PiperArrow

At about 19:00 eastern time, a Piper PA-28-RT201 crashed on approach to runway 34R at Manassas Regional Airport, killing the pilot. The pilot reported on right base for landing, but controllers lost contact after that. Radar data showed the airplane flew a base leg that would have resulted in a six-mile final, then turned left, away from the runway, and continued the turn 270 degrees so it was inbound again. The ground track roughly corresponded to the GPS Runway 34 approach, even though the flight was being made VFR in visual conditions. The airplane then passed directly over the final approach fix at 1,600 feet until it began a descent 2.3 miles from the runway. When it was 1.1 miles out,…

At approximately 21:30 Pacific time, a Piper PA-28R-200 on short final for runway 16 encountered rotor wash from a helicopter operating near runway 16 at Pierce County Airport/Thun Field. No one was injured. The airplane experienced a roll, yaw, and sink rate excursion upon encountering the rotor wash. The crew applied corrective flight control inputs in an attempt to counter this excursion, but the airplane touched down in grass adjacent to the paved runway surface. The flight crew, which included a flight instructor and a private pilot receiving flight instruction for his FAA commercial pilot practical test, continued the landing rollout in the grass, but the airplanes nose gear collapsed…

At about 18:08 eastern time, a Piper PA-28R-180 crashed into Long Island Sound off the coast of Milford, killing the pilot. The flight had been under way for about two and a half hours when the pilot made a visual approach to his planned destination of Sikorsky Memorial Airport. When he reported not being able to see the airport, he was vectored for the VOR Runway 29 approach. During the approach, the airplane began a descent of about 1,300 fpm until radar contact was lost. Examination of the wreckage showed the fuel selector was on the left tank, which contained only six gallons of fuel. The right tank contained 17 gallons. …

At about 1930 eastern time, a Piper PA-28R-200 struck trees during a forced landing near Fredericksburg. The pilot and passenger were not injured. The pilot said he was approaching Shannon Airport and decided to switch the fuel from LEFT to RIGHT. The engine quit. Examination of the wreckage revealed the fuel selector was in the OFF position, but it was unknown if the fuel selector was moved by emergency response crews. Additionally, when the fuel selector was moved from LEFT to RIGHT, the selector contacted a sheet metal screw that felt similar to the selector being secured into the RIGHT detent. However, at that point, fuel flow would not have been possible….

At approximately 1855 central time, a Piper PA-28RT-201T crashed while maneuvering near Marianna. The pilot and his passenger were killed. The pilot called for a weather briefing for a flight from Little Rock to Tunica, Miss., and was advised of low ceilings and marginal VFR along the route of flight. The pilot responded, Ill be heading to Tunica VFR. Guess Ill be scudding it, it looks like. The airplane was found to have hit a 60-foot tree about 40 feet up, at an elevation of less than 300 feet msl….