Aviation Safety

Safe flying depends on sound judgment. This was a concept that was drummed into my head when I was training to become a private pilot. I earned my pilots license early last year, a couple of months before John Kennedy earned his.

As far as I can tell from the news accounts, I probably have about 50 flying hours more than he did, and I do have 20 hours of training toward my instrument certification, which he apparently didnt have. But, for the most part, we could be considered on par as pilots in terms of experience.

Given the conditions that existed for his last flight, would I have made the same flight? Absolutely not! In fact, since earning my license 15 months ago, I have cance…

At about 14:21 EDT, a Piper Super Cub crashed shortly after takeoff from New Castle Airport and the pilot was seriously injured. A witness said the airplane departed the grass runway and climbed 100 feet when engine noise decreased as if the engine went to idle power. The pilot turned to avoid utility wires and the airplane crashed in a field adjacent to the airport. An inspector found that the mixture cable was separated and the nut that secured the cable into the mixture control was not recovered….

At approximately 16:50 PDT, a Cessna 172P made a forced landing in a field following a loss of power on climbout, seriously injuring the student pilot. The pilot was practicing touch-and-goes at the Auburn airport when, after the third touch-and-go, he noticed a reduction in RPM at 200 feet. During a test run after the accident, investigators could only get the engine to operate at a maximum of 1,700 to 1,800 RPM and it ran very rough. Compression tests showed no compression on the number 1 cylinder and the intake valve was found mechanically blocked open. Total time on the engine was 2,260 hours and it had not been overhauled since new. Recommended TBO on the engine is 2,000 hours….

At about 12:05 MDT, a Piper Cheyenne on a Part 135 passenger flight was damaged during a forced landing near Garden Valley, about 30 minutes after takeoff. The pilot and six passengers were uninjured, while a seventh passenger suffered minor injuries. The pilot reported that, while in cruise configuration, the low fuel pressure lights illuminated and the left engine began to surge. The pilot secured the left engine and executed a forced landing in a open field. Investigators found no fuel aboard the aircraft….

At about 20:10 EDT, a homebuilt Kolb Mark III crashed into Shenango River Lake. The unlicensed pilot and passenger were killed. The airplane had been kept at Brookfield Airpark, and more than a year had passed since the last annual inspection. The owner had removed the certificate of registration and airworthiness from the airplane. The owner also reported that the key to the airplane and the helmets used by the pilot and passenger were stolen from a locked garage. Witnesses saw the airplane fly under a bridge and continue to operate as low as 6 feet off the water. While maneuvering between two bridges that were about 3,400 feet apart, the airplane pulled up into a vertical climb to about 30…

At 10:42 MDT, a Pitts S-2B crashed 4 miles southeast of Steamboat Springs, killing the two occupants. The flight had originated at Steamboat Springs at approximately 10:15. Several witnesses said the pilot performed a hammerhead stall, and then the airplane entered a flat spin. One witness, who had seen the pilot perform this maneuver before, said the pilot began the maneuver way too low….

At about 10:40 Alaska daylight time, a Taylorcraft Sportsman was damaged and the pilot was injured after crashing about 16 miles from Anchorage. The pilot said he had landed at a remote strip along the Big Indian Creek and, after fishing, he departed the 1,000 foot long strip toward the west. At about 300 feet above the ground, the pilot realized he had failed to put on his headset. He turned and reached into the back of the airplane to retrieve the headset. During the process of retrieving the headset, the airplane descended wings level into the ground….

At about 18:10 EDT, a Boeing Stearman was damaged while landing at the Marston Mills Airport. Neither occupant was injured. The pilot, who was in the rear seat of the airplane, said the airplane suddenly nosed over when the plane touched down. After the accident, the passenger said he had his feet on the brakes. The pilot said he did not brief the passenger on the operation or use of the brakes prior to flight, and there was no means of communication while the airplane was in flight….

At 07:45 MDT, a Cessna 182J crashed 5.5 miles east of the La Veta-Cuchara Valley Airport, killing the pilot and her passenger. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed at the accident site and a VFR flight plan was filed to Amarillo, Texas. A witness said the ceiling at the airport was about 500 foot overcast at the time the flight departed. The pilot did not possess an instrument rating and her logbook reported she had no actual instrument flight experience….

About 08:15 PDT, a Piper Archer lost power while climbing to cruise altitude and was damaged in the subsequent forced landing near San Luis Obispo. The flight instructor and student pilot were uninjured. The instructor had received an instrument clearance for an IFR climb to VFR conditions on top. After reaching VFR on top, about 1,800 feet msl, the pilot reported that he applied carburetor heat to the engine. At that point, the engine rpm decreased to 1,800 and then to 1,500. The pilot descended through the cloud deck, broke out at 600 feet, and landed in an open field. Another airplane operated by the same company had recently experienced a loss of engine power and examination of that engi…