Preliminary Reports

The airplane was destroyed when it collided with terrain while maneuvering at approximately 1723 Central time. The flight instructor and private pilot aboard were fatally injured. Visual conditions prevailed for the post-maintenance flight. One witness heard the airplanes engine wind up hard. He later said, I turned to look at the plane, and it looked like it fell to the ground in a 45-degree angle-the plane disappeared behind a row of trees-then I saw a ball of smoke [and] heard it hit the ground. The witness also stated that he heard an airplane making circles around the airport before the crash but he was not sure it was the accident airplane. Several other people heard the airplane flying in the vicinity of the airport and reported hearing the airplanes engine missing or cutting out.

At approximately 1340 Pacific time the airplane was destroyed when it collided with mountainous terrain while maneuvering. The private pilot and his three passengers were killed. Visual conditions prevailed at the nearest official reporting station; instrument conditions prevailed in the accident area. The aircraft first contacted terrain 15 feet below the peak on the southern face of a canyon ridge at an elevation of 4800 feet msl. The wreckage distribution path extended over the peak and downslope on the northern face of the ridge. Investigators located all primary flight controls at the accident site.

At about 1130 Mountain time the airplane collided with terrain during an attempted landing. The airline transport pilot and sole occupant was not injured; the airplane sustained substantial damage. Visual conditions prevailed. According to the pilot, who was familiar with the airport, the runway was covered with two or three inches of snow and he could not easily discern its centerline. When he touched down, one of the airplanes main gear was not on the runway surface and impacted a snow-covered mound of previously plowed snow. That impact threw the airplane sideways and it collided with more previously plowed snow. All three landing gear struts collapsed and the airplanes belly sustained considerable structural damage.

At about 1748 Eastern time, the aircraft crashed in a wooded area shortly after takeoff. The private instrument-rated pilot and one passenger received fatal injuries; the airplane was destroyed. Instrument conditions prevailed. At about 1730, the airplanes engines started and it was observed taxiing. An FBO representative noticed the airplane was not on the taxiway, but on the grass area on the south side of the asphalt taxiway. At that time the ground was covered with snow and ice. The airplane taxied through a ditch, which was covered with ice and snow. It was later discovered that the airplanes left main tire broke through the ice and became stuck in the ditch.

At about 1430 Pacific time, the two aircraft collided in flight while maneuvering to land. None of the three aboard the two airplanes was injured; the Piper sustained minor damage while the Glastar was substantially damaged. Visual conditions prevailed. As the Piper approached the runway to land, its pilot heard a thump and then saw the Glastar climb out from below. He noted damage to the Glastars rudder. The Piper landed; the Glastars pilot encountered control difficulties and flew to a nearby airport for an uneventful landing.

The aircraft lost engine power during final approach and collided with the ground at 1545 Eastern time. The airplane sustained substantial damage. Visual conditions prevailed; the solo pilot was uninjured. The pilot later stated that, at about 100 feet agl, he reduced power to idle and the engine quit. He then made a forced landing short of the runway.

At about 1348 Alaska time, the airplane was substantially damaged when it collided with the ocean following loss of control shortly after takeoff. The airplane was being operated as an on-demand Part 135 charter flight. Of the 10 people aboard, the airline transport pilot and five passengers were fatally injured, three passengers sustained serious injuries and one passenger sustained minor injuries. Visual conditions prevailed.

The airplane was substantially damaged when it collided with a fence and trees during a forced landing at 1545 Eastern time. Visual conditions prevailed. The private pilot reported minor injuries. The pilot later stated he was in cruise flight at 5000 feet when the engine started to run a little rough. A short time later he smelled fuel. He opened air vents but the smell persisted. After querying ATC on the nearest airports location, the pilot observed an open field and initiated a forced landing to the field. The engine stopped less than a minute after he informed ATC that he needed to land. The airplane touched down in the field, went through a fence, collided with trees and came to a complete stop.

The airplane was substantially damaged when it crashed into Old Tampa Bay at about 1538 Eastern time. Visual conditions prevailed. The private pilot and two passengers were fatally injured. A witness reported seeing the airplane flying at an estimated altitude of 100 feet, then saw the airplane in an estimated 90-degree right bank. The airplane then rolled into a 45-degree left bank, followed by rolling wings-level. The airplane was then observed in a 10-15 degree nose-up attitude. The airplane then stalled and descended in a nose- and left-wing-low attitude.

At 0508 Hawaiian time, the aircraft was lost from radar over the ocean. The airplane was operating as an on-demand Part 135 cargo flight. The airline transport pilot was killed, and the airplane was destroyed. Night visual conditions prevailed. A witness heard a radio transmission from the flight, stating it was seven miles out. The runway lights, approach lighting system and precision approach path indicator were functioning at the time of the accident. Debris from the airplane was identified on the ocean surface at 0848. Water depths in the search area are up to 4800 feet.