PiperPacer

The airplane was destroyed at about 1215 Eastern time during an on-ground fire following a forced landing. The Airline Transport pilot was not injured. Visual conditions prevailed. According to the operator, the airplane had undergone routine maintenance and was being repositioned to pick up passengers. While in cruise flight at 4000 feet msl, the pilot heard a “loud bang,” and saw that the right forward windscreen and right side window had broken. He then saw that the right engines top cowling was missing and felt the aircraft “shudder” as it began to descend.

The non-rated pilot reported he initially planned to practice taxiing the airplane; however, he later decided to depart and fly once around the airport traffic pattern. When he attempted to land, the airplane bounced, flipped over and came to rest beside the runway. The pilot, the sole occupant of the tricycle gear airplane, sustained a head injury and was hospitalized. The airplane sustained substantial damage. The pilot had a Student pilot certificate issued to him in the 1950s.

At 1700 Eastern time, the airplane was substantially damaged during a forced landing. The Commercial pilot and passenger were not injured. Visual conditions prevailed. After three touch-and-go landings at a remote airport, the pilot decided to fly over the beach. About five minutes later, the airplanes engine began to “cough and sputter,” and then lost power. The pilot stated he switched fuel tanks from the right to the left tank, turned the boost pump on, and attempted to restart the engine.

The airplane collided with houses while on final approach at about 1022 Pacific time. The Certified Flight Instructor received serious injuries while the Private pilot undergoing instruction and one passenger sustained minor injuries. The airplane sustained substantial damage. Instrument conditions prevailed; no flight plan had been filed.

The airplane sustained substantial damage at about 1030 Alaska time when its left main landing gear collapsed during landing on a gravel airstrip. The Private pilot and sole passenger were not injured. Visual conditions prevailed.

At 0830 Eastern time, the airplane collided with trees while in cruise flight. Instrument conditions prevailed; no flight plan was filed. The airplane received substantial damage. The Private pilot received fatal injuries. According to witnesses, the airplane came down out of the “clouds” and then climbed back up. The second time it came down out of the clouds, “it was on its side” and then went out of sight.

At about 1337 Eastern time, the airplane experienced a collapsed nose landing gear during the landing roll. Visual conditions prevailed. The airplane was substantially damaged, although the Private pilot and single passenger were not injured. The pilot later stated he confirmed the landing gear was down and locked while turning final. He maintained approximately 85-87 knots on final and landed with two notches of flaps extended.

The airplane was destroyed upon impacting terrain at 1543 Eastern time. The Private pilot/owner and the Commercial pilot/passenger were fatally injured. Visual conditions prevailed. A witness heard it “sound as if it was taking off again.” The witness stated the airplane was climbing away from the runway at an “unusually steep angle,” and then turned to the left at a 50-degree angle from the runway, into the wind. As the airplane reached an altitude of approximately 200 feet, it “appeared to stop in midair, while still at a steep angle.”

The airplane sustained an in-flight structural failure at about 2135 Mountain time, breaking apart and fatally injuring the Flight Instructor and two passengers aboard. Visual conditions prevailed.Witnesses took off behind the accident airplane and observed it in front of them, flying the same basic route. While at 7500 feet, they were below the accident airplane.

The airplane was destroyed when it impacted terrain at approximately 0650 Mountain time following a loss of control while maneuvering. The Private pilot and sole occupant was fatally injured. Visual conditions prevailed. According to preliminary ATC information, the airplane entered a 5000-fpm descent and executed a left 180-deg. turn.