Preliminary Reports

At 20:29 Pacific time, a Piper PA-32-260 ditched into Lake Almanor after the engine lost power during initial climb from Rogers Field. The pilot and passenger received minor injuries. The pilot said the flight was his fourth flight of the day in the aircraft. He started the day in Stockton with full fuel tanks. He flew to Chester, then to Reno (Stead) and back to Chester. The total was about 2 hours and 30 minutes and the airplane was not serviced after departing Stockton. According to the pilot, full fuel is sufficient for about 5 hours flying. The pilot said the takeoff on runway 16 was routine, the engine was smooth and powerful and all the instruments were in their normal operating range…

At 16:45 mountain time, an Ercoupe 415-C crashed immediately after takeoff from Tucumcari Municipal Airport. Both occupants, neither of who were certificated or student pilots, were killed. The flight was unauthorized by the airplanes owner. The occupants were reportedly a father and son who had been hired to mow grass at the airport. An airport employee said the airplane reached about 150 feet agl, wobbled from side to side, and dove nose-first to the ground….

At about 16:45 mountain time, a Cessna T210N lost engine power shortly after takeoff and was damaged during a forced landing at Colorado City. The four occupants suffered minor injuries. The pilot, who is also a maintenance technician, had just completed an annual inspection and installed an overhauled engine in the airplane. The pilot said he had flown the airplane three times for a total of about 2.5 hours. During takeoff and initial climb, the engine lost power at 400 to 500 feet agl. The pilot performed a 180-degree turn back to the airport but was unable to reach the runway and collided with rocky terrain. The pilot said he visually checked both fuel tanks during the preflight, observin…

At about 13:45 Alaska time, a Beech BE-A36 was damaged during the landing roll at Nondalton Airport. The pilot was not injured. The pilot reportedly intended to raise the flaps but inadvertently raised the landing gear handle….

At about 15:20 eastern time, a Bellanca 17-30A lost power and crashed while attempting a forced landing near Albany. The pilot and check pilot were seriously injured. The flight had originated from Albany about five minutes earlier. The pilot stated that he was receiving a biennial flight review and that he was currently out of biennial flight review. All fuel tanks were full at departure. He said that, while climbing through 2,000 feet, he switched the fuel selector from the left main tank to the right auxiliary tank and the engine immediately quit. He said the check pilot noticed the fuel flow gauge read zero. The pilot turned toward a field to make a forced landing but struck trees 150 ya…

At about 11:00 Pacific time, a Cessna 172K taxied into a Beech 58 at the Palo Alto Airport. The Cessna pilot was attempting to taxi around the stationary Beech, which was holding on a taxiway leading to runway 31. The Cessnas left wing passed over the right wing of the Baron and struck the Barons spinning propeller. No one was injured….

At about 09:05 eastern time, a Beech 200 lost its cabin door during cruise flight near Greeleyville. The pilot landed without further incident. The pilot said he was bound for Brunswick, Ga., to pick up passengers and was cruising at FL 200 in smooth air when the cabin door light illuminated and the aircraft lost pressurization. He went on oxygen and made an emergency descent. He looked towards the door and could see light from near the door area but did not know the door was separated until he landed at Savannah International Airport….

At 10:34 Pacific time, a Navion G crashed while trying to return to the runway in the initial climb from Henderson Airport. The pilot was killed. Controllers said the airplane taxied to runway 36 and took off without a clearance from ground or local control. Several witnesses, including an FAA airworthiness inspector saw the airplane make a tight left turn just off the departure end of the 5,000-foot-long runway. The left bank continued until the nose dropped and the airplane descended vertically to the ground about 1,000 feet from the approach end of runway 18. The FAA inspector reported a trail of smoke coming from the airplane during the initial climb….

At about 10:47 eastern time, a Piper PA-24-250 lost power and was damaged in a forced landing 5 miles southwest of Immokalee Airport. The instructor sustained serious injuries and the private-rated student sustained minor injuries. The flight had originated about 30 minutes earlier from Naples, Fla. The engine quit at 1,200 feet and the instructor switched from the right to the left fuel tank but the engine did not restart. Investigation of the wreckage revealed no visible fuel in the right main fuel tank; the fuel selector was found positioned to the right main fuel tank. The remaining tanks were nearly full….

At approximately 14:20 mountain time, a Sukhoi SU-26 crashed shortly after takeoff from Telluride Regional Airport. The pilot was killed. VMC prevailed for the aerobatic flight that was originating at the time of the accident. According to the Telluride airport manager, the airplane had departed and popped up to near vertical. The airplane then entered a spin and crashed….