Preliminary Reports

The airplane was destroyed at about 2220 Eastern time when it impacted trees and terrain while maneuvering near. The Private pilot and one passenger were fatally injured; two additional passengers were seriously injured. Night instrument conditions prevailed, although no flight plan was filed. The flight departed North Myrtle Beach, S.C., at 1934. A witness saw the accident airplane as it came toward him from the runway. He heard the airplanes engines revving, and saw the lights of the airplane coming toward him. The airplane then turned right, and disappeared from view. Shortly thereafter the witness heard the sounds of impact. The witness noted that the weather at the time of the accide…

At 0943 Pacific time, the airplane was ditched in the ocean following a loss of engine power during departure. The Instrument-rated Private pilot and one passenger sustained fatal injuries; a third occupant was not located. The airplane sustained substantial damage. Visual conditions prevailed. The airplane impacted the water about 250 yards off the Santa Monica beach. It submerged in 20 feet of water. The pilot and one occupant were recovered from the airplane. The airplane was also recovered and its engine examined. The engine case had a hole that stretched between the top cylinder base nuts of cylinders 1 and 2. The hole was approximately eight inches across and six inches at its widest…

The airplane sustained a loss of engine power after takeoff and impacted trees at about 1325 Eastern time during an instructional flight. Visual conditions prevailed; the Flight Instructor and the Student pilot were not injured. The airplane incurred substantial damage. A law enforcement officer responding to the accident scene reported that one of the pilots said the airplane engine lost power at about 300 feet after a routine touch and go landing. The pilots attempted to land on a road and impacted into trees, separating the left wing before crashing into a structure….

At about 1245 Eastern time, the airplane overran the runway and impacted a ditch. Visual conditions prevailed. The Private pilot reported no injuries; the airplane was substantially damaged. The pilot subsequently stated that during the downwind leg, he observed the engine oil pressure caution light illuminate. A moment later, the engine lost total power. He declared an emergency to ATC and landed long. The airplane overran the end of the runway and impacted a ditch before coming to a stop….

The aircraft experienced a windshield deicing mechanism fire in the cockpit shortly after takeoff at 0719 Eastern time. Visual conditions prevailed for the Part 121 scheduled passenger flight. There were no injuries reported among the captain, first officer, flight attendant or 30 passengers; the airplane sustained minor damage. According to the flight crew, while climbing through 17,000 feet, flames and smoke started shooting out of the lower left windshield. The first officer turned off the windshield heat and the flames went out, but the smoke persisted. The captain declared an emergency and landed safely….

At about 1800 Mountain time, the airplane collided with terrain during cruise flight. The Private pilot and passenger sustained fatal injuries; the airplane was destroyed. Both instrument and visual conditions prevailed along the intended route of flight. The pilot did not file a flight plan. The accident site was on a slope in mountainous terrain, comprised of soft dirt and brush. The wreckage was about 105 nautical miles from Las Vegas on a bearing of 129 degrees, and about 110 nautical miles from Scottsdale on a bearing of 313 degrees….

The airplane sustained substantial damage when it collided with the ground along the edge of a runway during final approach. The accident occurred at about 1030 Pacific time. The Commercial pilot received fatal injuries; visual conditions prevailed. Witnesses said the airplane veered to the right and nosed down, colliding with the ground about 100 feet to the right, and about 850 feet past the approach end of the runway. The airplane bounced, coming to rest within about 50 feet of the initial impact point, and about 45 degrees to the right of the runway heading….

At 1738 Pacific time, the airplane impacted terrain during an attempted takeoff. The Commercial pilot and his passenger were not injured but the aircraft sustained substantial damage. According to the pilot, he did not ensure that snow accumulating on the wings during taxi and run-up operations was fully removed prior to takeoff. During the takeoff, the aircraft did not lift off as it normally does, and the takeoff roll ended up being longer than usual. Once the pilot got the aircraft in the air, it was not climbing at an acceptable rate, so the pilot retracted the landing gear because he thought that action would help the aircraft to climb. Soon after the landing gear was retracted, the air…

The airplane sustained substantial damage following a loss of engine power and subsequent forced landing at about 1445 Mountain time. The Private pilot and the sole passenger sustained minor injuries; visual conditions prevailed. The pilot reported that, just after takeoff, when the airplane was about 200 feet above the ground, the engine began to run rough and lose power. The pilot was unable to restore engine power and selected a forced landing. According to the pilot/owner, the airplanes engine had been factory-overhauled about 20 hours of operation before the accident….

March 1, 2006, Manhattan, Kan.
Piper PA-32RT-300T
At approximately 1140 Central time, the airplane was substantially damaged when it struck several runway lights and a taxiway sign during a forced landing. Visual conditions prevailed; the Private pilot and his passenger were not injured. The cross-country flight was originating at the time of the accident. The pilot later said the engine began to surge as the airplane lifted off Runway 03. As the pilot executed a slow left turn towards Runway 13, the engine lost power. He managed to land on Runway 13, near its intersection with the departure runway, but the airplane was not aligned with the centerline. It went off the side…