Preliminary Reports

At 1026 Eastern time, the airplane was destroyed during an in-flight collision with terrain and post-impact fire. Visual conditions prevailed. The pilot sustained fatal injuries. The flight had departed the airport just prior to the accident. A flight instructor and his student had just completed a landing and throttled up for takeoff when they heard a pilot transmit “Aircraft on [runway] 9, I need the runway.” The flight instructor reported the accident airplane came into view through the rear window of his airplane and was in a 45-degree bank, with the nose pitched down about 15 degrees.

At 1545 Mountain time, the airplane collided with terrain during takeoff. The commercial pilot and two passengers sustained serious injuries; the airplane sustained substantial damage. Visual conditions prevailed. A witness reported the airplane landed at about 1520. During the landing, the airplane bounced on the runway and the engine lost power. The pilot could not restart the engine so the airplane was towed to the fueling area. The fuel tanks were filled to capacity; the engine started without difficulty and the pilot then departed at 1545. The witness saw the airplane go down the runway and noted there was no change in engine power.

At about 1852 Eastern time, the airplane went off the right side of the runway during the landing rollout. The airplane received substantial damage. Visual conditions prevailed. The private pilot and one passenger reported no injuries. The pilot later stated he made two visual approaches and go-arounds due to the airplane being too high. On the third approach, the airplane bounced and touched down on the runway 1300 feet past the landing threshold. He aligned the airplane with the centerline of the runway and applied upward pressure on the manual brake to slow the airplane. After reapplying brake pressure without response, the pilot observed the brake cable had separated and began S-turning the airplane in an attempt to stop.

The airplane was destroyed when it impacted terrain at about 0915 Mountain time. The instrument-rated private pilot and the three passengers were fatally injured. Instrument conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. Air traffic control tapes showed the airplane on radar from 0840 to 0902. The last radar contact was approximately 30 miles north of the accident site, at 11,800 feet. There was no record of voice communications between the pilot and ATC. Examination of the airplane and accident site indicates the airplane was approximately 55 degrees nose low when it impacted terrain at a 12,300-foot elevation. Flight control continuity was confirmed to all flight control surfaces. All three propeller blades showed evidence of chord-wise scratches and leading edge chips.

The airplane was destroyed when it impacted trees and terrain while maneuvering. The airline transport pilot was fatally injured. Visual conditions prevailed for the local air show flight. The accident flight was a simulated dogfight. The other airplane participating was a Fokker DR-1. According to the Fokker pilot, he and the accident pilot performed a series of 360-degree turns and lead changes. Both airplanes then turned away from each other. As the Fokker pilot turned back around toward the show line, he noticed the Nieuport beginning a left turn. He looked away for a moment and then saw the Nieuport in a spin before disappearing into trees. The wreckage was consumed by a post-impact fire.

The pilot was landing to refuel. During the first attempt, he flared too high and aborted the landing. During the second landing attempt, the airplane veered to the left. The pilot added full power to go around. The airplane turned to the right, but the left wing rose and the airplane nosed down. The right and left wing tips impacted the runway as the airplane skidded down it for approximately 300 feet. The pilot had three hours of time in the airplane make/model.

The airplane experienced a loss of engine power on takeoff at about 1725 Mountain time and made a forced landing in a field. The certified flight instructor (CFI) and the student pilot sustained minor injuries; the airplane sustained substantial damage. Visual conditions prevailed. This was the first flight of the aircraft that day. The airplane could not maintain altitude. During the landing, the airplanes wheels sank into mud and the airplane nosed over. The CFI stated the fuel tanks were full before takeoff, and carburetor heat was off during the takeoff and emergency landing.

At 1008 Mountain time, the airplane was substantially damaged when its engine lost power and it landed short of the runway. Visual conditions prevailed. There were no injuries to the pilot and his passenger. According to the pilot, he was on final approach and, when he tried to adjust the power setting with throttle, the engine did not respond. He made a forced landing on uneven terrain short of the runway.

The commercial pilot was maneuvering the helicopter over a rice field when the tail rotor “dipped into the rice causing it to fail.” As a result, he lost control of the helicopter and it impacted the ground hard, causing the main rotor blade to flex and sever the tail boom.

At 1439 Pacific time the airplane was substantially damaged when it impacted trees while maneuvering. The commercial pilot and two passengers were killed. Visual conditions prevailed. The left and right wing were found separated from the fuselage and were located within the approximate 200-foot wreckage debris path. All primary flight controls were located at the accident site.