Preliminary Reports

At about 09:54 Pacific time, a Beech 35-B33 crashed into a residential area about 3.3 miles from Gillespie Field, where the flight had been cleared to land. The pilot was killed. The flight was en route from El Cajon to an undetermined destination in Arizona and was cruising at 7,000 feet when the pilot said he needed to return because he was not feeling well. Several witnesses reported observing the airplane descend in a steep bank until it collided with residential property and terrain….

At 22:40, mountain time, a Beech 35-C33 made a gear-up landing at Centennial Airport. The pilot was not injured. The pilot said he had been practicing landings and the tower controller asked him to cut his pattern short. In so doing, the pilot said his habit pattern was broken and he forgot to lower the landing gear….

A US Airways Express/Piedmont employee was struck and killed by the right propeller blades during taxi at Reagan Washington National Airport. The marshaller had signaled for the aircraft to stop because the nose wheel chocks had not cleared the right main landing gear. A baggage handler tried to remove the chocks from the front of the airplane and was struck by the propellers….

At about 12:08 eastern time, a Piper PA-46-500TP struck trees shortly after takeoff from Vero Beach Municipal Airport, killing the pilot and passenger. About 30 seconds after being cleared for takeoff, the pilot called and stated he needed to return to the airport and land. About five seconds later he reported that they were going down near the golf course. Witnesses said the airplane climbed to about 100-200 feet, at which point it appeared to slow down and start losing altitude. It struck trees on the edge of a golf course and burned. A witness on the golf course stated he did not see any smoke coming from the airplane as it flew over his head, and he stated the engine sounded like it was…

At about 18:30 eastern time, the flight crew of Comair flight 5054, an EMB-120, reported experiencing an upset event and a loss of altitude after encountering icing conditions. The aircraft was 46 minutes into a scheduled flight from Nassau, Bahamas, to Orlando, Fla., and diverted to West Palm Beach. Examination of the aircraft found substantial damage to the elevators and the horizontal stabilizer, but no injuries….

At approximately 14:30 mountain time, an Aviat A-1A crashed while maneuvering near Eden. The pilot, who was not injured, was on a cross-country flight that had originated about 15 minutes earlier. He said he was flying low over the field to test the condition of the snow with his tundra tires. He said the next thing he knew the aircraft was inverted in the snow….

At about 08:30 eastern time, a Beech BE-58-TC crashed on its third approach to Sidney Airport after missing two similar approaches. The pilot and two passengers were killed. A witness heard the airplane miss the two VOR Runway 25 approaches, then got a phone call from one of the passengers saying they were going to try one more time. The airplane crashed about two miles north of the airport at an elevation about 650 feet higher than the airport. Weather at the time was ceiling about 200 feet with 1 miles visibility at the airport. The accident site had a 100-foot ceiling with -mile visibility….

At 20:30 eastern time, a Bellanca 7KCAB lost engine power in cruise flight and was damaged during a forced landing on a road in Hudson. The pilot reported no injuries. The flight originated in Rochester, Wisc., and was en route to Wilmington, Del. The pilot said the airplane had just had new wings installed at the American Champion Aircraft Co. and he was taking the airplane to Delaware. The airplane lost power and he landed on a road, but a wheel went into a pothole and the right main landing gear was pushed aft. Examination showed the right fuel tank was empty and the left tank was full. The airplane is equipped with only an on/off fuel selector. The two fuel pickup ports in the left fuel…

At about 18:50 mountain time, a Cirrus SR20 struck mountains and burned northwest of Sierra Vista, killing the pilot and two passengers. Instrument conditions prevailed but no flight plan had been filed. The wreckage was located near the crest on the side of a ridgeline at 5,200 feet msl. The wreckage distribution was localized within about a 50-foot radius the impact site on the 30-degree slope of the mountain. Weather at the time was low clouds obscuring high terrain, gusting winds and freezing precipitation. The airplane ballistic recovery parachute system had not been deployed….

At 15:00 Pacific time, a Cessna 172RG lost engine power and made an emergency landing in a dirt field in Stanford, coming to rest inverted. The flight instructor and pilot/student were not injured. The instructor said they were about 2,000 feet msl when he noted a loss of oil pressure. At 1,600 feet the engine stopped. He set up for the emergency landing on a side road but a truck entered the road, and he had to maneuver the airplane onto an open field. Investigators found the oil had been changed the day before the accident and the oil filter had not been tightened or safety-wired to the engine. The bottom of the fuselage, firewall, and the rear of the engine were coated with oil and the en…