Search Results for: Citation X

Last September an applicant for a private pilot license rented a Piper Tomahawk from an FBO in central Illinois, one of two Tomahawks the company had in its seven-airplane fleet. The applicant and the designated pilot examiner completed the oral portion of the exam and proceeded northwest of the airport to conduct the maneuvers required in the practical test.

The weather was good for the noon flight. A scattered layer of clouds was reported at 4,900 feet agl, the visibility was 10 miles and winds were variable at 5 knots.

During the maneuvers, however, something went horribly wrong. A witness described the airplane diving nose-low toward the ground with a counterclockwise rotation. Bo…

The following information is derived from the FAAs Service Difficulty Reports and Aviation Maintenance Alerts. Click here to view “Airworthiness Directives.”

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American General AA-5A Cheetah
Poor Engine Performance
The aircraft owner reported the engine performance deteriorated during flight.A mechanic discovered the carburetor bowl was not attached tightly to the throttle body. Even though the locking-tab washers under the attachment screws were properly installed, the screws were loose. The gasket may have shrunk or the attachment screws were not properly tightened during installation, allowing excessive air to be dr…

The new private pilot was on fourth flight with passengers in a Cessna 172. In his first landing attempt he was long and went around. During the process the airplane was observed performing strangely.

On the second attempt the pilot again landed long and again attempted to go-around. He added full power but did not retract the flaps from fully extended, whereupon the aircraft pitched up, stalled and crashed.

The two long landings were bad enough, implying both inadequate training and substandard proficiency, but the problem had even deeper roots. The NTSB investigator found only two entries in the pilots logbook regarding go-around training. Both were pre-solo. The pilot also had n…

When it comes to capturing the imagination of old and young, sport fliers and professionals, nothing can beat the appeal of warbirds. Antique biplanes and World War II fighters have been popular for years, and recently the availability of former Eastern Bloc jet fighter trainers has expanded the appeal of very hot airplanes among those who have ridden the stock market (among other things) to riches.

But just as its said that a fool and his money are soon flying more airplane than he can handle, the accident record for warbirds paints a very discouraging picture. Valuable and irreplaceable aircraft, including P-51 Mustangs, hit the ground for reasons that can only be described as irration…

The following briefs were selected from the 173 preliminary reports filed with the NTSB in May 2000. Statements in quotes were taken directly from the NTSB documents. The information is subject to change as the investigations are completed. Click here to view “Accident Totals, May.”

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May 1, Kotzebue, Alaska
Piper Super Cub
At about 06:30 Alaska daylight time, a ski-equipped Piper PA-18 collided with snow-covered terrain 33.5 miles west-northwest of Kotzebue. The pilot, who held an expired student pilot certificate, was killed. Passing villagers found the airplane inverted about one mile east of the coast near Cape…

Just as a pilot may see a biennial flight review as an obstacle or an opportunity, the anticipation of meeting aviation medical standards during a flight physical may cause confusion, anxiety and frustration.

The process of obtaining an FAA Airman Medical Certificate is fraught with misconceptions, suspicions, and in some cases, misinformation from pilots, pilot advocacy organizations, and even Aviation Medical Examiners themselves.

The mandated flight standards are intended to ensure a pilots fitness to fly and ultimately the safety of the airman and their passengers. Although there are occasional accounts of pilots becoming incapacitated at the controls because of hidden medical co…

The pilot reported for work as scheduled at 2 a.m. for a Part 135 light cargo flight, flying a Piper Lance from Burbank, Calif., to Phoenix, Ariz. He arrived at Phoenix and managed to get about five hours of sleep, waking at about noon local time.

On the next leg of the flight – the return to Burbank – he took off at 20:55 local. Several hours later, while maintaining a constant altitude, heading and airspeed, he collided with a mountain near Palm Springs -about 10 nautical miles south of his usual course. The investigators could find no evidence that indicated that the pilot had attempted to avoid the collision.

Investigators could find no mechanical reasons for the crash. After exam…

The following information is derived from the FAAs Service Difficulty Reports and Aviation Maintenance Alerts.

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The FAA has issued a reminder to pilots operating aircraft equipped with carburetors that gascolator problems are common and generally result in engine failure in flight.

Gascolator inspection during preflight can easily detect and prevent the most common gascolator problems.

The gascolator contains a fuel filter screen and a sediment bowl that serves as a water separator. Usually a gascolator has a wire bail holding a glass or metal bowl in place. There are three primary gascolator malfunctions, each of which can lead to a loss of power due to interruption…

Sometimes you look at an FAR and have to scratch your head. What, you ask yourself, can that possibly have to do with flight safety? The various rules, placards and limitations seem to be written more for the FAAs lawyers than for pilots and their passengers.

Sadly, many of the notes, warnings and cautions in aircraft manuals and some of the FARs are written in blood. But violation of an FAR doesnt automatically mean that the flight was unsafe. It all seems so confusing.

When I was a private pilot, a lot of the rules seemed difficult to understand. It took an instrument rating before I understood control zones. It took a flight engineer certificate and a graduate school education…

Pilot incapacitation? Who me? Im in great shape!

Though the greatest threats to pilots still remain alcohol, hypoxia, carbon monoxide and likely side effects of medication, these are conditions over which the pilot essentially has good control.

Among causes in the other category, are vertigo and anxiety. Vertigo is among the most frightening and most completely incapacitating sensations a pilot can experience. Though relatively rare, it is regarded with such seriousness that some types of recurrent vertigo are grounds for denial even of a special issuance medical. Anxiety attacks are subtler but are equally incapacitating. Neither of these conditions gets much press and misinformat…