Preliminary Reports

At 0740 central time, a Piper PA-28-180 crashed shortly after takeoff from runway 18 at Lees Summit Municipal Airport. The pilot and passenger were killed. Weather at the time was reported as visibility 1 miles in mist and an overcast at 100-600 feet agl, averaging 300 feet. The 228-hour pilot was not instrument-rated….

At 0600 eastern time a Piper PA-32RT-300 ditched in the Atlantic Ocean, killing all five aboard. The aircraft was flying from Freeport, Bahamas, to West Palm Beach, Fla., when it disappeared from radio and radar contact. The Coast Guard recovered three victims and about 300 pounds of aircraft debris. The other two victims are presumed dead. The depth of the water in the search area was about 2100 feet….

At 1520 central time, a Piper PA-20 collided with the runway following an abrupt maneuver while landing on runway 27 at Wittman Regional Airport. The pilot suffered a minor injury and the passenger was not injured. The accident occurred during the EAA AirVenture 2002 convention. The airplane was cleared to land on runway 27 and the passenger yelled that there was another airplane in their flight path. The pilot pulled back on the control yoke in order to avoid the other airplane. The airplane stalled and struck the runway. The other airplane had been cleared to land runway 18. Air Traffic Control was operating under the VFR Arrival Yellow Flow procedures as outlined in the AirVenture Notam….

At approximately 1205 mountain time, a Cessna 172S was damaged making a forced landing in a box canyon near Georgetown. The pilot and his passenger were not injured. The pilot said he performed a forced landing on a ski run at the end of a box canyon. The density altitude was calculated to be 14,982 feet and Cessna lists the airplanes service ceiling as 14,000 feet….

At about 1340 Alaska time, a Cessna 172 collided with a Piper PA-31-350 at Fairbanks International Airport. No one was injured. The Cessna was taxiing for takeoff and the Piper was taxiing to parking. The pilot of the Cessna said he was taxiing northbound on Delta to runway 19L. As he passed by intersection Romeo, the Piper struck his left wing. The pilot of the Piper said she landed on runway 19R and was instructed by the ground controller to taxi to parking. She was taxiing slowly on Romeo and turning left onto Delta when the airplanes collided. Both pilots commented that construction activity in the area complicated taxi operations. The area in which the collision took place is considere…

At 1202 central time, a Cessna 172 overran the runway at Denton Municipal Airport and struck localizer antennae. The pilot suffered minor injuries and the passenger was killed. The 2,000-hour pilot said he was distracted by an airplane taking off, bounced twice and didnt touch down until only about 270 feet remained on the 6,000-foot runway. The airplane struck several antennae and stopped 412 feet past the end of the runway….

At 1130 central time, a Grumman American AA-5B struck fence posts while attempting to land on a road near Spicewood. The pilot was not injured. The pilot said he had never been to Spicewood and was being vectored to the airport by ATC when he mistook a road for the runway and landed the airplane. During the landing roll, the airplane veered left and struck 12 fence posts….

At about 1115 Pacific time, a Cessna T210M suffered a landing gear failure and departed the runway at Nevada County Air Park. The pilot and two passengers were not injured; a third passenger suffered minor injuries. The pilot reported touching down normally and hearing a metallic clank when the right main gear touched down. He immediately pulled back on the yoke and the airplane briefly became airborne again, then he let the airplane settle back to the runway. At that point, the airplane departed the runway to the right. Broken wheel components were found on the runway….

At about 0940 eastern time, a Boeing A75N1 lost engine power and was damaged during the ensuing forced landing near Samuels Field Airport. The pilot and passenger sustained minor injuries. The pilot said the airplane lost power about 400 feet agl shortly after takeoff. The pilot had recently purchased the airplane at an estate sale and it had been in storage for about 12 years. A mechanic had installed a new carburetor and two new magnetos. Post-crash inspection showed large amounts of water in the wing tanks, milky white fuel, debris-clogged spark plug gaps, and carbon and rust deposits in the oil screen….

At 1445 central time, a Piper Cherokee 140 struck a line of trees 400 feet from the departure end of runway 18 at El Dorado Springs Memorial Airport. The airplane landed on runway 18 and backtaxied to the intersection of runway 4-22 before initiating the takeoff run. Approximately 1,830 feet was available from the intersection. The pilot suffered minor injuries and the passenger sustained serious injuries….