Preliminary Reports

At 2145 central time, a Cessna 172P crashed at Sheboygan Municipal Airport, killing the pilot and passenger. The pilot departed for Wausau into a heavy ground fog that limited visibility to 30 to 50 feet. No flight plan was filed, and it was unknown whether the pilot was instrument rated….

At about 2300 eastern time, a Piper PA-28-180 lost power shortly after departing from Orange Country Airport and was damaged when it hit a drainage ditch on landing. The flight instructor and student pilot were not injured. The instructor said they had completed a 1-hour cross-country flight and were planning to practice takeoffs and landings. During the departure, the airplane climbed to 300 feet agl and lost power. Inspection revealed the fuel line between the fuel pump and the carburetor was loose at the connection point on the carburetor. Blue stains were observed on the outer skin of the airplane, from the firewall area aft about 4 feet aft. The airplane had accumulated about 20 hours o…

About 1630 eastern time, a Brantly B-2B crashed shortly after takeoff. The pilot and pilot-rated passenger received minor injuries. The pilot/owner said he had flown his helicopter to Lantana to sell it, with the passenger on board to learn the helicopter so he could give flight instruction to the prospective buyer. When the flight instructor arrived, the pilot said he noted that the passenger was heavier that the 150 pounds he had previously been told and the helicopter would be slightly overweight. He told the passenger that all they could do were some hovering maneuvers until they burned off enough fuel to get the weight down. He also stated he demonstrated some maneuvers and then turned…

At about 1515 eastern time, a Beech A36 crashed while on approach to Monmouth Executive Airport, killing the pilot and leaving the pilot-rated passenger with serious injuries. The turboprop Bonanza had departed Sarasota, Fla., at about 1015. The airplane was on an IFR flight plan for Bridgeport, Conn., when the pilot told the controller he wanted to deviate to Farmingdale for fuel. The propeller was found feathered and only traces of fuel were found at the crash site. The pilot reported 21,600 hours of flight experience, which included 75 hours during the previous 6 months….

At approximately 1330 Pacific time, a Beechcraft F-35 ditched in the water near Anacortes after experiencing a complete loss of engine power about 10 minutes after takeoff from Skagit Regional Airport. The pilot said he planned to fly around the local area for about 45 minutes. But while moving the fuel tank selector lever, he inadvertently turned the fuel selector to the OFF position. The engine quit and the pilot moved the selector back to the left main tank, but the engine did not restart because the pilot had forgotten to activate the fuel wobble-pump….

At about 1430 eastern time, a Cessna 140 was damaged during a go-around from a simulated forced landing in Suffolk. The pilot was not injured. The pilot said he departed his home base in Franklin and flew to Norfolk for maintenance. After the maintenance was completed, he flew to Suffolk, where he performed three touch and go landings, after which he planned to return to Franklin. En route to Franklin he elected to perform a simulated forced landing to a wheat field. The pilot said he brought the airplane down to just above the top of the wheat field and then added power, but the wheels made contact with the top of the wheat and crashed….

At about 1206 mountain time, a Hughes OH 6A collided with terrain near Pan Tak after becoming uncontrollable in flight. The pilot suffered minor injuries and a second crew member was seriously injured. The U.S. Border Patrol helicopter was flying at about 300 feet agl when the pilot heard a bang and the aircraft became uncontrollable. Inspection of the wreckage found the tail rotor gearbox and tail rotor blade assembly were missing from the tail boom. During the search for the components, a U.S. Border Patrol flight jacket was found about 0.7 miles from the accident site. It was shredded and had paint transfers that matched the tail rotor blades….

At 1100 eastern time, an American General AG5B struck a parked Beechcraft A90 King Air after the pilot hand-propped the engine at Michael J. Smith Field. The pilot and passenger received no injuries. The pilot said attempts to start the airplane were unsuccessful due to a low battery. He primed the engine and opened the throttle approximately a quarter inch and instructed his passenger to hold the brakes while he spun the prop. After the engine started, the airplane began to move and the pilot attempted to board the airplane but failed….