Preliminary Reports

At about 09:00 Pacific time, a Piper PA-30 went off the runway during a takeoff from Yolo County Airport and struck a runway light. No one was injured. The CFI said he and his student had completed simulated single-engine approaches at altitude and this was the first attempt near the ground. The right engines throttle was retarded and the landing and touchdown were uneventful. Power was added to do a touch-and-go. During the takeoff phase the instructor again retarded the right throttle to simulate an engine failure on takeoff. The airplane veered off the right side of the runway, bounced twice, then veered to the left side of the runway and contacted a runway light with the right wing. The…

At about 08:10 eastern time, a Cessna 172M overran the runway and crashed when it turned back toward the airport after losing power on initial climb from Ohio State University Airport. The pilot received minor injuries. The pilot said he drained the sumps and found no water, then took off from runway 9R. When the airplane was about 500 feet above the ground, the engine started to sputter and then lost power. The pilot turned to land on runway 27R but overran the runway and crashed into a fence 500 feet beyond the end of the runway. No water was found in the tanks after the crash. Investigators ran the engine for about 15 seconds, during which time it ran labored. The bracket air filter was…

At about 19:00 eastern time, a Cessna 172N crashed and burned after takeoff from Danbury Municipal Airport. The pilot suffered minor injuries. The pilot said the fuel tanks were full and free from contamination. She said she started the engine with the fuel selector positioned to the left wing fuel tank and switched to the right wing fuel tank just prior to taxi. She performed an engine run-up which included a check of the carburetor heat system and then taxied to runway 26. After the run-up she switched the fuel selector to the both position. When the airplane was about 450 feet agl the engine ran rough and lost power. The airplane descended into treetops and came to rest about 12 to 15 f…

At 15:38 Pacific time, a Beech BE-300 overran the runway and struck an automobile at Buchanan Field during an aborted takeoff. The pilot was not injured but the driver of the car was seriously injured. The pilot reported beginning his takeoff run when he noted the airspeed indicator reading zero. He aborted the takeoff, put the power levers to reverse and applied the brakes, but the airplane skidded off the end of the runway, through a chain link perimeter fence, and struck an automobile that was traveling on the perimeter road….

At about 10:00 eastern time, a Piper PA-18 was damaged while making an emergency landing at Gabreski Airport, but the pilot was not hurt. The flight departed the airport a few minutes earlier and returned to pick up a banner. The pilot said that, when he picked up the banner, the tow rope became entangled around the airplanes rudder horn. The pilot returned to land, maintaining a steep descent angle in an attempt to land before the banner struck the ground. The airplane landed hard and the main gear collapsed….

At 00:30 central time, a Cessna 210D crashed while landing at the Town and Country Airpark Airport. The pilot and his passenger sustained minor injuries. The pilot told local law enforcement personnel that he departed from runway 17 and remained in the traffic pattern. The pilot initially said that, during the final approach leg, the airplane struck a power line and crashed short of the runway. Investigators and police found no evidence of a wire strike. Police said the pilot told them he had consumed approximately 5 mixed drinks that evening. Witnesses added that the pilot and passenger appeared intoxicated and smelled of alcohol….

At 16:48 central time, a Luscombe 8A crashed on approach to runway 31R at Des Moines International Airport, killing the pilot. The pilot was being vectored for a landing on runway 31L when he asked if he could use 31R. The tower controller told the pilot to keep the turn tight and asked the pilot if he could turn base from where he was. The pilot said that he could. A witness on the ground said the airplane made a tight turn in toward the runway and immediately turned to final with a bank angle approaching 90 degrees. The witness said that at impact the airplanes wings were perpendicular to the ground and the nose was pitched down approximately 20 degrees. A Boeing 737 had landed on runway…

At 22:38 eastern time, a Beech BE-23-24 crashed during a forced landing near Kingston, killing the pilot and two passengers and leaving a third passenger seriously injured. The pilot had the airplanes fuel tanks filled to the tabs before the first leg of his flight that evening, but expressed surprise at how little fuel it took. The pilot then flew a 0.9-hour flight and, on the return leg, reported a loss of engine power. The pilot tried to land on a four-lane highway but crashed heading north onto the southbound lanes. An examination of the wreckage showed only trace amounts of fuel in the fuel system….

At about 10:20 Hawaiian standard time, an Aerospatiale AS 355F1 helicopter struck mountains about nine miles west of Kahului. The pilot of the Part 135 sightseeing flight and its six passengers were killed. The impact site was 2,850 feet up the north face of a 2,900-foot mountain, with a slope estimated in excess of 60 degrees. Three other tour helicopter pilots from the same operator said they had flown within 2 miles south of the accident site in the half hour before the crash. Those pilots told investigators they modified their tour routes to exclude the area flown by the accident pilot because of the inclement weather conditions they observed….

At about 08:00 central time, a Cessna P337H crashed after a go-around in Alabaster, seriously injuring the pilot but leaving three passengers uninjured. The pilot said he landed on runway 33 and was too fast. He attempted to go around, but overran the runway and struck a furrow. Inspectors found the throttle of the number one engine pushed full forward and the throttle of the number two engine on the idle position….