Preliminary Reports

At 10:24 PST, a Cessna 172N was damaged during a takeoff attempt at Concord, when it ran off the departure end of the runway and collided with a fence. The airline transport-rated pilot received minor injuries. The pilot told investigators he had failed to remove the control gust lock prior to the takeoff attempt….

At about 15:10 Alaska daylight time, a Bellanca 7GCBC lost power after takeoff and nosed over during the ensuing forced landing. No one was hurt. Inspectors removed the carburetor and found about 10 cc of rusty water, along with clean fuel, in the airplanes carburetor float bowl….

At 18:59 CDT, a Cessna 182A jump plane crashed and burned shortly after takeoff from Coulter Field Airport. The pilot and four parachutists were killed. Witnesses said the airplane climbed to about 300 to 400 feet agl, then banked right and nosed down. One witness said the aircraft made one complete turn before it descended from his view. The engine was sent to the manufacturer for a detailed examination….

At 15:00 EST, a Mooney M20J was damaged during a forced landing near New Milford. The pilot was not injured. The pilot said the airplane had experienced a propeller strike in September, and the engine was sent to the manufacturer for a teardown inspection. On the day of the accident the pilot arrived at Danbury to see if the airplane was ready to be flown after having the original engine and a new three bladed propeller installed. The engine had been test run for 0.4 hours without producing any leaks or anomalies. The pilot completed extensive run-up checks and was cleared for departure. The takeoff was uneventful, and the pilot executed a closed traffic pattern to a touch-and-go. He depar…

At about 17:50 EDT, the pilot of a Cessna 182R was killed when the plane struck a communications tower near Killingworth. IMC prevailed and an IFR flight plan had been filed. The airplane was issued a clearance to execute the VOR approach to Chester Airport at 17:43 and the pilot acknowledged the clearance and canceled IFR. The aircraft struck a tower that reached to 866 feet msl, located about 2.6 miles from the airport. A witness who recorded the condition of the tower lighting daily stated that fog obscured the top of the tower at the time of the accident….

At 18:00 CDT, a Bellanca 8KCAB Super Decathlon crashed near Atlanta, killing the pilot and seriously injuring the passenger. A witness said the pilot performed a loop, immelman, a couple of hammerhead stalls and a couple of rolls and returned to the airport. The witness said that the airplane then approached from the north in what I call a crop duster pass. At the end of the strip, he pulled the airplane up approximately 20-degrees to 25-degrees pitch and started a turn to the left. The aircraft banked left sharply and descended uncontrolled….

At 12:10 PST, an experimental KR-2 lost engine power and crashed on top of a car in a parking lot in Moreno Valley. The pilot suffered minor injuries. The flight originated at Chino about four hours before the accident. The wings were removed from the airplane to facilitate recovery. The airplane was tipped on each side to capture the remaining fuel. Approximately 1 quart of fuel was drained from the left wing tank, and approximately 10 tablespoons were drained from the right wing tank….

At about 05:45 EDT, a Raytheon BE-200 crashed near Williamstown, killing both pilots aboard. The pilot contacted the Burlington Flight Service Station for an IFR clearance and was cleared to maintain 5,000, expect FL220 one zero minutes after departure. The pilot read back the clearance correctly and departed. Shortly after takeoff, the airplane was in contact with Albany approach and transmitted, uh, you want us at 2,200? The airplane crashed on Mount Berlin at about 2,300 feet….

At 12:58 CDT, a Beech A36TC Bonanza struck trees while attempting a go around at the Franklinton Airport, killing the pilot and his three passengers. The pilot intended to fly IFR from Baton Rouge to Montgomery, Ala., and had taken off about 20 minutes before the accident. The airplane was in cruise flight when the pilot requested vectors to the nearest airport because of an engine overheating problem. Houston Center vectored him to Franklinton and terminated radar services soon after the vector was issued. A witness said the plane came in high and fast toward the runway. Several witnesses saw the airplane flying over runway 31 with the landing gear extended, at a steady altitude estimated…

At about 20:35 EST, a Beech E-90 crashed during an ASR approach to runway 24 at Beaufort County Airport. The pilot was killed and the copilot was seriously injured. The flight originated from Hilton Head about 13 minutes before the accident. The copilot said they were cleared for the approach on about a six-mile final. The pilot was flying on the instruments, and the copilot was scanning outside and handling the radios. They broke out of the clouds at about 900 feet and were descending at about 480 feet per minute. The ceiling was overcast, ragged and very dark, with no visible horizon. The copilot said he could see some lights but could not see the airport. He looked back inside the cockpit…