Preliminary Reports

At about 13:27 eastern time, a Cessna 210 lost power and was damaged in a forced landing near Bowman Field. The pilot and passenger received minor injuries. The pilot departed Grand Rapids, Mich., with full tanks and flew to Campbellsville, Ky., a flight of about 2 hours and 10 minutes. Several hours later, the pilot loaded one passenger for a flight to Bowman Field, a flight that should have taken about 15 minutes. As he prepared to land, the pilot switched fuel tanks to the right tank, which was the fullest. Two minutes later the engine lost power. He tried several solutions but could not restore power. The airplane touched down in a field and came to rest inverted. Approximately 20 gallon…

At 08:45 central time, a Piper PA- 28-140 veered off the left side of runway 36 while landing at Morris Municipal Airport. The pilot and passenger were not injured. Inspection of the airplane revealed the left main gear tire was low on air prior to touchdown. The pilot stated he serviced all three landing gear tires prior to takeoff about 30 minutes earlier….

At 13:29 mountain time, a Diamond 20C-1 lost its propeller in flight near Spanish Fork, Utah. The pilot and passenger were not injured. The pilot said that he was on a local flight and returning to Provo, Utah, when the propeller separated from the airplane. The airplane was at 9,500 feet at the time and the pilot was able to glide to the Spanish Fork airport….

At 10:00 Pacific time, a Cessna 182P descended into flat desert terrain near the Fox Field Airport as the airplane was maneuvering to enter the traffic pattern, killing the pilot. The pilot called the tower and reported about 7 or 8 miles northwest of the airport at 8,500 feet msl inbound for landing. The controller asked the pilot if he could descend from that altitude. The pilot replied that he would do his rock descent. He was then cleared to crossover the airport at midfield for a left downwind entry to runway 24. Radar data showed the airplane with a groundspeed that varied between 160 and 200 knots and a descent rate of 800 feet in 12 seconds….

At 19:33 mountain time, the pilot of a Piper PA-44-180 operated by the University of North Dakota apparently committed suicide by crashing the airplane into runway 32 at Rapid City Regional Airport. The pilot was alone in the airplane. The aircraft had been conducting touch-and-goes when the pilot asked the tower controller to make a phone call and said, Tell my family and friends that I love them very much. The pilot then advised the controller to roll the equipment. The controller asked if he was declaring an emergency. The pilot responded with an expletive, then the airplane abruptly pitched up, climbed to about 1,000 feet agl, then crashed nose-down onto the runway….

At about 10:00 eastern time, a Grumman AA-5 lost power one minute after takeoff from Zephyrhills Municipal Airport. The pilot and one passenger were not injured; one passenger sustained minor injuries. The pilot said the preflight and engine run-up were uneventful, but the airplane failed to climb as expected after takeoff. He raised the nose and saw the tachometer indicated 1,900 to 2,000 rpm. He verified that the mixture control was full rich, the auxiliary fuel pump was on and the throttle was full forward. He advised his passengers of the situation and maneuvered the airplane for a landing in a field. Examination revealed that the mixture control cable was broken approximately three inch…

At about 09:00 eastern time, a Mooney M20J was damaged upon landing in a field near Ellijay. The pilot and passenger were not injured. The pilot was in the right seat and a student pilot was in the left seat. The student pilot was flying the aircraft and the pilot was following through on the controls. After takeoff from runway 3 at Gilmer County Airport, they remained in the traffic pattern. While on final approach to runway 3, the pilot told the student they would not attempt a landing. As they passed a third of the way down the runway, the pilot told the student pilot to perform a go-around. The student pilot applied full power suddenly and pulled back rapidly on the yoke. The pilot took…

At 15:00 Pacific time, a Piper PA-25-260 struck a fence while trying to tow a glider from a dirt field. The pilot was not injured. The glider had made a precautionary landing in the field when the pilot reported losing lift. He contacted a local soaring club and requested an aero-tow out of the field. The Pawnee pilot paced off 1,600 feet, which he calculated would be enough for the airplane and glider to take off. When the tow plane struck the fence, the glider released, cleared the tow plane by 2 to 4 feet, traveled across a road and collided with another fence. The glider pilot was also uninjured….

At 13:30 central time, a Cessna 172S lost most of one propeller blade during takeoff from St. Cloud Regional Airport. The separation occurred at 400 to 500 feet above the runway and the CFI was able to land the airplane on a parallel taxiway without incident. The airplane was damaged by vibration as a result of the propeller separation. Inspection of the airplane revealed the McCauley propeller blade separated at a point approximately 8 inches from the hub. The airplane had a total time of 236 hours….

At about 09:32 Pacific time, a Cessna 182S crashed into a pond about two miles west of Sonoma County Airport, killing the pilot. The pilot was cleared to make an IFR departure, make a right climbing turn to VFR conditions on top, at which point he planned to cancel IFR. The airplane was climbing through 1,600 feet when the controller advised him the airplanes Mode C was not being received. No further transmissions from the airplane were received. The cloud tops were reported at 1,800 feet….