Aviation Safety

At about 17:25 EST, a Boeing 737 operating as Canadian Airlines Flight 528 experienced a near midair collision while maneuvering to land at La Guardia Airport. The Boeing 737 was on downwind for runway 4, at 4,000 feet, when the crew caught a glimpse of three lights. The first officer saw the other airplane and had enough time to realize they were not going to collide, but not enough time to execute an evasive maneuver. In addition, the airplanes TCAS went from TRAFFIC to MONITOR VERTICAL SPEED to CLEAR OF CONFLICT in approximately 2 seconds. The other airplane reportedly was a Cessna 172, IFR at 5,000 feet. The pilot of that airplane apparently saw the 737 at his 12 oclock position…

At about 10:00 PST, the pilot of a Beech C99 was killed when the aircraft struck mountainous terrain near Bishop. The aircraft was not carrying cargo at the time of the accident. The aircraft was reported missing later that day when it failed to arrive as scheduled, but the wreckage was not found until February 14. The Beech crashed on the eastern slopes of White Mountain in the Inyo National Forest at 9,500 feet. Witnesses observed the aircraft flying between 7,000 and 8,000 feet msl as it entered Trace Plumas Canyon on White Mountain and begin a gradual left turn. The aircraft then disappeared from view. The canyon leads to the accident site. According to the operator, the pilot had succes…

At about 1630 EST, a Cessna 172C collided with a horse during a landing at a private airport near Tallahassee. The pilot reported no injuries but the horse was killed. The pilot was landing when a herd of horses crossed the runway. The pilot attempted to takeoff again, but struck and killed one of the horses, causing the airplane to nose over….

At about 14:10 EST, a Rockwell Commander crashed while on final approach to New Smyrna Beach Municipal Airport. The private-rated pilot, a German citizen, received serious injuries, and the airplane was destroyed. The flight originated from the same airport about 45 minutes before the accident. A witness said the pilot was making touch-and-go landings to runway 29 when the aircraft appeared to go low on approach. The plane hit brush growing outside the airport boundary, struck a road sign and then the ground. The airplane came to rest against the airport perimeter fence and burned….

At 09:30 EST, a Cessna 152 on an instructional flight was substantially damaged during a forced landing near the Duanesburg Airport. Neither occupant was injured. The student was practicing emergency procedures and successfully accomplished a touch-and-go after the first simulated engine failure. While on downwind, the instructor simulated the second engine failure. The student turned toward the runway, but at 400 feet the instructor realized they would not make it. He advanced the throttle, but the engine did not respond. The instructor was only able to insure that the throttle and fuel selector were properly set before the airplane struck a tree, stalled, and fell to the ground. Weather co…

At approximately 14:00 CST, a Cessna 337 was destroyed by fire after crashing while attempting a go-around maneuver on runway 33 at the Lufkin Municipal Airport. The two occupants received minor injuries. Upon entering the traffic pattern for runway 33, the pilot received airport advisory information stating that the winds were from 010 degrees at 6 knots. On final approach to land, he reported that he flared the aircraft late, and the aircraft bounced. The second bounce was really high, the pilot said, with the aircraft drifting to the left. After the airplane bounced a third time, the pilot called for a go-around. The pilot then applied power and the airplane immediately entered a sev…

At about 16:15 EST, a Cessna 150F nosed over during a forced landing in a field near New Brockton after running out of fuel. The flight originated at an unknown time from Enterprise, Ala. The pilot told inspectors that he received the airplane with the tank half-full of fuel and could not purchase more because of the Thanksgiving holiday. He flew some passengers around the local area and, on the third flight, the engine failed….

At about 01:30 EDT, a Cessna 208B was substantially damaged during landing at Hamilton International Airport. The pilot was uninjured. The pilot was conducting a scheduled Part 135 cargo flight between Akron, Ohio, and Hamilton. Investigators said the pilot flew the Back Course Runway 30R approach and touched down about halfway down the wet runway. The airplane continued off the end of the runway and collided with part of the high intensity runway lighting system….

At about 13:11 EST, a Cessna 172 and a Let L-13 glider collided while on final approach to the Okeechobee County Airport. The Cessna was substantially damaged but the student pilot was not injured. The glider sustained minor damage and the sole occupant was not injured. The Cessna pilot said that he announced his position on the Unicom frequency and entered the traffic pattern on a left downwind for runway 13. At that time he observed the glider aircraft flying southeast. The Cessna then turned left base, announced it on Unicom, then heard the glider pilot announce that he was on a left downwind for runway 13. The Cessna pilot turned onto final and announced his position. He then felt an imp…

About 14:45 EST, the pilot of a Cessna 150 aborted a takeoff at Macivor Field, a private airstrip near Pembroke Pines, and collided with a fence and guardrail. There were no injuries. The pilot said that after rotation he was not comfortable with his altitude in relation to trees off the departure end of the runway and aborted the takeoff late….