PiperSeneca

At about 16:18 EST, a Piper Seneca crashed during an emergency landing near Hogansville, but the four occupants were not injured. As the flight neared its destination of Columbus, Ga., weather was at minimums and there was a thunderstorm over the airport. The pilot declared a low fuel state and diverted to another airport. The pilot could not get stabilized on the ILS, however, and overshot the airport. He was then cleared to a third airport with visual conditions. On the way, the left engine quit and the prop was feathered. The airplane descended into visual conditions at 400 feet and flew parallel to some power lines in search of a suitable landing site. The pilot landed in the power line…

At 15:48 EST, a Piper PA-34-200 crashed during takeoff from runway 27 at Tallahassee International Airport and the pilot was killed. The pilot reportedly had arrived from Fort Lauderdale for refueling en route to Memphis. The pilot of another aircraft saw the Seneca enter a right 45-degree bank and, turning through a 360-degree magnetic heading with the nose about 30 degrees up, it stalled. At approximately the same time, the pilot radioed that he was having a problem and wanted to return but he never stated the problem. The airplane suddenly started losing altitude and appeared to have stalled a second time. The witness stated that the stabilator appeared to be full pitch up. Both propell…

At 16:28 CDT, a Piper Seneca was damaged during a forced landing near Laredo. The pilot and two passengers were not injured. The flight originated in San Antonio, at which time the right fuel gauge indicated 35 gallons and the left tank indicated somewhat higher, according to the pilot. Approximately 40 minutes into the flight the ammeter began indicating a failure, so the pilot turned off unnecessary electrical equipment. He then saw the left fuel gauge go from eight gallons indicated to zero and the right gauge go from 20 gallons indicated to zero. Subsequently both engines lost power. He set up to land on a road, but traffic forced him to land adjacent to the road and the right wing str…

At about 09:15 CST, a Piper PA-34-200 had its right main gear collapse on the takeoff portion of a touch and go. The pilot flying the airplane was receiving multi-engine instruction. After touch down, the pilot retracted the flaps and reached for the landing gear instead of the throttles. The CFI yelled no and the student pilot released the handle and added full power. The right main landing gear retracted, the airplane yawed to the right and stopped in the grass….

At 14:05 CDT, a Piper PA-34-200T porpoised on the runway during an aborted takeoff at Hobby Airport, substantially damaging the airplane but leaving the pilot uninjured. One witness said the airplane was airborne when the pilot reduced power, causing the aircraft to begin porpoising from nose to mains down the runway, culminating with a prop strike. Another witness said, Approximately halfway down runway 17 I heard him pull power, at which time the aircraft began porpoising progressively worse. Prop strikes occurred as he maintained directional control down the runway….

At 19:42 Pacific time, a Piper PA-34-200 crashed while executing the VOR missed approach procedure to Brackett Field Airport. The CFI and multi student were killed. IMC prevailed and an IFR flight plan was filed. The approach controller handed off the flight to the tower controller, who asked the pilot if he had the airport in sight. The pilot reported the airport in sight but said he did not want to cancel IFR. The tower controller told the approach controller the pilot had the airport and wanted to cancel IFR. One minute later, the pilot reported the airport was not in sight. The pilot had passed the airport and was to the west, so the tower controller gave him vectors to return for anothe…

At 07:22 mountain time, a Piper PA-34-200T crashed approximately 800 feet east of and 1,000 feet down runway 33 at Fort Collins/Loveland Municipal Airport. The two occupants were not injured. The airplane was landing on an IFR flight plan. Weather at the time was reported as 100 foot overcast with -mile visibility in fog….

At 23:46 central time, a Piper PA34-220T crashed while maneuvering near Brackettville, killing the pilot and one passenger and leaving two passengers seriously injured. Dark-night IMC prevailed but no flight plan was filed. One surviving passenger said the flight encountered weather. The pilot had called FSS for weather briefings three times before departing and again while airborne….

At about 14:30 eastern time, a Piper PA-34-200 crashed while landing at Washington County Regional Airport. The pilot was not injured. The pilot initially had flown an ILS at Martinsburg, W.Va., but encountered turbulence and wind gusts he thought exceeded the airplanes limits. He did not land and proceeded to Hagerstown, where he flew the ILS into runway 27. Winds at the time were 30 degrees off the runway at 18 knots. As he neared the flare the wind subsided. The pilot said the airplane was hit by turbulence when it was three to five feet above the runway. The airplane porpoised several times and the nose gear collapsed. The pilot reported 2,530 hours of flight experience, of which 7.5 ho…

At about 18:45 eastern time, a Piper PA-34-200 suffered a collapsed right main gear during the landing roll at Venice Municipal Airport. The pilot and two passengers were uninjured. The pilot said the airplane touched down at 80 knots on runway 31 just south of the intersection of runway 04/22, and the brakes were not effective when he initially applied them. He pumped the brakes and they became effective, but the airplane rolled off the end of the runway despite heavy braking. Marks on the runway indicated the airplane skidded the final 250 feet of runway. The left tire was flat-spotted and the right tire was blown….