Preliminary Reports

At about 11:40 Pacific time, a NASA Gates Learjet 24A was damaged during a hard landing at Southern California Logistics Airport. The two pilots and one passenger were not injured. The flight was conducting touch-and-goes. The pilot made the first touch-and-go. The copilot made the second touch-and-go. The copilot attempted the third touch-and-go but the airplane bounced twice and the right tip fuel tank dragged and separated from the airplane. The right main landing gear collapsed and the airplane skidded to a stop….

At approximately 12:15 mountain time, a Mitsubishi MU-2B-20 crashed and burned near Cerrillos while on landing approach to Santa Fe. The pilot and passenger were killed. The pilot was instructed to enter a holding pattern, at which time he canceled his IFR flight plan. He was then told he would be following two other airplanes for landing. Witnesses reported seeing the airplane in a spin and ground scars were consistent with a 45-degree nose down right spin….

At 18:40 central time, a Cessna 421 collided with the southeast bank of Choccolocco Creek near Munford while maneuvering for a visual landing. The pilot and four passengers were killed. At 18:16, the pilot told the controller he intended to shoot the ILS to Anniston, Ala. He was issued radar vectors for the seven-mile arc. At 18:34:11, the pilot canceled his instrument flight plan and told the controller that he was below the weather and would be going to Talladega, so radar service was terminated. Eight minutes later a resident near the accident site heard what was described as a loud boom and found the downed airplane….

At about 10:10 eastern time, a turbine-powered Cessna P210N crashed during a forced landing in Honesdale, killing the two pilots and one passenger. The airplane was equipped with an STCd Allison 250-B1F2 engine that had been installed in 1992 by O&N Aircraft Modifications. The company was handling the sale of the airplane after the owner lost his medical. O&N had had the airplane for about a week before the accident. An O&N pilot wrote up some maintenance discrepancies, including an engine vibration at high rpm, but none of the squawks appeared noteworthy and the previous owner had not reported any engine difficulties. The airplane had not flown again since its arrival. Several witnesses re…

About 18:16 eastern time, a Cessna 182J struck trees on a golf course shortly after takeoff from Witham Field Airport. The pilot and his passenger were killed. The aircraft had performed one touch-and-go landing and remained in the traffic pattern. Witnesses reported hearing the engine miss-firing and making strange backfire or popping sounds. The pilot advised the controller he was landing on the golf course. The controller questioned if the engine was operable and the pilot reported an engine malfunction. The airplane struck a tree 35 feet agl and burned. Investigators were able to get the engine to operate to 2,600 rpm after the crash….

At about 17:10 eastern time, a Cessna 172P was damaged while landing at Bay Bridge Airport. The pilot and passenger were not injured. The pilot said he came into the 2,903-foot runway 11 high and fast. The airplane bounced and began to porpoise. The nose wheel tire ruptured and the propeller struck the asphalt….

At 13:15 central time, a Grumman American AA-1C lost engine power and crash-landed in a field near Dekalb. The pilot and passenger reported minor injuries. The pilot told investigators he was in cruise flight when the engine started running rough and then quit. The pilot said he immediately looked for a place to land. When asked by the inspector if the pilot switched the fuel selector to the other tank, the pilot said no. The fuel selector was positioned to the left fuel tank, which was empty. The right wing fuel tank contained fuel. At the time of the accident, a sheriff deputy tested the pilots blood alcohol content at 0.077. Later that afternoon, a second blood alcohol test was conducted…

At about 15:40 Pacific time, a Cessna 152 and a Cessna 172N collided over the Pacific Ocean about six miles south of the Long Beach Municipal Airport. Both airplanes were being operated by the same flight school and both contained a student pilot and flight instructor. All four were killed. Witnesses said that, following the collision, both airplanes entered uncontrolled descents into the water….

At 12:45 central time, a Cessna 206H struck a snow bank and nosed over on landing at the New Richmond Municipal Airport. The pilot was not injured. The landing was made on a newly installed taxiway that parallels runway 32/14….

At 15:35 Pacific time, a Cessna 177RG struck mountainous terrain during approach to Pauma Valley Airport. The pilot and passenger suffered minor injuries. The pilot said he was descending VFR and was on an extended downwind when he intentionally flew into what appeared to be an isolated cloud. The cloud was larger than he anticipated and eventually he saw vegetation on a mountainside a short distance in front of them. The airplane crashed on upsloping terrain….