Studying incidents of how airplanes got banged up is a great way to prevent future accidents!
We’re closing in on the end of the year, and it’s actually been a great year for General Aviation safety. The great news is that of these seven accidents, there were only 2 minor injuries and 1 fatality – Most had no injuries.
This is an excellent record - general aviation flying has a better safety record than recreational boating, or many other recreational activities.
Here are 7 incidents that the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) reported for 2009.
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Accident occurred Friday, April 24, 2009 in Como, MS
Aircraft: CESSNA 172E Injuries: 1 Minor,
The pilot performed a straight-in approach to the north, in calm winds, to take advantage of the uphill slope of the grass runway. He applied 30 degrees of flaps incrementally during the approach. During the landing flare, the airplane touched down, “ballooned up,” and the pilot “kept the flare going” before the airplane “slammed” onto the runway, separating the nose gear and bending the empennage downward about 45 degrees. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical deficiencies with the airplane.
The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows: The pilot’s inadequate recovery from a bounced landing.
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Accident occurred Saturday, April 04, 2009 in Skwentna, AK
Aircraft: PIPER PA-12 No Injuries
The private pilot reported that before landing on the frozen snow-covered lake in a ski-equipped airplane, he intended to do a touch-and-go landing to check the snow conditions. He said that variable and gusty north-northwesterly winds required him to depart into an area of rising, tree-covered terrain. After landing to the northwest, he added full engine power and the airplane became airborne, but would not climb fast enough to outclimb the rising terrain. In the pilot’s written statement to the NTSB, he stated that he: “Failed to fully recognize situation in time to abort departure…” The pilot indicated that the airplane collided with tree-covered terrain at the departure end of the lake. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings, fuselage, and empennage. The pilot indicated that there were no preaccident mechanical problems with the airplane.
The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows:
The pilot’s selection of an unsuitable landing/takeoff area with an unfavorable wind.
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Accident occurred Tuesday, February 24, 2009 in Moyock, NC
Aircraft: HUGHES 369F Injuries: 1 Fatal, 1 Minor.
On February 24, 2009, about 1330 eastern standard time, a Hughes 369F helicopter, N5205C, registered to EP Aviation LLC, and operated by Presidential Airways Incorporated, crashed into a ship board landing simulator, while practicing skid toe landings, at the Blackwater Airstrip (NC61), Moyock, North Carolina. The airline transport pilot, flight instructor (CFI) was killed and the commercial-rated student received minor injuries. The helicopter sustained substantial damage. The flight was operated as an instructional flight under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91, and no flight plan was filed. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed (VMC) at the time of the accident. The flight departed from Elizabeth City Regional Airport (ECG), Elizabeth City, North Carolina, about 1230 the same day.
According to the student, they departed ECG after lunch for the afternoon portion of training. They arrived at the hangar at NC61 and the ground crew at Presidential Airways repositioned the “Little Bird” docking cart. The pilots practiced the toe landings and then single skid landings to both sides. The CFI demonstrated one landing to each side and then the student performed three to four landings on each side. At the completion of these practice landings they repositioned to the conexes to practice the same toe landings. At the completion of those practice landings, they proceeded to the ship simulators, which were constructed of conexes.
The student pilot stated that the CFI did a circling pattern around the simulators to make sure they were clear. Then he started an approach to the tip rail. When they got close to touching down, the student leaned forward and looked at the toe of the skid and saw it was under the top rail. He went to reach up and tell the CFI, but the helicopter flipped. When the helicopter settled, the engine was still running. The student went to shut it off and found the throttle was at idle, and he rolled it the rest of the way to the off position. The student pilot released his restraint and tried to get the CFI to respond, but he did not. He pulled the CFI from the helicopter and got him to the ground where paramedics were waiting.
Witnesses in the local area who observed the helicopter landing on the conex stated that they believed that the helicopter got one or both skids stuck on the railings of the conex and then flipped over.
Examination of the helicopter by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) found it inverted in the stairwell of the second level of the conex. The top rail of the upper conex was broken and hanging down from its original location. Railings on the second level were observed impact damaged and bowed downward in the middle. The helicopter was recovered and transported to a Presidential Airways hangar for further examination.
The FAA inspector found the main rotor blades broken and partially separated. The tail boom sustained substantial damage and the tail rotor blades were partially separated. According to the FAA inspector, no preimpact failures or malfunctions of the airframe or engine were identified that would have prevented normal operation.
