Aviation Safety

At 13:00 CST, an Extra 300S experienced a failure of the upper left longeron and a cross member at the horizontal stabilizer attach point. The failure occurred when the pilot entered a roll maneuver while practicing for an airshow. The pilot was able to land the airplane without further incident. The pilot was not injured….

At 16:50 PDT, a Bellanca 7KCAB crashed after the pilot lost control during practice aerobatic maneuvers. The pilot bailed out and sustained minor injuries. The pilot said he climbed to 6,000 feet and entered a left upright spin. After two turns, he initiated a forward movement of the stick to recover and found that the stick was jammed in the full aft position. He looked in the rear seat area and discovered that the rear seat back cushion had fallen forward, looped over the stick, and was holding it in place. Following unsuccessful attempts to recover, the pilot abandoned the airplane….

At about 11:39 EDT, a Grumman Goose operating as a Part 135 competency flight lost power on one engine and crashed into a canal about 2 miles south of Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport. The pilot was killed and the FAA observer was seriously injured. The flight originated from Watson Island in Miami about 10 minutes before the accident. The pilot contacted the control tower and reported 3 miles south for landing. The controller asked the pilot to state type of airplane, but the pilot replied by declaring an emergency due to a left engine failure. The controller cleared the aircraft for landing, but there was no other communication. The FAA observer said the airplane went down like a rock w…

At 13:17 PDT, a United Airlines Boeing 737-300 aborted its takeoff roll because of an uncommanded yaw as the airplane accelerated through 120-130 knots. The yaw coupler was replaced and the aircraft continued on to its original destination. After the aircraft landed at Los Angeles, a company mechanic noticed that the nose gear made an unusual bump and rattle during turning while the aircraft was being taxied to the hanger. The aircraft was ferried to the companys maintenance base and the nose landing gear trunnion bearings were replaced….

At approximately 21:00 MST, a Diamond Katana struck terrain after encountering IFR conditions. The two occupants received minor injuries. The flight originated from Durango, Colo., and was en route to Santa Fe, N.M., when the pilot inadvertently entered instrument conditions. He added full power, and collided with terrain just as he broke out of the clouds. Upon impact with the ground, the aircraft nosed over….

At 14:30 PDT, a Smith Aerostar 601P suffered structural damage during an encounter with severe turbulence and an in-flight upset near Shoshone. The three occupants were not injured. During the pilots preflight weather briefing, he was advised that AIRMETS for moderate or greater turbulence were in effect for his route of flight. The aircraft was in cruise flight at 14,000 feet when it inadvertently penetrated a thunderstorm. The pilot said that at one point the aircraft was inverted and lost over 8,000 feet of altitude before he was able to regain control….

At about 21:12 EST, a Cessna Cardinal was substantially damaged during a forced landing. The pilot, who was not injured, was en route from Reading, Pa., to Ocean City, N.J. While climbing through 5,000 feet, the engine started to shake violently and lost power. The controller told the pilot that Pottstown Municipal Airport, was 5 miles southwest. The pilot turned toward the airport and began a descent. About 1 mile from the airport the pilot decided that he would not be able to make the runway and maneuvered for a forced landing. The airplane touched down on a two-lane highway and struck an overpass with the left wing. An inspection revealed the No. 1 cylinder had separated from the 1,700-ho…

At about 10:06 EST, a Beech Musketeer crashed on initial climbout from Homestead General Aviation Airport. The aircraft was seriously damaged but no one was injured. The pilot said he departed from runway 09 and was at about 50 to 60 feet when he heard a loud noise and the engine started to vibrate. He lowered the nose, saw an open area to his left and made a forced landing there. On touchdown the airplane started sliding to the left and the nosewheel collapsed. The airplane rotated to the left, bending the left main landing gear and the left wing….

About 14:10 EDT, a Piper PA-16 crashed while trying to avoid turbulence, killing the two occupants. Records show the pilot reported that turbulence was pretty bad at his assigned altitude of 5,500 feet msl, and he requested a lower altitude. The controller had to give the pilot a left turn because of conflicting traffic at 12 oclock, and 4 miles, opposite direction, at 4,000 feet. The airplane started the left turn and the pilot reported that turbulence was now severe. Radar stopped showing a return at 14:09….

At 19:15 PDT, a United Airlines Boeing 737-300 experienced an uncommanded roll to the left during level cruise at flight level 310, 25 miles northwest of Santa Barbara. The returned to Los Angeles International Airport. The unexpected roll was described as a rudder kick, a sharp quick uncommanded kick to the left. The autopilot was on during the 20- to 30-degree roll excursion to the left….