Preliminary Reports

At about 14:28 EDT, a Cessna 172RG crashed on landing at Orlando Executive Airport following a loss of electrical power. No one was injured. The instructor and student pilot were not injured. The flight had left St. Petersburg about 50 minutes earlier. The instructor said that shortly after takeoff the airplane showed signs of electrical problems but he thought he was only having radio problems and continued the flight in accordance with established NORDO procedures. He said he did not troubleshoot the problem or try to shed electrical load. When preparing to land, he experienced a total electrical failure when he selected flaps and gear down. He visually checked the left gear but did not as…

At about 14:50 EST, a Cessna 172P and a Cessna 172R collided in flight on approach to Fitchburg Municipal Airport. The pilot of the 172P was killed and the student pilot in the 172R suffered serious injuries. According to several witnesses, the airplanes were on the final approach segment to the airport when the student pilots airplane overtook the private pilots airplane and struck it on the right side. The two airplanes locked together and made a slow, 180-degree turn while descending rapidly to the ground about 2,000 feet from the approach end of runway 32. The left landing gear strut of the student pilots airplane was embedded in the right side of the private pilots airplane. A sun p…

At about 17:15 EDT, a Boeing Stearman E-75 and a Taylorcraft BC12-D collided while they were both landing on runway 28 at the Farmers Pride Airport. None of the three aboard the two planes was injured. Neither pilot saw the other airplane until the two collided just as the Taylorcraft was touching down. The pilot of the Stearman had 156 hours with 26 hours in make and model, and the pilot of the Taylorcraft had 158 hours with 9 hours in make and model….

At about 17:25 Hawaii standard time, a Piper PA 31-350 Navajo crashed on the northeast slope of the Mauna Loa volcano on the island of Hawaii. The Part 135 sightseeing flight left Keahole-Kona International Airport about an hour earlier with nine passengers and the pilot on board. The wreckage was located on a jagged patch of lava at an elevation of about 10,500 feet msl. All 10 people on board were killed….

At 10:15 MDT, a Cessna 180 nosed over during its landing roll at Denver International Airport. Neither the pilot nor his passenger were injured. The pilot said he was exiting the runway on a right turn high-speed taxiway when the tail and right wing began to rise. The application of heavy breaks had no effect and the aircraft nosed over….

At 10:06 EST, a Cessna 182P lost power after takeoff from Carl R. Keller Field and was damaged in the ensuing forced landing. The pilot was seriously injured. The pilot said he departed runway 27 and, as he passed the departure end at 300 to 400 feet, the engine quit. The fuel selector lever was on both. The left fuel tank gauge indicated half full, while the right tank gauge indicated zero fuel. Ice crystals were found in the fuel strainer and in fuel drained from a main fuel tank….

At 17:15 CDT, a homebuilt Space Walker II crashed after an in-flight separation of the left wing in level flight at the Montgomery County Airport. The pilot and passenger were killed. The airplanes owner said he and the pilot performed two takeoffs and landings on runway 14. Then the owner got out, the accident pilot moved to the aft seat and the passenger took the front seat. The owner assisted the passenger in securing his three-point safety harness and briefed the passenger to remain clear of the flight controls. The pilot took off and flew back over the airport. The owner said the airplane was in level flight at 1,500 feet agl when the left wing broke away and fuselage did snap rotatio…

At 09:45 CST, a Luscombe 8A crashed after striking utility wires near Orleans. The pilot, who was the sole occupant, was killed. No preexisting anomalies were detected in the airplane or engine. The left wing strut was severed and wire was found wrapped around the aircraft fuselage. In a telephone interview, a friend of the pilot stated that the pilot would occasionally fly over his house when he was in town. He also stated that on the date of the accident he heard the aircraft flying in the vicinity of his house. He said the engine sounded normal until it just stopped….

At 22:45 PDT, a Cessna 152 struck rising terrain while maneuvering near Ventura. The two aboard were killed. The flight had originated from Santa Barbara about 20 minutes earlier. IMC prevailed at the accident site and no flight plan was filed. A witness was walking on the beach about 22:30 when he saw an aircraft flying along the coastline at about 100 feet. He said the southbound aircraft made a left turn and flew inland less than a mile before turning southbound again. The aircraft disappeared from his view in a coastal fogbank that was also obscuring steeply rising terrain farther south. The accident site was about 550 up terrain that rose to less than 600 feet….

At 12:00 PDT, the pilot of a Cessna 172N lost control after encountering wind shear while landing at the Nut Tree Airport. No one was injured. The pilot took off from Palo Alto at about 11:15 and was enroute to Vacaville. The pilot said he encountered continuous light to moderate turbulence along his route of flight and that the final approach was very bumpy. As he initiated the landing flare, he noted the windsock reflected that the wind had changed direction and was now about 90 degrees to his left. The pilot reported that he applied full power to initiate a go-around but the airplane hit the ground and bounced. He held the nose of the airplane down and remained in ground effect until he w…