Aviation Safety

At about 1500 Pacific time, a Piper PA-24 being hand-propped started and crashed into a fence and trees at Scappoose Industrial Airpark. The passenger was killed and the pilot was not on board at the time. The pilot said he fueled the airplane and then could not start it. He moved it away from the fuel pump, set the parking brake, advanced the throttle about -inch and turned on the mags. The passenger was in the right front seat when the pilot pulled the prop through and the engine started immediately. As he started to walk around the wing, the power advanced to what sounded like full power. The airplane knocked down the pilot and careened across the airport….

At 15:26 central time, a Curtiss-Wright SB2C struck a Cessna 152 single-engine airplane while taxiing at New Orleans Lakefront Airport. The SB2C, the only flying example of the World War II dive-bomber, sustained minor damage. No one was injured. The pilot of the Cessna reported that she had just landed on runway 36R and exited the runway at taxiway Juliet, where she stopped to perform her after-landing checklist. The pilot of the Helldiver was holding on Juliet on the other side of the runway, waiting for the Cessna to exit. He was cleared to taxi to parking and twice asked the ground controller if traffic ahead was clear. The tailwheel airplane had limited visibility to the front and the n…

At 0917 mountain time, a Cessna 172S veered off runway 01 during landing and struck a taxiing Cessna 172N at Glendale Municipal Airport. None of the four occupants of the two airplanes was injured. The pilot of the landing airplane said he completed air work in the local practice area and returned for landing. Upon landing, the airplane bounced, veered to the left, and exited the runway about midfield between a taxiway and the high-speed taxiway. It crossed a gravel area between the runway and a parallel taxiway and struck the oncoming airplane. Each airplanes left wing tip contacted the left wing root of the opposing airplane….

At about 1020 eastern time, a Beech BE-23 crashed in a residential neighborhood after buzzing a house near King George. The pilot and two passengers were killed. A witness said the pilot routinely flew around the house. On this occasion, the airplane circled twice then dove straight toward the house at high power. It cleared the roof of the house by 25 to 30 feet and then struck trees….

At approximately 1930 central time, an unregistered Golden Circle Air T-Bird crashed while maneuvering near Newellton. The non-certificated pilot and passenger were not injured. The pilot said they were flying at 400 feet agl when he decided to show the passenger a series of stalls. During the second power-off stall the airplane entered a left spin. When recovery from the spin was unsuccessful, the pilot released control of the airplane so the aircraft could recover on its own. The airplane crashed in an open field. The pilot added that as far as I knew the airplane was spin resistant….

At about 16:10 central time, a Beech 55 crashed after takeoff from Montgomery Regional Airport. The pilot and two passengers were killed. One witness said one of the engines sounded like it was running smooth and the other engine sounded like it was sputtering during taxi. On the takeoff roll, he said both engines sounded erratic and he wondered why the pilot did not abort the takeoff. The airplane did not appear to climb very fast and disappeared into the clouds, then crashed shortly thereafter. Another witness verified the rough-sounding engines, saying he told others at the time, Theres no way I would be on an airplane sounding like that. Just after a minute after takeoff, the pilot ra…

At about 1505 mountain time, a Grob G120A making a maintenance test flight crashed while maneuvering near Mobile, killing the pilot. A witness said the airplane was flying fast and low at a 90-degree left bank. The nose pitched toward the ground, then the wings leveled as the airplane struck the ground….

At about 0542 eastern time, a Cessna 206H went off the pavement while taxiing for takeoff at Sarasota/Bradenton International Airport. The pilot was not injured. The pilot said he became distracted in the darkness and missed the turn onto the runway. The aircraft ran off the end of the taxiway into the sand and grass airport infield area, where the nose gear and propeller collided with a concrete wiring junction box….

At about 0800 eastern time, a Ted Smith Aerostar crashed near Belle Glade, leaving the pilot with serious injuries. The pilot said he was aware of reported thunderstorms along his route of flight and near the departure airport. He said he stayed low to avoid clouds, but saw a hole in the clouds and climbed through. When he reached 13,000 feet, he noticed that he was very close to a storm, so he turned the airplane 180 degrees, but flew directly into a storm cell. The turbulence of the storm caused the airplane to go into an uncontrolled dive. He was able to level the wings and pull the nose up just before impact with the ground….

At 15:16 mountain time, a Schleicher ASW-24E glider crashed just south of the departure runway at West Texas Airport, seriously injuring the pilot. The tow pilot said the towrope broke at about 100 feet agl with about 5,000 feet of runway remaining. Instead of landing straight ahead, the glider began a turn to the right, with the bank estimated to be at least 90 degrees. The gliders left wing hit the dirt during the turn….