Aviation Safety

At 13:00 Pacific time, a Cessna A185F amphibian lost engine power over Lynwood. While attempting an emergency landing in a high school football field, the aircraft collided with trees and a fence. The pilot was not injured. The pilot said he was flying from Seattle to Everett to refuel. He noted before takeoff that the fuel gauges read slightly below empty, but he said that he knew from experience that the fuel tank contained about 10 gallons when it read empty. During the aircraft recovery, a mechanic drained a total of about three gallons of fuel from the wings. The total fuel capacity is 80 gallons, with 74 gallons usable….

At 16:05 central time, a Cessna 150K flipped over in a crosswind while taxiing to runway 31 at Minot International Airport. The instructor and student were not injured. The instructor said they were taxiing the airplane when slush was encountered on the left side. That, coupled with a sudden increase in wind speed – gust, made the airplane skid to the left. The nose sank into a snow bank. As they were preparing to exit the airplane, the instructor pilot said, The nose submerged in further and the tail moved upwards progressively till the aircraft laid upside down. Winds were reported at 24 knots….

At 12:14 Pacific time, an experimental Williams Mite M18L lost its vertical stabilizer and rudder assemblies while maneuvering over Gillespie Field. The pilot was not injured. The pilot reported feeling a vibration as he approached the airport and he experienced difficulty controlling the airplane. The separated stabilizer and rudder assemblies were subsequently located on airport property. Inspectors discovered evidence of dry rot on the fracture surfaces….

At about 10:30 eastern time, a Bell UH-1H crashed 10 miles south of Southwest Florida International Airport during firefighting operations. The pilot was killed. The pilot had released the water from the external bucket onto the fire and was returning to the lake to pick up more water. Witnesses observed the helicopter in level flight heading toward the lake when it suddenly banked steeply and went into a nose-low attitude until it disappeared behind trees….

At about 13:15 Pacific time, a Cessna 150C was damaged while landing on runway 32 at Pacific City State Airport. The pilot was not injured. The pilot said he landed on the 1,875 foot paved runway a little hot. During the landing roll, the pilot intentionally steered the airplane right of runway centerline in an effort to stop the aircraft in the run up area. However, the aircraft departed the right side of the runway and collided with heavy vegetation next to the runway….

At about 12:22 eastern time, an Airbus A300B4-605R operated by American Airlines as flight 1291 had a flight attendant receive fatal injuries during an emergency evacuation after the flight returned to Miami. In addition, one passenger was seriously injured and 15 suffered minor injuries. The captain stated both automatic cabin pressurization controllers would not control cabin pressure while climbing through 16,000 feet and that the forward outflow valve went to the full open position. He told controllers he was unable to control the pressurization and that he would need to return to Miami. During the return, the flight attendant call chime continually chimed erratically and the forward lav…

At 10:00 eastern time, a Cessna 177RG was substantially damaged while landing at a private airstrip in Elmer. Neither occupant was injured. The CFI on board said the pilot wanted to take the airplane to Cross Keys to have the transponder inspected and then complete a biennial flight review. During the course of the review, the instructor told the pilot to conduct a power off landing at Elmer. The pilot made a continuous turn from downwind to final, lowering the landing gear and selecting two notches of flaps. When the airplane was about 10 feet above the runway, the pilot commented they were going to hit a little hard. The instructor responded by telling the pilot to add a little power. Th…

At about 09:30 central time, a Piper PA-32RT-300 lost engine power and landed in rough terrain near Wewahitchka. The three occupants reported no injuries. The pilot said he smelled something and when he checked the instruments he noticed that the oil pressure had decreased. He felt that he could not make it to an airport so he decided to land in rough terrain. Examination of the engine revealed no visible oil on top of the engine, but oil was observed at the lower portion of the firewall. The engine had not been examined at the time this report was released….

At approximately 15:30 eastern time, a Piper PA-32R-301 was ditched in the Atlantic Ocean after an engine failure. The pilot and one passenger suffered minor injuries, a second passenger suffered serious injuries, and two passengers were killed. The pilot said the airplane was in cruise flight at 9,000 feet with the autopilot engaged, when he heard a loud report from the engine compartment and the windshield became covered with oil. The nearest airport was Biddeford, 19.4 miles away. The engine continued to produce some power and the airplane was descending at 500 fpm. The pilot distributed life vests and gave instructions on inflation. As the airplane approached the water, the pilot said he…

At about 10:26 central time, the pilot of a Beech 58P crashed while circling to land during a VOR/DME-A approach to a runway at the Brookhaven-Lincoln County Airport, killing the pilot and passenger. The pilots father and brother, both of whom are pilot-rated and were at the airport, the airplane flew over the runway at about 500 to 600 feet agl on the downwind leg with gear and flaps extended. As it reached the approach end of runway 22, the airplane started banking to the left until it was banked 70-75 degrees. The airplane then pitched nose down and crashed….