Preliminary Reports

December 1, 2013, Yellow Pine, Idaho Beech B36TC Turbocharged BonanzaAt 1303 Mountain time, radar and radio communication with the aircraft were lost. The instrument-rated private pilot and his four passengers are missing at this writing; the airplane has not been located. Instrument conditions prevailed and an IFR flight plan was in effect. While cruising at 13,000 […]

At around 1515 Central time, the airplane impacted terrain. There were no reported witnesses to the accident. The private pilot and two passengers were fatally injured; one passenger received serious injuries. The airplane was substantially damaged. Visual conditions prevailed and an IFR flight plan had been filed.

At 1820 Pacific time, the airplane veered off the right side of a runway and collided with a hangar. The private pilot and three passengers were fatally injured, and the airplane was destroyed by a post-crash fire. Visual conditions prevailed; an IFR flight plan had been in effect.

Evektor-Aerotechnik SportstarPrior to departure, the pilot checked the weather and noted a storm was moving toward the area, so he needed to depart as soon as possible. During takeoff and while in ground effect, the airplane encountered a wind gust that pushed down the airplane’s left wing. The pilot regained control and continued to climb in order to clear trees near the end of the runway. The airplane encountered another gust and the pilot attempted to compensate. Subsequently, the airplane impacted trees and terrain, resulting in substantial damage to the fuselage and both wings. Neither the pilot nor his passenger suffered injuries.

August 2, 2013, Eagle Bay, N.Y. Cub Crafters PA-18-150 The amphibian’s pilot was flying a visual approach to a lake, over mountainous terrain. On an approximate ¾-mile final approach to the lake, she observed a boat near her intended landing area and performed a go-around to circle for another approach. During the go-around and turn, the pilot did not move the throttle lever to full power. About ¼ through the turn, she noticed the airplane was descending and increased engine power. The airplane continued to descend, and she increased engine power a second time. However, one of the airplane’s floats contacted a tree, and the airplane impacted the ground. Examination revealed substantial damage to the wings and the fuselage.

The pilot and flight instructor had been flying for over two hours, doing air work and making touch-and-go landings at area airports. Returning to the airplane’s base, they were making a final touch-and-go landing when the engine lost power. Unable to glide back to the runway, the flight instructor made a forced landing in a plowed field north of the airport. The airplane touched down hard, shearing off the landing gear and sliding 60 feet before coming to a stop. The firewall was buckled. The flight instructor and pilot sustained minor injuries. Examination revealed the fuel selector was positioned on the left fuel tank. One quart of fuel was drained from the left fuel tank. The right fuel tank had not been compromised and contained fuel.

At about 0830 Eastern time, the airplane was substantially damaged during a forced landing. The engine lost all power shortly after takeoff. The airline transport pilot sustained minor injuries and a passenger was not injured. Visual conditions prevailed. The pilot reported taking off and climbed to 2500 feet msl when the engine began to vibrate and lose power, and the cabin began to fill with white smoke. The pilot shut down the engine and performed a forced landing to a soy bean field. During the landing roll, the airplane nosed over. The airplane was equipped with a Franklin 6A-350-C1, 220-hp engine. Initial examination revealed the No. 4 cylinder head was partially separated and the No. 4 cylinder piston was displaced.

The pilot departed on a 1+50 cross-country flight with approximately 30 gallons of fuel in each wing tank (approximately 27 gallons usable fuel per side). The flight was uneventful until he started a descent from 8000 feet msl to 3000 feet, when the engine made “two pops” and “quit.” The pilot said there was no engine roughness, “It just stopped.” He made several attempts to restart the engine, but was unsuccessful. The pilot declared an emergency and landed in a field. Upon landing, the nose gear dug into the dirt and separated from the airplane.

At about 1530 Eastern time, the airplane was substantially damaged during a collision with water after departing controlled flight shortly after takeoff.

The private pilot reported attempting a touch-and-go landing on a river about three miles from the departure airport. He also reported he was distracted by potential skydivers, towers in the area and by discussing the route of flight with his passenger. He did not retract the landing gear following the previous runway takeoff and landed on the water with the wheels extended. The airplane immediately nosed over and came to rest inverted in the water.