a Pitts S-2B with full tanks is about 1.7 hours, but there was no preliminary information about a fuel stop….

At about 1830 eastern time, a Cessna 172K struck trees during the takeoff roll from McCardle Farm Airport. The student pilot was not injured. The pilot said he applied full power and the airplane yawed left, departed the left side of the runway, went down an embankment, and struck several trees. The students last 90-day endorsement was approximately 1 year before the accident. He flew five to 10 hours a year, with the majority of his flying out of the accident airport. His last flight was in October 2002, when he flew about an hour, and completed five takeoff and landings at the accident airport. His last medical certificate was issued 3 years and 7 months before the accident….

At 0800 central time, a Robinson R-22 Beta rolled over during takeoff from Ardmore Downtown Executive Airport. The pilot and passenger were not injured. The pilot said a Cessna 172 was parked approximately 30 feet behind the helicopter and faced the opposite direction. As the helicopter lifted off, the Cessna 172s engine started, and the pilot feels that this caused the loss of control on takeoff….

At 1515 central time, a Cessna 150 crashed while chasing a bank robber near Trenton. The pilot was seriously injured and the passenger was not injured. The pilot was assisting the local police in tracking a bank robber. During the observation flight, the robber was tracked to an open field near the airport. The pilot entered a steep turn in an effort to corral the bank robber into a confined area until ground personnel were on site. As the pilot continued the maneuver, he encountered a wind gust and was unable to recover before the airplane collided with the ground….

At about 1630 eastern time, a Beech A36 crashed shortly after takeoff from James A. Rhodes Airport, killing the flight instructor and owner taking instruction. The accident flight occurred during a Beechcraft Pilot Proficiency Program. The pilot had attended an all-day ground school the day prior to the accident and was scheduled for a flight period from 1300-1700 with the instructor. Witnesses said the airplane departed from runway 01 and made a simulated emergency turnback to land on runway 19. The pilot backtaxied and reported he would make the same maneuver again. During the second maneuver, the airplane suddenly pitched down and spiraled to the ground. Another pilot who flew with the in…

At 1330 eastern time, an amateur-built Quickie Q-200 crashed while the pilot was attempting the airplanes first flight. The pilot was killed. The pilot had performed several hours of high-speed taxi runs with the accident airplane before the day of the accident. The accident flight was the first flight. Witnesses said the airplane departed from the 5,504-foot runway, climbed to about 30 feet and began to porpoise. It descended to the runway, bounced back into the air, touched down hard again, then veered off the runway, rolled inverted and burst into flame….

Right or wrong, pilots fly over gross every day. Heres how to avoid turning an overweight takeoff into a smoking crater