Preliminary Reports

At about 1148 eastern time, a Piper PA-23-160 crashed in a residential area while returning to land at West Palm Beach County Park Airport. The pilot and passenger were killed. The pilot contacted Palm Beach Approach shortly after taking off from Lantana and requested flight following to Everglades City. Shortly after this the pilot reported that he needed to return to Lantana. Shortly after this the pilot transmitted on the Unicom frequency that he was 4 miles southwest of the airport, inbound for landing on one engine. Witnesses reported seeing the airplane on downwind abeam the end of runway 27 at about 400 feet. The airplane then turned base leg for runway 27 and continued to lose altitu…

At 0953 Pacific time, an amateur-built Thorpe T-18 rolled over and landed inverted at Compton/Woodley Airport, killing the pilot. The airplane had been flying for about 40 minutes, making several takeoffs and landings. The pilot of a Robinson helicopter, also in the pattern, said the Thorpe pilot was announcing his intentions on the common frequency. Meanwhile, an EC-135 helicopter called, reporting two miles east of the airport for a straight-in approach to runway 25R. The Robinson pilot said the other helicopter and the Thorpe arrived at the runway at about the same time. The Robinson pilot said he transmitted a warning to the pilots to watch out. When the two aircraft were about 100 fee…

At about 1015 eastern time, a Rockwell 112A burned after a forced landing near Hanscom Field. The two pilots received minor injuries. The pilots reported being in cruise flight when they noticed smoke in the cockpit. The shut down the electrical system, and then the engine began to vibrate. They shut down the engine so it wouldnt vibrate off the frame and then noted a fire had started in the engine compartment. The pilots opted to land on a flat area on the Concord River floodplain, but the airplane hit the tops of trees about 100 yards prior to reaching the floodplain, and a tree bent over and deposited the airplane on the ground upright. The airplane was consumed by fire….

At about 1235 eastern time, a Gates Learjet 35A was damaged when taxiing after landing at Akron-Canton Regional Airport. The pilot and co-pilot were not injured. The pilot said the taxi from the runway to the ramp was normal. After making a 90-degree turn onto the ramp, the airplane began to slide on top of an ice layer. The brakes were ineffective and the co-pilot shut down the engines. Due to the downward slope of the ramp area and the wind conditions, however, the airplane continued to accelerate and struck a concrete retaining wall. An FAA inspector noted that the ramp area was covered with a 1-inch layer of smooth clear ice. Winds at the time were from 300 degrees at 16 knots, with 27-k…

At 0854 Pacific time, a Wing Aircraft D-1 crashed in the desert about 11 nm from Rosamond. The ATP certificated instructor and student pilot were killed. The student was enrolled in a preparatory course at a civilian test pilot school prior to beginning an 11-month-long test pilot program. The accident flight was part of the courses multiengine aircraft familiarization training and, according to the lesson plan and flight card, was to include stalls and Vmc maneuvers. Investigators used airport surveillance radar from the High Desert Tracon at Edwards AFB to identify the flight track of the accident airplane. The airplanes track indicated maneuvers between 6,000 and 5,200 feet msl over 2,6…

At about 1708 Pacific time, a Piper PA-28R-200 collided with hilly terrain about six miles southwest of Chino while en route from Long Beach to Corona, Calif. The pilot and passenger were killed. Instrument conditions prevailed in the area. The airplane departed Long Beach in VFR conditions with a 1,300-foot overcast. At 1653 the pilot requested a transition through the Fullerton airspace, which was VFR with a 1,700-foot overcast.. At 1700, the pilot requested a frequency change from the Fullerton frequency. The last recorded radar contact was 1707. The Long Beach and Corona airports are separated by a range of low hills, which rise to 1,781 feet msl. The accident site was located at an elev…

At about 0630 Pacific time, an Iniziative Industriali Sky Arrow 650 TC crashed on takeoff from the Placerville Airport. The pilot was killed. An arriving aircraft spotted the airplane wreckage off a steep slope on the southern side of runway 23 at about 1100. Rescue crews found the airplane 100 yards down the slope where it had collided with a large oak tree. The flight control surfaces were in working order and there was fuel in the tanks. According to the Airport Operations Officer, the accident pilot usually left Placerville early on Monday mornings for the San Francisco Bay area. Local pilots said that there was heavy frost and light ice on other planes at the airport during the early mo…

At 1756 central time, a Piper PA-28-140 was destroyed following a loss of control during a dark night approach to the Livingston Municipal Airport in high winds. The pilot was killed and the student pilot-rated passenger was seriously injured. Witnesses reported that the airplane was flying at a low altitude before colliding with a tree and power lines. The airplane came to rest approximately 2,600 feet southeast of the approach end to runway 30. At 1750, a wind monitor located about one mile from the accident site registered 42 mph northerly winds with maximum wind speed of 52 mph. According to local law enforcement officials, the 70-hour private pilot was seated in the right seat, and the…

At about 1245 eastern time, a Beech BE-55 was substantially damaged in a hard landing at Stroudsburg-Pocono Airport. The pilot was not injured. According to the pilot, the airplane ballooned during the landing flare. The pilot applied a nose down correction and subsequently landed hard on the nose landing gear, which collapsed. When asked what could have been done to prevent the accident, the pilot stated that he should have performed a go-around….

At approximately 1234 central time, a Beech H35 was destroyed when it crashed on a visual approach to the Mena Intermountain Municipal Airport. The pilot was killed. The pilot had received a weather briefing for the 129 nautical mile cross-country flight. He did not file a flight plan but was reported to have received VFR radar advisories from Memphis Center during cruise flight. After radar services were terminated, Memphis Center continued to monitor the flight on radar until radar contact was lost 11 nautical miles northeast of the Mena Airport. No distress calls were received from the pilot. The pilots wife reported the airplane as overdue.The wreckage was located the following morning…