Preliminary Reports

At approximately 2115 mountain time, a Mooney M20C suffered a gear collapse while taxiing for take off at Boise Air Terminal/Gowan Field. The pilot and passenger were not injured. The pilot said he was taxiing for takeoff and approaching the end of the taxiway prior to turning onto the runway. He reduced power and the nose gear and left main gear collapsed without warning. The pilot also reported that the nose landing gear had collapsed after engine shutdown about two months earlier, but the reason for the nose gear collapse had not been determined….

At 0940 mountain time, a Cessna T210N was damaged during an in-flight fire while in cruise flight near Tribune. The pilot diverted to Tribune Municipal Airport and landed without further incident. The pilot reported the airplane had been in the air for more than 2.5 hours when the nose wheel suddenly extended. He diverted to Tribune and landed, but did not notice any evidence of fire until a postflight inspection revealed the cowling around the turbocharger had been consumed by fire….

At about 1100 central time, a Grumman AA-5B crashed on the runway during an aborted landing at David Wayne Hooks Memorial Airport. The pilot and passenger were not injured. The pilot said he was cleared to land behind a helicopter, which he recognized as a military CH-47 Chinook. After the Chinook landed on the numbers, the tower instructed the helicopter to air taxi to the helipads. The pilot mentioned to his passenger that they would land long to avoid rotor-wash, aiming for the IFR touch down blocks a thousand feet south of the numbers. At approximately 20 feet above the runway, the airplane encountered turbulence and the left wing violently dipped down, the left main gear hit the ground,…

At 1315 eastern time, a Cessna 205 crashed just after takeoff from Greensburg Jeannette Regional Airport, killing the pilot and three skydivers and leaving a fourth skydiver seriously injured. Witnesses said the engine began to sputter when the airplane was about a quarter mile from the runway. The pilot apparently tried to execute a turn back to land in the opposite direction, but the engine stopped sputtering and the turn was continued until the airplane was perpendicular to the runway. The airplane began to climb, then the engine ceased and the airplane crashed into trees. Examination of the wreckage found the fuel in the tanks, lines and boost pump was contaminated. The operator had been…

At approximately 1830 Pacific time, a Downer RC-3 struck trees following a takeoff run at Western Airpark. The pilot was seriously injured and the passenger was killed. The airplane had just been sold to the pilot, who was in the process of repositioning it to another airport. The airplane had not flown for approximately two years. Witnesses said the airplane did not accelerate past about 50 mph and the engine did not sound like it was producing full power during the takeoff run. The airplane went off the end of the runway, clipped trees at about 40 feet agl and went into a ravine….

At about 1950 eastern time, a Cessna 172N and a Cessna 182Q collided while in cruise flight about 300 yard east of the beach at Deerfield Beach. The collision killed the pilot and two passengers in the 172 and the pilot and passenger in the 182. Both flights had originated at Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport. The 172 took off at about 1835 and the 182 at 1940. The airplanes were flying in opposite directions. Witnesses said the southbound airplane was a little lower than the northbound airplane, and just before collision the southbound airplane banked as if to take evasive action. The raised wing struck the higher airplane and sheared off. The northbound airplane flew a little longer before…

At about 1100 Pacific time, a Beech S35 struck a tree in flight near Weed and then landed uneventfully at Colusa County Airport. The pilot was not injured. The pilot said he was cruising from Medford, Ore., to Fullerton, Calif., and he was distracted and looked down. When he looked up, he was in the clouds. He heard a loud thump or bang and immediately entered a climb. The pilot then made a planned fuel stop at Colusa and discovered that the right wing leading edge was crushed, the bottom of the right wing was punctured, and the leading edge of the right stabilizer was slightly crushed….

At approximately 1425 Pacific time, an amateur-built Vans RV-8 lost engine power in the pattern at Grants Pass Airport and struck trees, killing the pilot. The airplane, which had not flown in about a year, had taken off about five minutes earlier. The airport operations director said the pilot/owner was preparing the airplane for sale. The airplane was on downwind when the pilot reported he was having engine problems. However, the pilot extended his downwind well past the approach end of the runway, then turned back toward the airport and crashed a half-mile short of the runway….

At approximately 1630 central time, a Cessna 182H modified to fly skydivers crashed after the pilot lost control during the drop. The pilot was killed. Two parachutists were seriously injured. Two parachutists had minor injuries, and one parachutist had exited the airplane before the loss of control and was uninjured. The airplane was cruising at 3,500 to 4,000 feet when the first parachutist jumped. The airplane continued on for a few seconds, then, witnesses said, the airplane went upward then out of control in a counter-clockwise spin. During the spin, two other parachutists jumped. Post-crash examination of the wreckage showed the airplane struck the ground in a relatively flat attitud…

At about 2245 central time, a Eurocopter EC120B crashed near Boonville shortly after taking off, killing the pilot. At the time of the crash, the weather report consisted of: wind 350 at 8 knots gusting to 18; visibility 3/4 mile; heavy thunderstorms with rain and mist; broken clouds at 300 and 900 feet agl, overcast layer at 3,100 feet agl; temperature 22; dew point 21….