Preliminary Reports

At about 12:32 CDT, the pilot of a KR-2 lost control and crashed near Bell Buckle, killing the two aboard. The flight had originated about 5 minutes earlier from Shelbyville. A witness said the accident airplane seemed to be lower than usual and that the engine was sputtering….

At about 14:04 PST, an amateur-built Aventura II nosed over while landing in a lake about 10 miles east of Antioch. The two occupants suffered minor injuries. The pilot told investigators he took off in the amphibious airplane from an asphalt runway at Byron and flew to a lake near Antioch. The pilot stated that during the approach to an amphibious landing he forgot to retract the landing gear wheels. Upon touchdown, the airplane nosed over….

At 1520 CDT, a Piper PA-31 Chieftain lost power and made an off-airport landing. None of the seven aboard were injured. The aircraft had just taken off from Mt. Comfort Airport with a destination of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. The flight crew said the engine start and run-up were normal but that they experienced a gradual loss of engine power on both engines shortly after takeoff. Investigators determined that the aircraft was refueled with Jet-A instead of avgas at the Mt. Comfort Airport….

At 12:45 EDT, a Cessna 182S struck trees during the landing roll at Airhaven Airport. The pilot was not injured. The pilot said that when he lowered the nose after touching down he spotted a deer on the runway. He applied left brake and the airplane left the runway and went down an embankment….

At about 17:00 MST, a Piper PA-24-250 was damaged during an off-airport landing 10 miles south of Jordan Valley. The pilot was not injured. The pilot left Pocatello Regional Airport VFR, with an intended destination of Boise, Idaho. He stated he was planning on flying an instrument approach into Boise due to low ceilings and fog, but had forgotten his instrument approach charts. The pilot attempted unsuccessfully to find a nearby airport where he could land under VFR conditions. Approximately one hour later, the pilot determined that fuel was running low and elected to make a precautionary landing on a road. During the landing roll-out, the aircraft collided with a road marker, damaging a wi…

At 14:07 PDT, a Cessna Cardinal crashed shortly after takeoff from Grand Canyon National Park Airport, killing the pilot and one passenger and seriously injuring another passenger. Several pilot witnesses stated that the airplane appeared slow and did not climb much above the trees. About a mile north of the airport it was seen to barely clear the buildings at Tusayan. After crossing Highway 64, it was observed to roll to the left and descend into trees. At the time of the accident the airport density altitude was reported as 8,700 feet msl….

At 21:45 CST, a Piper Arrow struck high voltage power lines and crashed -mile southwest of Campbell Airport. All four aboard were killed. One cable was severed and one was nicked about 20 feet from a tower. There was no evidence of a pre-impact mechanical failure….

At about 06:10 CST, a Mooney M20K struck trees shortly after departing McAlester Regional Airport, killing the pilot. The pilot was departing for Altus, Okla. The pilot was a medical doctor who operated a clinic in McAlester and was also on the emergency room staff at a hospital in Altus. While working on the ER staff, he worked a 24-hour shift two or three days per week. On the morning of the accident, the pilot left his residence between 05:15 and 05:30 to go to the airport. Witnesses heard the engine stalling and revving several times before the airplane struck trees….

At about 10:00 EDT, a Beech D35 was found resting in a ditch just north of the Indiantown Airport with the left wing separated. Pilot information is unknown and the circumstances of the occurrence are unknown. The owner, whose medical was being reviewed by the FAA, reported that no one had his permission to fly the airplane. Investigators found ground tracks off the northwest end of the runway. The airplane then traveled up an embankment and into a ditch, where the airplane was observed to be upright and partially submerged….

At 18:00 CST, a Cessna 172L was damaged when it struck a sea wall and hangar during engine start at Lakefront Airport. The pilot, who hand propped the engine, was not injured. The pilot said the starter would not engage properly, so he turned off the ignition, put the keys in his pocket, pulled the throttle to the off position, set the parking brake and got out of the airplane. He chocked the airplane and then slowly rotated the propeller until he felt one piston move to top center. He then got back in the airplane and attempted another start, but the starter still did not engage. Once again he turned off the ignition, put the keys in his pocket, pulled the throttle to the off position and…