Preliminary Reports

At about 14:40 PST, two North American T-28, operating as a flight of two aircraft, were destroyed when they impacted terrain during cruise flight near Joshua Tree. Both pilots were killed. The flight departed Van Nuys, Calif., at 13:51 en route for Thermal, Calif. A witness 13 miles from the crash site reported seeing the planes at 14:30 flying southeast at about 5,000 feet agl. The accident site is in mountainous terrain at 5,300 feet msl. Weather near the accident site at the time consisted of overcast clouds with the tops of the mountains intermittently obscured in clouds, snow, and light rain. Scattered clouds locally obscured lower terrain….

At about 12:20 EST, the pilot of a Cessna 414A was killed when the airplane crashed into water -mile offshore. The flight was en route from Hyannis, Mass., to New Bedford, Mass., when the pilot reported that hed lost the artificial horizon and was in IMC. At 12:19:18, the controller issued the pilot a low altitude alert, which the pilot acknowledged. A witness about 1 mile north of the accident site stated he heard the sound of engine noise coming from the water and thought it was a power boat. He described the sound as loud and constant. The sound lasted for about 30 seconds and was followed by an explosive collision/impact sound, then all was quiet. A Coast Guard searcher said that vis…

At about 21:57 EST, a Cessna 210J encountered icing at 10,000 feet. He requested a descent to 4,000 feet and activated the alcohol anti-ice system. The weather at Gaylord was 800 overcast, 4 miles visibility, light freezing drizzle, and wind 200 degrees at 10 knots with gusts to 17 knots. The pilot said the ILS approach was normal but during the flare he realized that only the approach lights were on and that the runway lights were off. He said he had no visual reference to the runway. The airport manager said there are two receivers that work on the same frequency to activate airport lighting. One receiver the Federal Aviation Administration maintains for the approach lights. The other rece…

At 17:43 EST, a homebuilt RV-6 crashed in Beards Creek near Lee Airport in Annapolis, Md. The pilot was killed. The flight originated at the Lantana (Fla.) Airport at 09:30 with an intended destination of Annapolis. Investigators determined that the pilots flight plan included fuel stops in Brunswick, Ga., and Elizabethtown, N.C. In fact, the pilot purchased 21.7 gallons of fuel in Brunswick but there were no records of an additional fuel stop. Witnesses near the crash site reported hearing a low-flying plane whose engine was sputtering. Searchers found the airplane at about 03:00 the following morning. There was no external evidence of any catastrophic engine failure….

At 13:22 EST, a Cessna 150 was destroyed during landing at the Burnt Chimney Airport but the pilot was not injured. The pilot said he was attempting to land on runway 6, a 1,800-foot grass runway surrounded by trees, with a left quartering tailwind. He touched down approximately 900 feet beyond the approach end of the runway. The airplane struck trees at the end of the runway, on the right side. At 13:54, winds at an airport about 16 miles to the southeast were recorded as being from 260 at 19 knots, gusting to 24 knots….

At 11:53 MST, a Cessna 172P collided with a Cessna TR182 while entering the traffic pattern. The student in the 172 and the licensed student pilot in the 182 were killed, and the flight instructor in the 182 suffered serious injuries. Both aircraft were destroyed. The 172 was returning for landing and the 182 was departing the traffic pattern at the time of the accident….

At about 13:45 EST, the pilot of an American AA-1 Yankee was killed when the airplane crashed into a river shortly after takeoff from Danielson Airport. Witnesses reported the pilot initiated a steep climb, at which point the engine cut out and the airplane descended into the river. An annual inspection had been completed recently, and the mechanic stated that the airplane was in mint condition. The airplane received a supplemental type certificate to replace the original engine with a Lycoming O-320. The airplane did not have an STC to use auto gas, yet inspectors discovered a strong odor of automobile gas at the scene. The pilot previously held a commercial pilot certificate that was s…

At 15:15 PST, a Cessna T210L crashed into a school building, killing the passenger and seriously injuring the pilot. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. Family members said the flight had originated at Watsonville, Calif., and was destined for Little River, Calif. Due to weather conditions at Little River, the pilot landed at Petaluma, Calif., for lunch and was returning to Watsonville at the time of the accident….

At approximately 11:00 CST, a Cessna 172N struck power lines during cruise flight in IMC. The non-instrument rated pilot and his passenger were killed. The flight originated at Ellington Field near Houston at 10:44. ATC records showed the pilot requested a southeast departure, and was cleared for takeoff. Ellington weather included scattered clouds at 400 feet and 1,600 feet, with reduced visibility to the south. A witness said he observed the airplane come out of the fog and hit a power line and tumble to the ground. The witness said he was unable to see the top of the tower supporting the power line due to the fog and low visibility. The accident occurred approximately 10 miles southeast…

About 19:02 EST, a Cessna 402B on a training flight was lost from radar and is presumed destroyed in Lake Okeechobee, about 12 miles northwest of the Pahokee Airport. The three occupants are presumed dead. The flight originated from Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport and proceeded directly to the Pahokee VOR, where it tracked outbound on the 334 radial (the instrument procedure for the VOR approach calls for the 342 radial). The last radar contact showed them at an altitude of 1,300 feet agl, 12 miles out along the 334-degree radial. Searchers recovered an airplanes nose cone, and a positive identification was made by the airlines chief operating officer….