Aviation Safety

At about 09:30 EST, a Beech Sierra was substantially damaged during a forced landing in Farmingdale. The two occupants sustained minor injuries. After engine start, the pilot taxied to the run-up area, and reported that the engine was running rough. He said he was going to taxi back to the ramp and speak with the owner of the airplane about the engine condition. They could not find the owner, and the pilot told the passenger that the engine was running normally, so they returned to the run-up area and took off. The engine surged and failed, but the pilot was able to restart the engine. He advised the tower of a power loss, and the engine failed again and could not be restarted. The aircraft…

At about 12:15 EST, a Lake LA-4-250 crashed during a forced landing in Laconia. The pilot was seriously injured and the flight instructor was killed. A witness said the pilot was receiving instrument flight instruction and had heard the IFR clearance the pilot received for practice approaches to Manchester Airport. A witness near the airport stated that the airplane was trailing smoke shortly after taking off from runway 26. Another witness about 3 miles farther on the departure path stated that he saw gray smoke trailing from the engine as the airplane was climbing. He recalled that the smoke and engine noise stopped, and started again as the airplane leveled off and began a left 180 degree…

At about 17:15, CST, a Cessna 182Q crashed into a mountain about 4 miles east of Piedmont while in cruise flight. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed, but no flight plan was filed. The pilot and front seat passenger were killed and the rear seat passenger was seriously injured. The flight originated from Cape Girardeau, Mo., about 2 hours 45 minutes before the accident. The survivor, who walked from the crash site the next morning, said the pilot was having to slowly descend to maintain visual contact with the ground, the sun was setting, and they simply flew into the mountain….

At 12:55 EST, a Piper Twin Comanche was destroyed during a forced landing in a field near Fairfield. The pilot and one passenger were seriously injured; a second passenger received minor injuries. The airplane was in cruise flight at 6,000 feet near Montebello, Va., when the pilot reported a loss of engine power and said he would land on Interstate 81. A passenger told investigators both engines were spitting and spattering prior to the loss of power on the right engine. Neither propeller was feathered and the propeller levers were found in the full forward position….

Approximately 16:30 CST, a Long-Eze homebuilt airplane was destroyed during a forced landing following a complete loss of engine power near Alvin, Texas. The pilot was seriously injured and the passenger was killed. The local flight originated at approximately 16:00 from Clover Airport near Houston. Local authorities reported that during the rescue operations, the pilot stated that the engine had quit. Witnesses approximately one mile from the accident site reported hearing a sudden shut off of engine noise as they observed the airplane. When the airplane did not return to the Clover Airport, pilots at the airport initiated the search and rescue. The airplane was located at 09:00 the fol…

At 15:30 CST, a Beech Bonanza was damaged during a hard landing on runway 36 at Johnson County Airport. The pilot reported no injuries. The flight departed Coffey County Airport near Burlington at 14:56. The pilot reported that he had ice on the windshield and wings which was visually confirmed by a post-accident witness to be approximately -inch thick. The pilot additionally stated that his approach speed was 110 knots at the runway….

At 11:01 MST, a Cessna 185 ground looped and departed runway 11L on the takeoff roll at the Tucson International Airport. The aircraft was substantially damaged but the pilot was not injured. The pilot told investigators that on takeoff his seat slid backwards and he was unable to reach the rudder pedals or throttle….

At about 20:10 CST, the propeller of a Saab 340A, operating as Northwest Airlink flight 5858, struck and killed a ground crewmember. Airline personnel said the ground crewmember had assisted with start of the no. 2 engine in preparation for departure. She was then given the signal by the flightcrew to disconnect the ground power unit, which was parked behind the right wing. She proceeded to walk straight toward the ground power unit and into the turning right propeller….

At 17:45 EST, a Cessna 310R was substantially damaged during landing at Lehigh Valley International Airport; no one was injured. The pilot had filed an IFR flight plan between Bangor, Maine, and Northeast Philadelphia Airport. The flight diverted to Lehigh Valley when the pilot discovered, while the airplane was in icing conditions, that the right deicing boot would not inflate. During the landing, the right wing lost lift, and the right landing gear hit the pavement hard. Ground personnel told investigators that there was about 4 inches of ice on the leading edge of the right wing, and the left wing was clean….

At approximately 18:12 PST, a Pacific Aviation Composites LC 40-550FG, the Lancair Columbia prototype, crashed into the Columbia River about one mile west of Portland International Airport while on approach to runway 10L. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed. The two people aboard were killed. The flight originated from Bend, Ore., about one hour before the accident. The pilot contacted Portland Approach and reported that he was 25 miles east of Portland International and requested IFR clearance for landing at PDX. The flight was cleared for the ILS runway 10L approach. During the first approach, the aircraft was lined up for runway 10R and…