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Accident occurred Saturday, February 21, 2009 in La Luz, NM
Aircraft: BEECH B35 No Injuries
The pilot was receiving an “initial aircraft familiarization” from the designated pilot examiner. As they were returning to the airport, the engine lost power and the examiner noticed that the fuel pressure had dropped. The electric boost pump was switched on, and the examiner directed the pilot to start pumping the warbler pump. Fuel pressure rose slightly to 2.5 pounds per square inch and the engine restarted and ran for about 20 seconds. Gliding towards an open field, the examiner lowered the landing gear and raised the nose to clear some power lines. He felt “a snag” on the left main gear “which diverted our flight path slightly to the left.” The airplane touched down and, during the landing roll, it struck a dirt berm that collapsed the nose gear and spun the airplane around. The right wing was bent and the left wing sustained spar damage when it struck mesquite bushes. The airplane was later examined by the pilot’s mechanic. In an e-mail to the pilot, the mechanic reported finding “what appeared to be a dirt doppler nest in the right fuel tank vent,” causing a vacuum and preventing fuel from flowing.
The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows:
A loss of engine power due to fuel starvation as a result of a blockage in the right fuel tank vent.
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Accident occurred Friday, February 20, 2009 in Kenai, AK
Aircraft: de Havilland DHC-2 No Injuries
On February 20, 2009, about 1515 Alaska standard time, a wheel/ski-equipped de Havilland DHC-2 (Beaver) airplane, N5342G, sustained substantial damage during takeoff from a remote frozen lake, about 10 miles northeast of Kenai, Alaska. The airplane was being operated as a visual flight rules (VFR) local area proficiency/instructional flight under Title 14, CFR Part 91, when the accident occurred. The airplane was operated by the Civil Air Patrol Inc. (CAP), Anchorage, Alaska. The three people aboard, the first pilot, a certificated flight instructor seated in the right seat, the second pilot, seated in the left seat, and a pilot-rated passenger, were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and CAP flight following procedures were in effect. The flight originated at the Kenai Municipal Airport, Kenai, about 1445.
During a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge (IIC), on February 20, the flight instructor reported that the purpose of the flight was to familiarize the second pilot with wheel/ski operations of a de Havilland DHC-2 airplane. He said that after the second pilot completed a series of touch-and-go landings on the frozen lake, he took the flight controls to demonstrate the next landing and takeoff. He said that after landing he applied full engine power for takeoff, but the airplane failed to climb, and it collided with a stand of trees at the edge of the lake. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings, fuselage, and empennage.
The closest weather reporting facility is the Kenai Municipal Airport, 10 miles southwest of the accident site. At 1453, an automated weather observation system was reporting, in part: Wind, 190 degrees (true) at 3 knots, visibility, 10 statute miles; clear; temperature, 31 degrees F; dew point, 21 degrees F; altimeter, 30.51 inHg.
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Accident occurred Monday, February 16, 2009 in Reidsville, GA
Aircraft: CESSNA 172 No Injuries
The airplane inadvertently entered a spin during recovery from a practice power-off stall, with 30 degrees of flaps deployed. The pilot stated that during the recovery of the practice stall he applied, “full power and nose level…the airplane went sideways and started spinning downwards.” The pilot did not immediately reduce power, and the airplane’s speed increased as it descended. He reported that upon recovering from the spin, the airspeed was over 120 knots; however, the airplane’s maximum airspeed with flaps extended was 85 knots. The pilot subsequently retracted the flaps and heard a “creaking noise.” Postaccident inspection of the airplane revealed that the wings and flaps were damaged.
The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows:
The pilot’s failure to maintain control of the airplane during an attempted recovery from a stall/spin.
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Accident occurred Sunday, February 01, 2009 in Union Mills, IN
Aircraft: CESSNA 172 No injuries
A flight instructor and student pilot departed on an introductory instructional flight towards a training area where they performed basic flight maneuvers. They then flew to Flying U Ranch Airport, Union Mills, Indiana, where the flight instructor demonstrated a simulated forced landing which was to be followed by a go-around to runway 18 (2,745 feet by 100 feet, grass). The runway was reportedly covered with about 12-14 inches of snow. During the demonstration, the flight instructor reduced engine power to idle from an altitude of 2,000 feet mean sea level and executed a descent to an altitude of about 5 – 6 feet above ground level at 60 knots indicated airspeed. The flight instructor did not increase engine throttle during this descent to “clear the engine.” The flight instructor applied full throttle during the go-around, but the engine hesitated and the airplane continued to descend. The main landing gear wheels followed by the airplane nose contacted the snow. The left wing followed by the right wing then contacted the ground. Both wings buckled from the ground contact resulting in substantial damage to the airplane. The flight instructor accumulated a total flight time of 2,1
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Thanks to the NTSB for the incident reports.
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