Aviation Safety

At about 1220 eastern time, a Cessna 402B ditched in the Atlantic Ocean approximately 10 miles from Marathon Airport. The pilot sustained minor injuries. The pilot was returning to Tamiami Airport from Havana, Cuba, on a Part 135 flight when he detected a strong smell of fuel in the cabin. The airplane instruments did not indicate a problem, but a few minutes later he smelled burning and noticed a small fire on top of the right engine cowling. He secured the engine. The smell of fuel worsened and the left engine started missing and sputtering and he ditched the airplane. He was rescued by a boat after being in the water for about 20 minutes….

At about 1700 eastern time, a Beech A45 (civilian T-34 Mentor) overran the runway while landing at the Merritt Island Airport. The pilot and passenger were not injured. The pilot said he reduced power and descended from 3,000 feet in anticipation of landing. At around 2,000 feet, oil and grease covered the windscreen and the propeller separated. He slipped the airplane to lose altitude and to see the runway. The aircraft touched down at around the midpoint of the runway and was going too fast to stop before it rolled off the end of the runway and into a ditch. Postcrash examination of the aircraft showed both propeller blades were missing and the propeller hub was still attached to the engin…

At about 1542 eastern time, a Cessna 182P crashed while landing at Mallory Airport. The pilot was seriously injured and the passenger was killed. The pilot was landing with ATIS reporting the wind as 160 at nine knots. In addition, the pilot noted steam from a stack northwest of the airport indicating the wind was calm below 1,500 feet msl, despite stronger winds aloft. The pilot made traffic for runway 33 and was flaring for landing when the airplane yawed hard to the left. The pilot compensated with rudder and one wheel touched down. The pilot decided to abort the landing and applied full power, but the airplane hit trees off the departure end of the runway. Landings at the airport are res…

At about 1611 Pacific time, a Luscombe T-8F hit the ground during an attempted go-around after the pilot aborted landing at Gillespie Field. Neither pilot on board was injured. Both pilots possessed flight instructor certificates. The accident pilot said his son, the other pilot, had performed three takeoffs and landings in the traffic pattern. During rollout on the fourth landing, the accident pilot pulled the control stick aft to lower the tailwheel. The airplane veered left, directional control was lost, and the airplane collided with a taxiway sign. Thereafter, the pilot applied full power to go around. The airplane veered right, exited the right side of the runway, and became airborne….

At about 0830 Pacific time, a Cessna 172N struck mountains near Ely. The pilot and one passenger were killed. The nearest reporting station, 29 miles from the accident site, was reporting day VFR conditions, but weather at the accident site has not been determined. The operator reported that the pilot was taking a passenger to Little River and planned to return to Rifle the following day. When the flight did not arrive as scheduled, the family alerted the FAA. Authorities received an ELT signal in the vicinity of Ely and rescue personnel located the wreckage two days later in mountainous terrain about 9,000 feet msl. About four feet of snow covered the airplane….

At 1150 eastern time, a Cessna 150J was damaged during a takeoff from Williamson-Sodus Airport. The pilot was not injured. The pilot said about three inches of new snow had fallen at the airport and he could not see the runway centerline due to the snow coverage. He applied full power for the takeoff and during the takeoff roll, the airplanes left main landing gear caught the edge of a snow bank and the airplane veered off the left side of the runway….

At about 1105 eastern time, a Piper PA-44-180 was damaged when it hit a snowbank during takeoff from Wings Field Airport. The pilot and passenger were not injured. The pilot said he was accelerating smoothly down the 75-foot-wide runway when the airplane suddenly yawed to the right. He attempted to correct with rudder then retarded the throttles. The airplane departed the right side of the runway and hit a snowbank. A flight instructor witness said the right propeller appeared to be revolving at a much slower rate than the left propeller. Preliminary examination of the engines found no mechanical discrepancies….

At about 2135 eastern time, a Cessna 182G crashed while making a visual approach to runway 8 at Butler County Airport. The pilot was killed. The pilot was on an IFR flight plan when he reported accumulating a significant amount of ice He advised the controller he had the airport in sight and he was cleared for the visual approach. The airplane crashed about a half mile from the airport and about 100 feet left of the extended centerline. Ice fragments 2 to 4.5 inches thick were found at the accident scene that matched the leading editors of the wings and tailplane. Initial inspection found no mechanical anomalies….

At about 1530 eastern time, a Beech 36 crashed into the waters of Pine Island Sound shortly after takeoff from North Captiva Airport. The pilot was killed. Initial radar data showed the flight departed to the east and then took up a heading to the southeast, maintained a southeast heading until the flight turned easterly. There were no radio communications from the airplane. The pilot had intended to pick up some passengers at Page Field but never arrived. The wreckage was found about 2 miles from the departure airport in five feet of water. Fishermen reported that at about the time the accident occurred fog had rolled in over Pine Island Sound, reducing visibility to zero for about 15 minut…

The following briefs were selected from the 98 preliminary reports filed with the NTSB in February 2003. Statements in quotes were taken directly from the NTSB documents. The information is subject to change as the investigations are completed. Click here to view “Accident Totals, February.”

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February 01, Quartzsite, Ariz.
Beech Bonanza
At 1046 mountain time, a Beech S-35 landing at Desert Gardens Airstrip collided with a car crossing the runway. The pilot and passenger were not injured. The pilot said he was landing on the dirt strip when a car pulled out to cross the runway. He applied power to go around, but the…