Search Results for: Lear 45

January 1, 2005, Ainsworth, Neb.
Cessna 551 Citation
At around 1120 Central time, the aircraft was substantially damaged during an in-flight collision with terrain while attempting to land. Instrument conditions prevailed; the Instrument-rated Private pilot and three passengers were uninjured. Two passengers reported minor injuries. At 1113:16, the airplane was cleared for a GPS Runway 17 approach. The pilot later stated that the airplane started to accumulate ice at around 4000 feet msl during the approach. Subsequently, the airplane descended out of IMC at between 300 and 400 feet agl. The Citations cockpit windows were obscured by the accumulation of ice and the pilot e…

A series of accidents has tarred the reputation of what was supposed to be the safest GA airplane ever made. But is that an accurate picture? An honest look at the Cirrus accident record.

A low-time pilot elects to fly into deteriorating weather at night and without an Instrument rating. The result was predictable.

Flying at night really isnt more dangerous than during the day, but it can be less forgiving. It just requires more planning and more care.

December 1, 2004, Lees Summit, Mo.
Piper PA-28-181
At 1200 Central time, the rental airplane was substantially damaged during a forced landing near Lees Summit Municipal Airport (LXT). Visual conditions prevailed; there were no injuries. The local flight originated from LXT at 1030.The pilots preflight inspection included checking the fuel gauges and the fuel level in each tank, which was just under the tabs. After a touch-and-go landing at a nearby airport, he climbed and headed to the east. A few minutes later, the engine sputtered just a little. He applied carburetor heat, and the engine smoothed out. He returned to the nearby airport, landed and performed a ru…

Sure, controllers work for the the FAA. But that doesn’t mean all clearances and directives have to be followed. Here’s how to refuse a bad clearance.

Pick Your Poison
Making the go-no/go decision is always a topic guaranteed to generate comments and war stories among pilots. Add family and friends to the equation, and the pressure to go becomes enormous: The war stories can sometimes lead into hearing someone say, Im glad I didnt go that time, but I really miss her(or him). Often, the choice is to go and risk life, limb and sheet metal or to stay, find an alternate transportation mode and suffer the wrath of those depending on you. Sometimes, you pick your poison.

All of this was brought home to me quite clearly last Thanksgiving. The day before, I needed to pick up my son at his college in Lynchburg, Va., and fly h…

November 4, 2004, Key West, Fla.
SOCATA TB-20 Trinidad
At about 1927 Eastern time, the airplane was lost from radar 4.87 nautical miles and 192 degrees from the Key West International Airport, Key West, Fla. Visual conditions prevailed for the planned flight from Key West to the Sarasota/Bradenton International Airport in Sarasota, Fla. The airplane was presumed destroyed and the pilot is presumed to be fatally injured; the passenger was fatally injured. The flight originated at about 1923. At 1924:28, the pilot established contact with the Naval Air Station Key West Air Traffic Facility. At 1926:36, the NAS ATCF controller advised the pilot to turn right heading 360 degree…

The only warning is a slight shudder in the ship as we brush against the tentacles of wind at the edge of the whirlpool. Then, almost before we can react, the churning waves of air coming off the mountains of Athens grab hold of us, and the airship pitches sharply upward and yaws to the […]

Last April, an instrument-rated private pilot took off from Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport in his SR22 bound for Palm Beach International. It was solid IFR, 400 overcast. The pilot was experienced in Cirrus airplanes-he was a founder of the Cirrus Owners and Pilots Association-he regularly flew such IFR flights, and he knew his airplane well. […]