Preliminary Reports

The two airplanes were destroyed at 1454 Eastern time during a mid-air collision over the Everglades. The private pilot in the Piper and the student pilot in the Cessna were fatally injured. Visual conditions prevailed. The Piper was operating on an IFR flight plan. Preliminary review of ATC data reveal both airplanes had operating transponders and altitude encoders, with the Piper operating on a discreet transponder code, and the Cessna operating on the standard VFR 1200 code. Prior to the collision, the Piper was headed eastbound at 2000 feet msl and the Cessna was headed southbound. At 1453:35, the controller advised the Piper pilot of “traffic eleven oclock, two miles, southbound, altitude indicates two thousand two hundred.”

At 0752 Mountain time, the airplane collided with a hangar and was destroyed while attempting to return to its departure airport immediately after takeoff. The commercial pilot and one passenger received fatal injuries; two other passengers were uninjured. The flight was departing in a snowstorm of varying intensity and had been instructed to maintain VFR until it was able to contact ATC to open an IFR flight plan. There was no report of an ELT activation. According to the two surviving passengers, the aircraft entered a series of steep banks immediately after liftoff, and seemed to be unable to climb. Although the aircraft was shaking and shuddering, the pilot was eventually able to make a left turn and maneuver the aircraft to a downwind leg on the west side of the airport.

The airplane experienced a total loss of engine power and ditched at about 0830 Eastern time. The pilot and pilot-rated passenger received minor injuries and the airplane sustained substantial damage. Visual conditions prevailed. According to the pilot, while returning to the airport following practice maneuvers, the engine lost power. The pilot announced the loss of engine power over the Unicom radio frequency and prepared the airplane for ditching. After ditching, the pilot and passenger egressed through the cabin door, and were picked up shortly afterwards by the Coast Guard. The pilot stated that the airplane floated for about three minutes and then began to sink.

At 1648 Eastern time, the airplane departed the runway after a hard landing. The flight was a regularly scheduled passenger flight operated by Air Wisconsin. The three crew members and 31 passengers were not injured, and exited the airplane via the normal airstair door. Initial information indicates the airplane touched down hard approximately 1000-1200 feet from the runway threshold. The airplane porpoised after touchdown and exited the left side of the runway. At approximately 3000 feet from the threshold the left main gear entered the snow and grass area, and by 3200 feet, both main gear had exited the runway

At approximately 1420 Central time, the airplane was substantially damaged during a forced landing following a reported loss of engine power during cruise flight. The student pilot and sole occupant was not injured. Visual conditions prevailed. According to an FAA inspector, the aircraft sustained structural damage during the forced landing. The inspector also reported that the flights duration was about 3.2 hours, according to the airplanes Hobbs meter. The airplane came to rest in the inverted position, and the inspector was not able to determine if the airplanes fuel tanks contained fuel.

The airplane was substantially damaged at approximately 1840 Pacific time when it departed the runway during landing roll. The airline transport pilot, airline transport second pilot, and their six passengers were not injured. Visual conditions prevailed. The pilot reported the airplane rotated 90 degrees left after touchdown and continued until the aircraft departed the runway and the nose gear failed. The pilot said he was told that there was three-quarters of an inch of snow on the runway, and the wind was 80 degrees left quarterly at 19, gusting to 29 knots. After landing, he discovered that the runway had 2 inches of slush on it.

At 0722 Eastern time, the airplane was destroyed when it impacted terrain while taking off. The commercial pilot and sole occupant was fatally injured. Visual conditions prevailed. A witness observed the accident airplane in the engine run-up area. The run-up appeared normal; however, the witness noted that the airplanes flaps were extended. After the run-up, the airplane taxied toward the runway with both flaps still extended. After takeoff, the airplanes initial climbout was “normal” until it was 50 to 70 feet in the air. The airplane then entered a “slight” left bank, then made a “steep climb” to 250 to 300 feet. As it climbed, the angle of bank appeared to increase. As the airplane reached the top of its climb, the nose “came down and went straight into the ground.” Upon impact, a postcrash fire ensued.

While on final approach for a 1500-foot private turf strip, the airplane contacted trees, then utility wires and came to rest upright. During the impact, the airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage, and the pilot incurred minor injuries. The reported weather at an airport located approximately 19 miles west of the accident site, about the time of the accident, included calm winds, a broken ceiling at 9000 feet, and visibility 10 miles. Examination of the wreckage did not reveal any preimpact mechanical malfunctions, nor did the pilot report any.

The pilot reported an uneventful runup and normal takeoff. During initial climb, the engine lost power and he initiated a 180-degree turn towards the departure runway due to a lack of suitable terrain for a forced landing. During the forced landing, the airplane struck an airport perimeter fence and subsequently nosed into the ground. A post-accident inspection of the airframe and engine revealed no mechanical anomalies. The reason for the loss of engine power was undetermined.

The airplane sustained substantial damage following a landing gear collapse during the landing roll at 1248 Mountain time. The private pilot was not injured. Visual conditions prevailed. According to the pilot, he approached the airport and attempted to extend the landing gear, which did not extend. He then reset the circuit breaker and extended the gear, confirming with a green light. The airplane touched down and, approximately 50 yards down the runway, the landing gear collapsed. This event was upgraded to an accident after an FAA inspector verified structural damage on the underside of the fuselage.