Aviation Safety

At 01:33 Alaska standard time, a Boeing 747-400 operated as Asiana Airlines Flight 221 was substantially damaged when it collided with a parked Ilyushin IL-62. The Asiana flight was taxiing to parking after landing at the Anchorage International Airport. The 18 crewmembers and 220 passengers on board the Boeing were not injured. The Ilyushin, being operated by Aeroflot Russian Airlines as Flight 853, contained a crew of 11 and one contract cleaner, who were on board preparing for departure. The crew of the Ilyushin were not injured; the cleaner reported a sprained wrist. The Asiana crew reported to the control tower that braking action was poor during their landing. The parking ramp area had…

At about 12:40 EST, a Cessna 152 crashed during a forced landing near Coral Springs. The airplane was substantially damaged but the student pilot was not injured. The flight originated about 08:30 from the Kendall-Tamiami Executive Airport in Miami. Inspectors said the flight arrived in the area of the destination airport about 1 hour after takeoff but the pilot was unable to locate the airport. He continued looking for the airport, then at 12:11 squawked 7700. The West Palm Beach Air Traffic Control Tower radar identified the airplane but was unable to raise the pilot. The flight continued until the plane ran out of fuel. The pilot landed the airplane on a levee and during the landing roll,…

At 15:28 MST, a Cessna P210N broke up in flight and collided with terrain in the Sandia Mountain Wilderness Area, killing the pilot and two passengers. The airplane was at FL220 when the pilot told the Albuquerque Air Route Traffic Control Center that he had sustained a dual vacuum pump failure and thought he had been in a spin. When told cloud bases in the area were between 12,000 and 13,000 feet agl, the pilot advised he was descending. The pilot was then told to contact approach control. When he did so, he advised that he thought he had just done a roll, and that he needed help. He also stated the airplane was equipped with an electrical artificial horizon and compass backups, but tha…

At 11:15 CST, a Cessna 182F crashed on initial climb during a glider tow operation, killing the pilot. The glider pilot and passenger reported no injuries. The glider pilot and passenger reported that the tow rope had been released when the tow plane began experiencing engine trouble. Investigators drained 30 oz. of water from the airplane wreckage, including 4.5 oz. from the carburetor bowl….

At 10:30 CST, a Cessna Skywagon was damaged during a hard landing following a loss of engine power near Granbury. The two occupants were not injured. The pilot and the passenger reported that during the preflight, the fuel tanks were dipped. The right fuel tank was empty and the left fuel tank contained 17 gallons. The fuel selector was positioned to the left tank for the flight. After 7 to 10 minutes of ground run and taxi time, the flight departed on runway 33 for the Granbury Municipal Airport for refueling. Approximately 2 to 3 minutes after takeoff, the engine started coughing, sputtering, and missing like it was not getting fuel. The pilot switched the fuel selector to the BOTH pos…

At about 07:10 PST, a passenger sustained a fractured hip on America West Airlines Flight 5 while en route from Tampa, Fla., to Las Vegas. The aircraft was in cruise flight at flight level 310 when it encountered light to moderate turbulence. The seat belt sign was illuminated and several announcements had been made for the passengers to remain seated with their seat belts fastened. A 70-year-old male passenger got up and began walking toward the aft lavatory. One cabin attendant told the passenger to return to his seat. The passenger, who has two artificial legs, ignored the cabin attendants instruction and continued to the aft galley area where he fell, fracturing his hip. The crew obtain…

At 09:00 CST, a Cessna 152 lost power and was damaged in a forced landing near Odessa. The instructor was not injured and the student reported minor injuries. The instructor was demonstrating emergency procedures. During a simulated loss of power, the engine actually did quit and the propeller stopped. The instructor took control of the airplane and attempted to re-start the engine, without success. He then conducted a forced landing, and on touchdown the nosewheel dug into rough terrain and resulted in substantial damage to the airplane. No mechanical problems with the engine were found and fuel was present in the fuel lines. The engine was test run after the accident without problems….

At 19:49 EST, a Cessna 172N crashed during an instrument approach to the Concord Regional Airport. The pilot received minor injuries and a passenger was seriously injured. Charlotte Approach provided radar vectors and ILS approach clearances for four missed approaches at the Charlotte/Douglas International Airport. After the four missed approaches, the flight was vectored to the Concord Regional Airport. The airplane collided with utility lines and trees approximately -mile northwest of the airport….

At 18:55 CST, a Cessna 414 crashed about 2 minutes after departure from the Monroe Regional Airport. The airplane was substantially damaged and the pilot and single passenger were seriously injured. Air Traffic Control data revealed that the airplane was cleared for takeoff from runway 04 at 18:53. The controller heard a noise and the ELT signal at 18:54:50. Two witnesses heard a rattling sound and saw a fire. The weather at the time was visibility of 1/4 statute mile in fog with a vertical visibility of 100 feet and calm winds….

At 12:16 CST, a Cessna 501 crashed in a hilly wooded area while in cruise flight near Umpire, Ark., killing the pilot. The flight had originated from the Mena Intermountain Municipal Airport, Mena, Ark., approximately 12 minutes prior to the accident, en route to Texarkana, Ark. Investigators learned the aircraft had been purchased in November and flown to the Goodner Aviation facility at Mena for repainting. On the day of the accident, the Citations owner/pilot arrived at Mena to pick up the airplane from the paint shop. The takeoff appeared normal and all engine sounds were normal. Approximately 20 miles south of the airport, witnesses heard the airplane, to the east of their location, fl…