Aviation Safety

At 20:15 EST, a Cessna 175 was reported missing by a representative of the pilots family. The aircraft has been presumed destroyed, and the pilot is presumed to have been fatally injured. The flight departed Iron County Airport, Crystal Falls, Mich., at 15:15 EST and was presumed to be en route to Cherry Capital Airport, Traverse City, Mich., for fuel and then to Oakland/Troy Airport. Airports in the area reported cold temperatures and ceilings ranging from sky clear to 700 feet….

At 08:45 CDT, an Air Tractor ag plane lost power near Snyder and was damaged in a forced landing. The pilot was not injured. An inspector determined that the top right bolt securing the fuel control assembly to the engine case was missing, and the remaining 3 bolts securing the fuel control were found loose. The missing bolt, with a piece of safety wire still attached to it, was found laying at the bottom of the engine cowling. Evidence of a severe fuel leak was found at the base of the fuel control assembly….

At 09:50 CDT, a Piper Warrior struck and seriously injured a ground crew member while taxiing at Clover Field Airport, Houston, Texas. Witnesses said the ground person began to run to the site of a previous accident site and, when he was crossing a taxiway, was struck by the left wing of the Piper….

At about 03:12 EDT, a Cessna 210L on a Part 135 cargo flight struck a building approximately -mile from the approach end of runway 18L at the Tampa International Airport. The pilot was killed. The pilot had radioed the controller and questioned if he could expect runway 36R. The controller advised the pilot that he was following company traffic that was ahead and landing on runway 18L. The pilot advised the controller that the traffic was in sight. The controller cleared the flight to land on runway 18L; then a short time later, the pilot declared an emergency but did not state the nature of the emergency….

At about 17:17 CST, a Piper PA-32RT-300T crashed while maneuvering near Pelham. IMC prevailed and the pilot, who had only a student license, was killed. A witness saw the airplane fly over his residence at a low altitude and a high power setting on a southeasterly heading. He noted it was dark and the weather had deteriorated in the last 45 minutes with fog and heavy mist. After about 20 seconds, he saw the airplane turn to a northerly heading. He then heard the propeller whine typical of diving flight and the thud of terrain impact….

At 18:45 CST, a Cessna 172M crashed during an attempted go-around from runway 13 at Ava-Bill Martin Memorial Airport. None of the four aboard were injured. The pilot was unable to activate the airport and runway lighting systems using the CTAF frequency listed on the Kansas City Sectional Chart. The pilot reported that he continued the approach but elected to go-around. The airplane stalled, hitting the ground about 250 feet past the departure end of runway 13. The CTAF frequency had been incorrectly published on the sectional chart, in the Airport/Facility Directory and on the NOS approach plates. Following the accident, a NOTAM was issued and the FAA database corrected….

At 15:30 CDT, a Vans RV-6T operated by the manufacturer and being piloted by a company executive struck trees while maneuvering near Pettigrew. Both occupants were killed. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed but a flight plan was not filed. The flight was en route from Aurora, Mo., to Shreveport, La. Witnesses said they heard an aircraft circling the area for about 10-15 minutes prior to hearing the tree impact and resulting crash. The witnesses reported the weather as foggy with visibility less than 400 feet….

At about 18:45 MST, a Cessna 182E crashed on descent into Taos Municipal Airport, killing the pilot. IMC prevailed and no flight plan had been filed, although the pilot had an instrument rating. Before the pilot left Albuquerque, he had received a weather briefing that VFR flight was not recommended. He departed and was talking to a friend in Taos over the radio. When he got close to Taos, the pilot said he had the airport in sight but was having trouble keeping the runway lights in sight because he was flying in and out of snow showers. He was flying about 500 feet agl when he said he was picking up ice. He crashed about 1.5 miles east of the airport….

At 19:53 EST, a Beech A36 undershot the landing on runway 27 at the Oakland International Airport. Neither occupant was injured. The pilot made an instrument approach and said he broke out of the cloud layer at 600 feet agl. The airplane touched down a quarter-mile short of the runway in a soft, rough, grassy area. An inspector who arrived on scene 2.5 hours after the accident said there was about two inches of ice on the airplane….

At 13:15 EST, a Piper PA-23-160 hit the ground short of runway 18 at the Titusville Space Coast Regional Airport. Both occupants were injured. The flight had originated from Titusville Dunn Air Park at an unknown time. There was no evidence of fuel at the accident site….