Search Results for: Cessna 172

Evektor-Aerotechnik SportstarPrior to departure, the pilot checked the weather and noted a storm was moving toward the area, so he needed to depart as soon as possible. During takeoff and while in ground effect, the airplane encountered a wind gust that pushed down the airplane’s left wing. The pilot regained control and continued to climb in order to clear trees near the end of the runway. The airplane encountered another gust and the pilot attempted to compensate. Subsequently, the airplane impacted trees and terrain, resulting in substantial damage to the fuselage and both wings. Neither the pilot nor his passenger suffered injuries.

The swath of multiple tornadoes that ripped through three states on October 4 hit Wayne Municipal Airport (KLCG) hard. Thankfully, no one was injured at the airport, about 35 miles southwest of Sioux City, Nebraska, but two rows of T-hangars were destroyed along with nine airplanes. Only the middle row of three was spared, though […]

A pilot out of Jacksonville, Florida, is lucky to be alive after surviving two unusual inflight accidents in one year. According to First Coast News, Graham Hill and his passenger walked away from a plane crash after the Cessna 172 from which Hill was towing a banner over a Florida Gators football game reportedly lost […]

A lawyer called recently and asked for some help with an aviation-related case. I think he probably inherited it, being the most junior associate in his law firm. When it became apparent that this was a pretty complex issue, and knowing what it costs to consult with a lawyer for longer than two nanoseconds, I […]

The pilot and flight instructor had been flying for over two hours, doing air work and making touch-and-go landings at area airports. Returning to the airplane’s base, they were making a final touch-and-go landing when the engine lost power. Unable to glide back to the runway, the flight instructor made a forced landing in a plowed field north of the airport. The airplane touched down hard, shearing off the landing gear and sliding 60 feet before coming to a stop. The firewall was buckled. The flight instructor and pilot sustained minor injuries. Examination revealed the fuel selector was positioned on the left fuel tank. One quart of fuel was drained from the left fuel tank. The right fuel tank had not been compromised and contained fuel.

I’m a South Florida lady, and so is my fine flying machine. It’s relatively fat wing, tapered tips, relatively thin horizontal and vertical tail surfaces and elevator with “horns” are made of .032 aircraft-grade aluminum coated with paint (and not even that much paint). And even though I’m at a balmy 30 degrees North latitude, a momentary jaunt through the middle of a building cumulous cloud at the right altitude and outside temperature can easily coat my aircraft in a shiny glazing of thick, clear ice.

It was a normal Saturday morning. I had just left the bank and pulled up to the busy street to wait for a break in traffic so I could make a right turn. I had quickly checked to the right when I first stopped at the sidewalk, and then focused on the traffic approaching from […]

Talk about max performing your airplane. In a dramatic video of a close call at an airport in Australia, the pilot of a Cessna 172 flares for landing just as another 172 begins to taxi across the active runway right in front of him. Quick reaction by the first Skyhawk prevents what surely would have […]

Before the second landing, the crew selected gear down, which showed down and locked, but the crew saw and smelled smoke. The landing gear circuit breaker tripped after gear completed cycle. Inspection confirmed source of smoke was from the landing gear actuator motor and a faulty dynamic brake relay (mfr p/n SM50D7) is suspected to have caused the landing gear motor to overtravel against hard stop and smoke.

Opening the June 2013 issue, I was met with a lovely bit of nostalgia. The photo of the Link Trainer on page 5 could have been of the unit in which I took my first flight training, the summer of 1967. At the University of Illinois’ Institute of Aviation, I spent two hours in one of these before getting into an aircraft (a Champ 7FC). Over the summer of instruction, we went back to the Link again and again to hone skills. I had 11.2 hours total in the Link, and 30 hours total in the aircraft, when I got my license. I’m not sure how many hours of Link and aircraft time I had before I was allowed to fly visually. Of the 7 hours in the aircraft prior to solo, nearly half were behind polarized glasses and windscreen plastic.