Preliminary Reports

At 1634 Eastern time, the airplane was destroyed by a post-crash fire after a loss of directional control on landing rollout. Visual conditions prevailed. The private pilot and one passenger reported no injuries. The pilot later stated a gust of wind caused the left wing to come up during the rollout. He applied left aileron but there was no response and the airplane started turning to the right. He lost directional control of the airplane and it came to a stop on the runway. He and his passenger exited the airplane and observed a post-crash fire in the engine compartment. The pilot obtained a fire extinguisher from the airplane but was unable to extinguish the fire.

At 1406 Central time, the private pilot reported engine failure and ditched one mile off Panama City Beach, Fla. Visual conditions prevailed. The airplane was substantially damaged; the pilot was fatally injured and his passenger received minor injuries. According to the pilots mechanic, the pilot contacted him at approximately 1219, and requested that he prepare his airplane for a short flight. Over the next 1.5 hours, the pilot, his mechanic and line personnel experienced difficulties involving a dead battery, underinflated tires and substantial amounts of water in its fuel tanks. The pilot arrived at the airport and, after another jump start of the airplane, boarded along with his passenger. The head lineman jumped the airplane again and the engine started.

According to the pilot, he was returning to a drop zone after releasing some skydivers. On final approach to Runway 8, his airplane was gaining on a slower airplane. The pilot reduced power and raised the nose to reduce airspeed to 85 mph. The airplane was “low and slow” as he passed over a lake, so he added power but not soon enough. The airplane touched down on the lake shore short of the runway. The nose gear was torn off, both wings and wing struts were bent, the aft portion of the fuselage was buckled and the vertical stabilizer was crushed.

At 0830 Eastern time, the airplane was substantially damaged when it impacted terrain near Greenville, Penn. The private pilot was fatally injured; visual conditions prevailed. According to a family member, the pilot intended to practice touch-and-go landings and to make sure everything was functioning properly prior to a planned afternoon trip in the airplane with his family. The Experimental airplane was equipped with a non-certificated liquid-cooled, fuel-injected, turbocharged, six-cylinder engine.

The airplane was substantially damaged when it impacted terrain at 1605 Eastern time while maneuvering near Gladwin, Mich. The pilot was fatally injured. Visual conditions prevailed. Several witnesses reported seeing the airplane maneuvering over their position at a low altitude. The airplane was observed circling in a counterclockwise (left) direction prior to it descending into a wooded area. The airplanes wings quickly banked to the right and left just prior to the airplane descending vertically (nose down) into the trees.

While taxiing slowly in reduced visibility, on the taxiway centerline and using the taxi and landing lights, the pilot noticed a parked airplane to his right and applied brakes. The airplane yawed to the left and its right wing collided with the left side of the fuselage of a parked Cessna Citation. The pilot stopped the airplane, notified ground control that he had collided with another airplane and shut down.

At approximately 1115 Central time, the airplane was substantially damaged during a forced landing following a loss of engine power. The private pilot and sole occupant received serious injuries. Visual conditions prevailed. After reporting the loss of engine power, ATC cleared the pilot to land. A controller observed the airplane on short final with the landing gear still retracted. Before the controller could query the pilot about the landing gear, the pilot reported that he would not be able to land at the airport and maneuvered the airplane for an open field near the ramp of a major highway.

The aircraft was destroyed in a post-crash fire, and its commercial pilot and two passengers were fatally injured at 1315 Central time when the helicopter collided with trees and terrain after takeoff from a creek bed. Visual conditions prevailed. The helicopter was operating from a creek bed oriented approximately north/south. The creek bed was about 70 feet wide, with cliffs and tall trees on both banks. A four-strand set of power lines oriented approximately east/west crossed the creek about 125 feet above the water. Several witnesses stated that the power lines were discussed with the pilot, either one-on-one, or in groups. The pilot assured one witness “it was safe.”

At 0918 Pacific time, the airplane impacted trees about mile beyond its departure runway, coming to rest inverted in an open field. The airplane was destroyed. The commercial, instrument-rated pilot and the passenger were fatally injured. Instrument conditions prevailed for the flight to Visalia, Calif. Weather conditions at the time of the accident included calm winds were calm, mile visibility in fog and a ceiling of 100 feet. The FAAs data include a primary target dropping off the radar scope at 800 feet msl. The accident pilot was not the regular pilot for the company, but was named on the insurance policy as an approved pilot-in-command.

The airplane was substantially damaged during a forced landing at 1253 Eastern time. The commercial pilot was not injured; visual conditions prevailed. During a repositioning flight, the pilot noticed oil coming out of the engine. He decided to perform a forced landing to a field, during which the airplane impacted a tree, substantially damaging the right wing and fuselage. Examination revealed the engine crankshaft oil seal was partially dislodged, and protruding from the front of the engine case.