NTSB Reports: July 2016

The airplane was destroyed at 1456 Eastern time shortly after takeoff. The flight instructor, the private pilot receiving instruction and the pilot-rated passenger were seriously injured. Visual conditions were reported. An air traffic controller who witnessed the accident reported that, when the airplane was at about 400-500 feet agl, it made a sharp right turn followed by a sharp left turn. It then entered a steep nose-down descent before disappearing behind a tree line. An explosion followed. The controller recalled the airplanes landing gear was retracted.

Editorial Staff

Thursday, June 16, 2016 at 12:00 AM ET

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Key Takeaways:

Multiple accidents involved critical mechanical failures, such as engine power loss, control cable failure, or landing gear issues, often leading to forced landings or crashes.
A significant number of incidents occurred during takeoff or landing, resulting in collisions with obstacles (e.g., transmission lines, trees, fences) or runway excursions.
Adverse weather conditions, including unexpected heavy rain and reduced visibility, as well as instrument failures in IMC, were contributing factors in several accidents, some of which were fatal.

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Beechcraft Model 65-A90-1 King Air
April 19, 2016, Slidell, Louisiana

At about 2115 Central time, the airplane collided with high-power transmission line towers while attempting to land. Both pilots were fatally injured and the airplane was destroyed. The airplane was operated as a local government public-use flight, performing mosquito abatement. Night visual conditions prevailed.

After completing a planned aerial application flight, the accident pilots radioed they were on a left base and were number one to land. Seconds later, the company pilots of another airplane saw an arc of electricity followed by a plume of fire on the ground.