Preliminary Reports

At approximately 1600 Pacific time, a Cessna 182J was damaged in a forced landing after losing engine power about four miles east of Salem. The pilot was not injured. The pilot said he was cruising at 11,500 feet when the engine slowly started losing power. Eventually the engine lost enough power that the pilot was unable to hold altitude and he found it necessary to attempt a forced landing in an open field. The touchdown was uneventful but the aircraft encountered rough terrain during the landing roll. Initial inspection revealed there were holes in the crankcase and most of the oil had escaped….

At about 0900 Alaska time, a Piper PA-18-150 was damaged during initial climb from an unimproved landing strip about 50 miles south of Aniak. The pilot was not injured. The pilot said he was on initial climb when he diverted his attention to adjust his seatback cushion, and the airplane collided with the terrain….

At 1758 eastern time, an amateur-built Lancair IV broke up in-flight in the vicinity of Allendale, killing all four occupants. Air traffic control data showed the flight was cruising at 17,000 feet when the pilot asked to deviate for weather. The controller offered the pilot a choice of deviating left or right, and provided headings. The pilot opted to go to the right. About 10 minutes later the flight was cleared to descend to 13,000 feet, then 11,000 feet in preparation for a landing in Buford. A witness sitting in his yard said it was thundering but had not started to rain. He heard an airplane approaching his location but could not see it due to the cloud cover. The engine sounded like i…

At about 2020 eastern time, an experimental Wright Model B struck trees while maneuvering at Horse Feathers Airport. The pilot suffered serious injuries. The airplane was an exact replica of the original Wright Model B, produced by the Wright Brothers. The airplane was undergoing a series of high speed taxi tests and was experiencing serious directional stability problems. While taxiing, the airplane suddenly became airborne and the pilot was not sure if he could land the airplane in the space remaining. However, he elected to maneuver for a landing attempt, but was unable to effectively control the airplane….

At about 1750 Pacific time, the unlicensed pilot of an unregistered Sabre Trike 330 lost control during an unintentional takeoff near Jean. The pilot was killed. The owner of the aircraft said the pilot was going to taxi the aircraft, but inadvertently became airborne. The owner said, after a series of up and down movements, the aircraft stalled, turned, and went straight in. The owner was not aware that the aircraft did not comply with the requirements of FAR 103, which specifies the requirements an aircraft must meet in order to operate as an ultralight vehicle….

At about 1113 eastern time, a Piper PA-28-180 struck a guy wire on a communications antenna near Bruceton Mills. The Canadian pilot was killed. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed at the site but the pilot was not instrument rated. A VFR flight plan had been filed from Clarksburg, W.Va., to Ontario, Canada, but had not been opened. The owner of the airplane said the pilot departed Pompano Beach, Fla., May 20, arriving in Clarksburg later in the day. He departed the next day at 1044 but did not contact Flight Service to open the flight plan, nor did he ask the Clarksburg Tower to open the flight plan. In addition, the transponder apparently was not turned on. The airplane struck a…

At about 1128 eastern time, a Cessna 402C on a post-maintenance test flight experienced a separation of the upper and lower link assemblies of the left main landing gear while landing at Kendall-Tamiami Executive Airport. The pilot and two passengers were not injured. The airplane was landing after a five-minute flight when it veered to the left and came to rest at the edge of the runway. The left main landing gear wheel assembly had rotated 15-20 degrees to the left from the normally installed position. The upper and lower link assemblies were not connected to each other. The airplane was towed to the ramp where the landing gear was repaired before NTSB or FAA inspection….

At 2153 mountain time, a Mooney M20K struck the ground while landing at Colorado Springs Municipal Airport. The pilot and two passengers sustained minor injuries. The pilot attempted to land on runway 35R with a 90-degree, 15-knot crosswind from the right but the airplane drifted to the left and he was worried about striking the wing on the runway. He added full power to go around, but the engine hesitated abnormally and the airplane continued to descend. He then raised the landing gear and the flaps and shut off the fuel flow. The aircraft came to rest a third of a mile northwest of the runway….

At approximately 2136 central time, a Boeing 737-300 struck runway lights during a loss of control on landing on runway 04 at the Amarillo International Airport. The five crewmembers and 63 passengers were not injured. During the instrument approach into the field, the crew reported being on the edge of a thunderstorm and said visibility was starting to deteriorate. Just before landing, the controller reported the wind from 220 at 9 knots. The airplane touched down with no perceptible drift, but then veered to the left side of the runway. The airplanes nose gear collapsed aft into the forward navigation/electronics bay, damaging the fuselage and the pressure bulkhead….

At approximately 1530 mountain time, an Engineering and Research Corporation 415D struck power lines and crashed a half mile west of Mid-Valley Airpark. The pilot and passenger were killed. Witnesses said the airplane entered a left traffic pattern for runway 36, but strong easterly crosswinds had the airplanes wings wobbling. One witness called the pilot on the radio and suggested he land on a closed runway that is normally used as a taxiway. The pilot acknowledged and made a tight turn toward the downwind leg, striking power lines with the left wing….