Preliminary Reports

At 0930 eastern time, a Cessna 150M was damaged during an aborted takeoff from a grass field in Jetersville. The pilot was not injured. The pilot said he landed in the field about 0900 and had previously operated from the field without any problems. He described the field as approximately 1,800 feet long and covered with grass that was approximately 4 to 5 inches high. At about 0930, he initiated his takeoff but the airplane would not accelerate past 50 knots. He decided to abort the liftoff, but the tires slid in the grass, which was wet from the morning dew, and the airplane slid into trees….

At 1028 eastern time, a Cessna 180D amphibian was damaged while departing from Moosehead Lake. The pilot and passenger received minor injuries. The pilot reported that he had no aileron control as he took off from the lake. Inspection revealed a turnbuckle had separated from the right aileron cable. The turnbuckle was not safety-wired. The aileron cables had been replaced at the previous annual inspection, which had take place about 55 hours earlier….

At 1900 central time, an Aero Commander 680 suffered a loss of control while landing at Williams Airport. The pilot was not injured. The pilot was landing on runway 17 (3,594 feet long by 35 feet wide) when the airplane went off the runway and hit a runway light. The pilot reported that he hit a gust of wind while landing. Weather at an airport 11 miles away was reported as wind from 130 degrees at 9 knots….

At 1500 Pacific time, a Cessna 210L struck trees about a quarter mile north of the approach end of runway 10R at Monterey Peninsula Airport. The pilot and two passengers suffered serious injuries. The flight was en route IFR from Salinas, Calif., to Monterey when the pilot declared an emergency due to an engine failure. He then executed an emergency landing short of the runway. Witnesses said there was trace of fuel at the accident site….

At about 1407 eastern time, a float-equipped Piper J5A was damaged in a hard landing at Jack Browns Seaplane Base. The pilot was not injured. The pilot and another person had recently purchased the airplane and then installed floats. On the accident flight the pilot had been performing high-speed taxi tests and decided to take off. When the airplane was about 300 feet above the water the engine sputtered. At about 20 feet above the water, the airplane stalled and struck the water right wing low. A witness said the pilot flared too high. Postaccident examination revealed the gascolator was approximately half full of water. The engine operated normally in tests….

At 0928 eastern time a Mooney M20C crashed into trees while the pilot was searching for a private grass strip in Monticello. The pilot was killed. Instrument conditions prevailed at the time, but the flight was not operating under IFR. A witness said the weather was foggy and he heard the airplane but could barely see it as it flew over him at low altitude. Another witness said he had been waiting for the pilot to meet him at his private airstrip about a quarter mile from were the accident occurred….

At 1545 Pacific time, an Aviat Pitts S-2C was damaged when it crashed inverted after dragging a wing during an air show at Moffett Federal Airfield. The pilot suffered minor injuries. The pilot said he was executing a series of low altitude slow rolls, about 35 feet agl, when the left wing contacted the runway. The airplane descended to the runway inverted and slid to a stop….

At about 1323 eastern time, a Mooney M20J crashed into the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Florida after the pilot reported medical difficulties in-flight. The pilot was presumed to have been killed. The flight originated about 1250 from Palm Beach International Airport. Controllers said the pilot was flying VFR to Fort Pierce, Fla., and radar services were terminated about 1301. About 10 minutes later the pilot came back up on the approach frequency and advised he was returning to Palm Beach due to an unspecified problem. The controller questioned if the pilot needed assistance and he responded that he had a severe headache at the base of his neck. The controller advised the pilot of a clos…

At 1831 Pacific time, an experimental Smith Miniplane DSA1 struck the ground while maneuvering near Lake Wohlford Airport. The pilot died the next day. A witness said he saw the airplane about 200 feet agl passing over the airport too fast and not at a normal landing attitude. At about 50 feet agl over the runway, the airplane did what the witness described as a barrel roll to the left and struck the ground. An acquaintance of the pilot said the pilot commonly did aerobatic maneuvers in his airplane, usually at about 400 feet agl….

At 1545 central time a Piper PA-28-140 lost engine power on approach to Collegedale Municipal Airport and was damaged in the forced landing. The pilot suffered minor injuries. The flight was a maintenance test flight following the installation of a newly overhauled engine. About 12 minutes into the flight, the engine lost power and seized….