Preliminary Reports

At about 18:50 Pacific time, a Piper PA-28-181 struck a berm during a forced landing at the Montgomery Field airport. The pilot was not injured. The pilot said he was practicing takeoffs and landings and he checked the fuel quantity in the airplanes fuel tanks while flying on the downwind leg of the traffic pattern to runway 28R. He then repositioned the fuel tank selector to what he believed was the left fuel tank but apparently selected Off instead. All engine power was lost and he turned toward the airport, but the airplane ended up about 1,800 feet short of the runways threshold….

At about 14:45 eastern time, an Aeronca 11AC struck trees after the engine started while being hand-propped at the Greenville Downtown Airport. The pilot suffered minor injuries. The pilot obtained a ferry permit to fly the airplane to have an annual inspection. He was unable to start the engine normally and sprayed ether into the air induction system. The throttle was open approximately inch and a rope had been run through the airplane to secure it. When the engine started the rope broke. The pilot grabbed the main landing gear and was hurt attempting to stop the airplane….

At about 19:20 eastern time, a Swearingen SA227-AT on a Part 135 air taxi flight crashed less than two miles from Beaver Island Airport. The pilot and front seat occupant were killed, two passengers were seriously injured and two passengers suffered minor injuries. The aircraft had been cleared for the NDB or GPS Runway 27 approach, which carries a minimum descent altitude of 1,240 feet for both the straight in and circling approaches. The wreckage appeared to show the aircraft had overflown the airport and was maneuvering for a landing. The crash site was southwest of the airport and the airplane was oriented as if it was turning from crosswind to left downwind for runway 27 at the time of…

At about 15:30 Pacific time, a Cessna 150 was damaged following an engine fire during start at Arlington Municipal Airport. The two occupants were not injured. The pilot said he attempted to start the engine and it ran briefly then died. He primed the engine and hit the starter, which caused smoke to pour from the engine compartment. He pulled the mixture and continued to crank, but the smoke continued. The two occupants abandoned the airplane and the engine compartment and cockpit burned….

At 10:30 central time, a Cessna 172 was damaged shortly after engine start when it started unexpectedly and struck trees. The pilot was not injured and the passenger suffered minor injuries. The pilot said he could not start the airplane, so he exited while the passenger stayed in the airplane. The pilot turned the propeller and the engine started and the airplane began moving across the pavement. The passenger saw the trees ahead and jumped from the airplane….

At 09:55 mountain time, a Cessna T210G crashed on top of a mountain approximately seven miles northwest of Vance Brand Airport. The pilot and his two passengers were killed. IMC prevailed and the pilot was instrument rated, but no flight plan had been filed. The flight had departed Vance Brand about 10 minutes earlier, en route to Lexington, Neb. Witnesses said the aircraft disappeared into the clouds at about 500 feet agl, then descended out of the clouds and continued on its way. Witnesses at the accident site said the ceiling was about 100 feet at the time of the crash….

At about 19:50 eastern time, a Piper PA-34-200T struck the ground while on approach to Mercer County Airport. The pilot was not injured. The pilot was flying the airplane from Lewisburg, where it had gotten its annual inspection. When he arrived at Bluefield, the ASOS was reporting a ceiling of 100 feet with fog. He shot the approach anyway, but missed it. He attempted a second ILS and missed that one, too. He was about to divert to another airport when an employee of the Bluefield FBO asked over the radio if he would like the approach lights turned up. He decided to try a third approach. As he was looking for the lights, he descended into trees and crashed….

At 10:00 Pacific time, a Cessna 150L crashed into a farm equipment yard shortly after takeoff from Mefford Field, killing the student pilot. Witnesses flying remote-controlled airplanes nearby watched the accident airplane take off and noted the flaps appeared fully extended. As the airplane climbed through about 250 feet and began a left turn, the airplane stalled and spun into the ground. The wreckage showed the flaps were fully extended….

At about 06:40 eastern time, a Beech BE-200 crashed on approach to Piqua Airport, killing the pilot. The airplane had been based at a nearby airport and had been chartered for a 06:30 flight by Hartzell Propeller. The chief pilot for Hartzell Propeller, who resides near the airport, said he awoke at 04:30 and discovered fog outside. He drove to the airport to prepare a company airplane to make the flight in case the King Air could not make it in. The accident pilot telephoned and asked about the fog, and the chief pilot said he would be at the airport with a handheld radio. The airplane appeared over the airport at 06:20, but the fog had thickened. The accident pilot said he would circle for…

At 18:08 eastern time, a Grumman American AA-5A was damaged during landing at Bowman Field but the two pilots aboard were not injured. The pilot said he had been undergoing instruction for the instrument rating and had completed a lesson. He and the flight instructor were returning to the airport and were cleared for a straight-in approach to runway 19. On final approach, the pilot was instructed to do a go-around due to traffic on the runway. On the downwind leg, he surrendered the flight controls to the CFI. After the CFI landed, the airplane veered to the left, departed the runway and struck railroad ties used to block off a closed taxiway. The CFI said, I dont know if its something I…