Aviation Safety

At about 1930 eastern time, a Piper PA-28R-200 struck trees during a forced landing near Fredericksburg. The pilot and passenger were not injured. The pilot said he was approaching Shannon Airport and decided to switch the fuel from LEFT to RIGHT. The engine quit. Examination of the wreckage revealed the fuel selector was in the OFF position, but it was unknown if the fuel selector was moved by emergency response crews. Additionally, when the fuel selector was moved from LEFT to RIGHT, the selector contacted a sheet metal screw that felt similar to the selector being secured into the RIGHT detent. However, at that point, fuel flow would not have been possible….

At 18:50 eastern time, a Cessna 401A suffered an in-flight fire during cruise flight, but the pilot made a safe landing. No one was injured. The airplane was at 6,000 feet with the combustion heater on when the pilot heard an explosion. Smoke then entered the cabin and the airplane lost all electrical power. The pilot did not declare an emergency and landed without incident at Eastern West Virginia Regional/Shepard Airport. The airplane had a total time of 5,231 hours and the combustion heater was subject to an AD for inspections every 250 hours and overhauls every 1,000 hours. The heater had been rebuilt about 1,300 flight hours earlier, but the heaters Hobbs meter was destroyed and the ti…

At about 13:30 Pacific time, a Cessna 185F ground-looped on landing at Reno. The pilot and passenger were not injured. The pilot stated the landing was uneventful until he lowered the tail to the ground, at which point the airplane suddenly veered to the left. The pilot told investigators that several previous occasions the tailwheel seemed to stick initially and cause the airplane to deviate from the selected track but would eventually free up and track straight. Inspection showed the tailwheel rotated freely until moved it to its maximum left deflection limit, at which point it locked….

At about 1450 eastern time, a Taylorcraft BC-12D encountered a reported downdraft and struck terrain during cruise flight. The pilot and passenger were not injured. The pilot was flying from Bloomsburg, Pa., to Freehold, N.Y. at about 2,000 feet msl when the flight got to an area of higher terrain. The pilot climbed to maintain 700 to 1,000 feet agl. As the airplane approached a 3,100-foot ridge at a 30-degree angle, the pilot encountered a downdraft that pushed the airplane into a tree….

About 1752 eastern time, a Rockwell 500S crashed while on approach to Quonset State Airport, killing the pilot. The flight was inbound to Newport State Airport and cleared for the Localizer Runway 22 approach, circle to runway 34. However, the pilot flew through the localizer and reported he was having all sorts of problems. The controller said the weather was better at Green State Airport, and the pilot requested vectors there. The pilot was unable to get established on the approach, again reporting, I have problems. The controller asked what kinds of problems he was having, and the pilot replied, Im all over the place. I think Im iced up. The controller suggested heading for Quonse…

At about 1738 eastern time, a Beech F33A was lost from radar and crashed while in cruise flight near Conway. The pilot was killed. The pilot was flying under IFR and was instructed to climb to 4,000 feet. He reported a heading of 330 and said he needed to deviate to the right to avoid a little buildup. The controller asked him to fly 360, but the pilot responded he was unable. The controller then instructed him to fly 210 for a vector around traffic. The pilot acknowledged. The controller then said the pilot could resume own navigation and deviate as necessary after he left 2,600 feet, which the pilot acknowledged. The pilot said he would deviate to the south about two to three miles, then…

The following briefs were selected from the 233 preliminary reports filed with the NTSB in July 2000. Statements in quotes were taken directly from the NTSB documents. The information is subject to change as the investigations are completed. Click here to view “Accident Totals, July.”

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July 1, Spanish Fork, Utah
Diamond Katana C-1
At 13:29 mountain time, a Diamond 20C-1 lost its propeller in flight near Spanish Fork, Utah. The pilot and passenger were not injured. The pilot said that he was on a local flight and returning to Provo, Utah, when the propeller separated from the airplane. The airplane was at 9,500 fee…

Just as a pilot may see a biennial flight review as an obstacle or an opportunity, the anticipation of meeting aviation medical standards during a flight physical may cause confusion, anxiety and frustration.

The process of obtaining an FAA Airman Medical Certificate is fraught with misconceptions, suspicions, and in some cases, misinformation from pilots, pilot advocacy organizations, and even Aviation Medical Examiners themselves.

The mandated flight standards are intended to ensure a pilots fitness to fly and ultimately the safety of the airman and their passengers. Although there are occasional accounts of pilots becoming incapacitated at the controls because of hidden medical co…

After being immersed in complex airspace with rapid fire clearances and sometimes holding number fifteen for takeoff, I really look forward to flying into the mom and pop grass airstrips scattered across the countryside. Theres just something about being able to slip on final and glide into a nice landing without a controller in my ears telling me to take the next high speed exit because theres another airliner on my tail.

Ah, such fun! Back to simple stick-and-rudder once again.

Fun? Absolutely. Low risk? Not necessarily. If you rank the biggest dangers in aviation, icing and thunderstorms might appear near the top of the list. Flying into grass airstrips isnt something that caus…

Confidence is a double-edged sword. On the one hand, confidence eliminates the uncertainties that make decisions harder. On the other, confidence can lead you into believing bad things only happen to other people.

Sometimes, bad things happen to skilled people. Confidence can be a magic cloak that wards off disaster, but it can also be an inviting smell that brings misfortune in for a closer look.

On a relatively balmy November morning last year, a pilot and two members of his family said goodbye to a fourth family member. It was the Friday after Thanksgiving, and the family had been together for the holiday.

The pilot had flown his 1964 Bonanza S35 from his home in Bethesda, Md.,…