Preliminary Reports

At 1130 Pacific time, a Mooney M20J lost power on initial climb and crashed near Fullerton Municipal Airport. The pilot and passenger were not injured. Inspection revealed about 30 ounces of water in the right fuel tank and water in the fuel distribution valve. The fuel selector was on the right tank….

At about 1955 eastern time, a Mooney M20R crashed into the Atlantic Ocean about five miles south of Marthas Vineyard Airport. The pilot and a passenger were presumed killed. The airplane was cleared for the VOR Runway 6 approach and descended to about 200 feet, and then began a climbing right turn to an altitude of 700 feet before radar contact was lost. A pilot who had landed at MVY about 15 minutes prior to the accident using the same approach said he had no problems tracking the VOR. His flight broke out at 700 feet with 2 to 3 miles of visibility in moderate rain. The accident pilot reported two miles out and asked if someone could confirm the runway lights were on, but they were not. T…

At about 1540 eastern time, a Beagle B.206 Basset crashed in West Carrollton while on a ferry flight to Easton, Md. The pilot was killed. The airplane had been parked at Moraine Airpark for about six months. The pilot obtained a ferry flight permit to move the airplane, which was out of annual. A mechanic who helped prepare the airplane for flight reported draining about 2.5 gallons of water from the airplanes center sump drain. It was then fueled with 224.5 gallons of avgas and the pilot prepared for departure. A witness said the engines sounded like they were running smoothly but not developing full power. When the airplane was about three-fourths of the way down the 3,500-foot runway, it…

At approximately 1440 central time, a Cirrus SR-22 crashed following an in-flight separation of the left aileron during cruise flight near Lewisville. The pilot activated the airplanes parachute and was not injured. The pilot said the airplane had been in for completion of Cirrus service bulletin 22-95-05, which called for replacement of the parachute activation cable, and SB A22-27-03, which called for replacement of the trim cartridge self-locking nut. The pilot conducted a preflight inspection and took off. A few minutes after takeoff, the pilot noticed the airplane was pulling to the left and discovered the left aileron was separated at one hinge attach point. He declared an emergency,…

At 0830 central time, a Mooney M20K struck trees during a go-around at Birdwin Airport. The pilot and three passengers were not injured. The pilot said he overflew the 2,200-foot turf runway 03 prior to landing and noticed no hazards or standing water. He made the second approach and landed, but the airplane was not slowing down. With heavy braking the airplane started to skid. The pilot abandoned the landing and applied full power. During initial climb the left wing struck a bush. The airplane pivoted to the left and struck an embankment….

At about 1057 eastern time, a Beech K-35 broke up in flight and crashed on Pine Mountain near Jellico. The pilot was killed. The airplane was en route at 9,000 feet when Indianapolis Center handed the flight off to Atlanta Center. The pilot did not respond. Radar data showed the southbound flight made a brief descending right turn before climbing back to 9,000 feet. The airplane was then heading north-northeast and disappeared from radar while at a Mode C indicated altitude of 7,700 feet….

At approximately 1300 mountain time, a Mooney M20K struck a fence during a runway overrun after landing at Madison County Airport. The pilot and three passengers were not injured. The pilot said he landed long and fast and was unable to get the aircraft stopped by the time it reached the end of the 4,200-foot runway. As the airplane approached a fence past the departure end of the runway, the pilot attempted to make it the airplane hop over the fence. The aircrafts landing gear caught on the fence. The pilot reported no pre-accident mechanical anomalies….

At 0950 eastern time, a Beech 58 was damaged while landing at Lehigh Valley International Airport. The pilot was not injured. The pilot reported landing without incident but then raising the landing gear switch instead of the flaps during the rollout. The landing gear retracted and the airplane slid to a stop on the runway, suffering damage to the left wing spar during the sequence….

At 2030 eastern time, a Cessna 177RG lost engine power and made a forced landing in South Vienna. The pilot and passenger were seriously injured. The pilot said he was about seven miles from his destination of Madison County Airport at 2,500 feet when he noticed a burning smell and the engine lost power. He determined he could not make the airport and aimed at a dark patch on the ground. The airplane then impacted a soybean field in a nose-down attitude. Examination of the engine revealed the dual magneto had backed off its mounting bracket on the engine and was lying in the engine cowling. The attaching hardware for the magneto was not located….

At approximately 0800 mountain time, a Mooney M20B was damaged during a forced landing on rocks near Loa. The pilot and passenger were not injured. The pilot said the engine quit about 15 minutes after departure, shortly after he slid his seat back to retrieve something from the back seat. During the forced landing, rocks ripped open the wing and damaged the nose gear. Examination of the airplane revealed the fuel selector valve, which is located under the pilots seat, was between the right and off positions….