Preliminary Reports

At approximately 1225 mountain time, a Cirrus SR20 struck terrain while maneuvering near Las Vegas, killing the pilot. Instrument conditions prevailed but the airplane was not on a flight plan. The pilot reportedly left Fargo, N.D., for Albuquerque and was reported overdue by a family member. An employee at the Las Vegas National Wildlife Refuge came upon the wreckage during a period of heavy fog and visibility of about 100 feet….

At approximately 1200 central time, a Piper PA-31-350 was damaged in an in-flight engine fire while in cruise flight near near Kerrville. The pilot said the airplane was approximately 25 miles out when the right engine lost power. He shut down the engine and landed without incident. Post-flight examination showed oil from the right propeller aft to the right vertical stabilizer. The outboard portion of the right flap, the right gear door and the right wing locker were destroyed by fire. In addition, there was thermal deformation of the aft right wing spar….

At 1800 Pacific time, a Cessna 172M veered off the runway during the landing rollout on runway 7 at Rosamond Airport and was damaged when the left gear collapsed. The pilot and two passengers were not injured. The pilot said the landing was normal and that the left gear collapsed when he braked to turn off the runway. An inspector detected tire signatures on the runway that were not skid marks and suggested the airspeed may have been too high to make the turnoff the pilot was trying to make. While reviewing the airplanes logbooks, the inspector noted a reference from a year ago that the firewall was wrinkled, complete with photographs. There were no logbook entries detailing repair of the f…

At 1115 Pacific time, a Bellanca 14-19 lost engine power when making a missed approach at the Napa County Airport and was ditched in San Pablo Bay. The pilot was not injured. The flight departed the Camarillo, Calif., at 0730 that morning and had diverted to Angwin during a period when Napa was below approach minimums. The flight departed Angwin at 1020 on an instrument clearance to Napa. The pilot said he departed Camarillo with full tanks, which gave him four hours of flight time plus a 45-minute reserve. The pilot said he made his approach too high and the tower controller instructed him to execute a missed approach. During the climb out the engine started to sag and the airplane would…

At 1540 mountain time, a Piper PA-28-180 ran out of fuel and crash-landed on a plateau six miles west of Vernal. The pilot and two passengers were uninjured. The pilot had planned to fly from Fort Collins, Colo., to Provo, Utah, but had landed at Laramie, Wyo., because of weather. When they resumed the trip several hours later, they again ran into weather near Vernal. The pilot deviated north and south, looking for a path around the weather. After about an hour, he began looking for an airport where he could refuel. He discussed the weather at nearby airports with another pilot on the radio and then decided to try to land at Vernal. One fuel tank ran dry when he was 15 miles from the airport…

The following briefs were selected from the 117 preliminary reports filed with the NTSB in November 2002. Statements in quotes were taken directly from the NTSB documents. The information is subject to change as the investigations are completed. Click here to view “Accident Totals, November.”

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November 01, New Braunfels, Texas
Rockwell Turbo Commander
At approximately 1550 central time, a Rockwell 690B suffered the loss of the top portion of its rudder while in cruise flight at 16,000 feet near New Braunfels. The flight landed without further incident and none of the three aboard was injured. The plot reported that…

At about 1746 central time, a Piper PA-46-350P apparently crashed while on approach to General Dewitt Spain Airport. The two occupants are missing and presumed dead and the wreckage is believed to be submerged in the Mississippi River. Radar data showed the airplane flying a GPS approach to runway 16 but zig-zagging across the final approach course. It appeared to turn as depicted on the approach plate for a missed approach about a half-mile from the threshold, but then it dropped off radar at a point that corresponds to the river. …

At approximately 1351 central time, a Cessna 152 landed without incident at David Wayne Hooks Airport after the pilot occupying the left seat departed the airplane during descent near Prairie View. The flight instructor in the right seat landed without further incident. The aircraft operator and the flight instructor said the pilot scheduled flight instruction and said he had an ear operation and needed to see how his ears would feel at altitude before he went for an FAA medical certificate. He also stated that he was contemplating doing some aerial photography, and wanted to see how the aerial visibility was from a Cessna 152. During preflight, the private pilot requested to not wear the sh…

At about 0800 Pacific time, a Beech A36 collided with power lines during an instrument departure climb to VFR conditions on top from the Chino Airport. The pilot and two passengers were not injured. The pilot said he was on top of the fog, looked down at his instruments, and then looked up and saw the power lines. The airplane crashed in a pasture approximately 1 1/2 miles southwest of the airport….

At about 1445 eastern time, a Boeing A75 crashed after losing engine power near Glade Spring. The pilot and passenger suffered minor injuries. The accident airplane was part of a three-airplane formation that had conducted a fly-by at a nearby Veterans Day celebration. At the completion of the fly-by, the three airplanes headed back to their departure airport, Abingdon, Va. Two airplanes continued on to Abingdon but the pilot of the accident airplane broke formation, descended and conducted low-level maneuvering below what witnesses said was the level of the surrounding hills. The pilot said he was maneuvering at a low altitude when the engine lost power. There was no suitable terrain nearby…