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General Aviation and Helicopter |
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Date/
Location |
Aircraft/ Reg |
Narrative |
Casualties |
Comments |
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15 May
Penngrove, CA |
Eng & Research Corp. 415-C
Reg: N99180 |
Aircraft sustained substantial damage during a forced landing following a loss of engine power. |
2 Uninjured |
During flight, the engine lost total power and the pilot executed a forced landing, during which the airplane skidded sideways and the tail dug into the ground. The airplane's tail cone was buckled and the right vertical stabilizer and rudder were bent. |
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16 May
Comstock, MI |
Fairchild Hiller FH-1100
Reg: N5049F |
Helicopter collided with a tree and the terrain in the Chipman Preserve. The helicopter was destroyed. |
1 Fatal |
After practicing maneuvers and autorotations with a certified flight instructor (CFI), the pilot later decided to practice takeoffs and landings after dropping off the CFI. Witnesses reported seeing the helicopter and hearing the engine quit prior to it descending to the ground. |
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17 May
Bagdad, AZ |
Beech B-23; Reg: N4026T |
Pilot was in the landing flare when a gust of wind blew the airplane off the side of the runway. He attempted to go around, but the landing gear struck rocks on the left side of the runway. The outboard 10 feet of the right wing was wrinkled and compressed aft, and the bottom of the empennage was badly wrinkled and compromised. |
2 Uninjured |
NTSB states as probable cause the pilot's inadequate compensation for the wind conditions and failure to maintain runway alignment. Contributing factors were the gusty crosswind weather conditions and the rocky terrain adjacent to the runway. |
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17 May
Hudson, CO |
DeHavilland DH112 Venom; Reg: N21MJ |
Aircraft was substantially damaged when, after its engine lost power, it impacted an irrigation ditch during a forced landing 1.5 miles northwest of the Platte Valley Airpark. |
1 Uninjured |
Airplane collapsed the right main landing gear. The belly of the fuselage and cabin area was torn and fragmented. Both main landing gear crushed up into the wing, the right auxiliary fuel tank separated partially, and both wing spars were bent. |
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18 May
Olympia, WA |
Babcock KR-2
Reg: N4276Y |
Experimental homebuilt airplane sustained substantial damage during a hard landing following a loss of engine power at Olympia Airport. |
1 Uninjured |
Pilot states that immediately after takeoff, the engine began to "sputter." The engine lost power and he landed straight ahead on the remaining runway. The airplane's left wing was separated from the fuselage. |
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22 May
Philadelphia, PA |
Grumman American AA-1C; Reg: N9555U |
Aircraft was destroyed when it impacted a parked trailer, shortly after takeoff from Northeast Philadelphia Airport (PNE). The certificated flight instructor (CFI) and certificated student pilot were killed. |
2 Fatal |
During climbout, a controller instructed, "altitude and speed permitting make right traffic”. The pilots did not acknowledge, but the airplane appeared to immediately bank "hard right" and continued in a descending right bank until it impacted the ground. |
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23 May
Peach Springs, AZ |
Cessna P210N; Reg: N4753K |
Aircraft experienced a total loss of engine power during cruise flight and collided with the terrain during the forced landing. The cross-country personal flight departed Grand Canyon National Park Airport, Grand Canyon, Arizona, about 1100, with a planned destination of Bullhead City, Arizona. |
1 Uninjured |
The pilot reported that while flying at 16,000 feet the engine experienced a total loss of power. He reported to air traffic control that he was going to try and land at Grand Canyon Caverns Airport, which was about 12 miles away. The pilot was unable to reach the airport, and while trying to land on the desert, one of the main landing gear wheels hit a cactus and the airplane nosed over. |
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23 May
Boulder, MT |
Maule MX-7-235
Reg: N5657Y |
Aircraft impacted high tension power transmission lines near Boulder, Montana. |
1 Fatal, 1 Serious |
Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed in the area of the accident site. The pilot had filed and opened a visual flight rules (VFR) flight plan. The flight departed after receiving a weather brief informing him that VFR flight was not recommended along his intended route. The passenger stated to rescue personnel that the engine had no mechanical failures or malfunctions during the flight |
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23 May
North Little Rock, AK |
Downer Bellanca 14-19-3; Reg: N7640E |
Aircraft sustained substantial damage during a forced landing following a loss of engine power during takeoff from the North Little Rock Municipal Airport. |
5 Uninjured |
Prior to the loss of engine power, the pilot did not observe any indication of an engine problem. After an unsuccessful attempt to restart the engine, the pilot tried a forced landing on the remaining runway surface. The airplane touched down off the runway surface, impacted terrain, and came to rest upright. |
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23 May
Fall River Mill, CA |
Beech V35B
Reg: N1886L |
Aircraft impacted trees and flat terrain near Fall River Mills. |
4 Fatal |
The airplane was destroyed in the post crash fire. The cross-country flight departed Little River Airport, CA the morning of the accident with a planned destination of Fall River Mills Airport. |
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24 May
Blue Ash, OH |
Cessna 172N
Reg: N75528 |
The student pilot pulled the throttle back and the engine went to full power. He pulled the mixture control out to stop the engine running at full power. He set up best glide speed and determined that for the conditions present that the "approach would fall short of the runway." The wheels struck electric wires and the airplane came to rest inverted. |
1 Uninjured |
Federal Aviation Administration inspectors examined the wreckage and found that the throttle cable end had separated from the linkage. |
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24 May
Avalon, CA |
Aerospatiale AS-350-D; Reg: N67GE |
Helicopter, operated by Island Express Helicopters Inc., impacted terrain while landing at Two Harbors, Avalon, located on Santa Catalina Island, California, during an on-demand commercial flight. |
3 Fatal, 3 Serious |
Witnesses reported that the helicopter was approaching the island about 300 feet above the surface. Several witnesses heard a "pop" sound, followed by flames emitting from the back of the engine. The helicopter then entered a descent and collided with the ground. |
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25 May
Leguillac, France |
Piper PA-46-350P; Reg: N9245D |
Aircraft was struck by lightning during cruise flight. The airplane subsequently broke up and impacted terrain near Leguillac. The airplane was destroyed. |
2 Fatal |
The personal flight departed Biarritz, France, and was en route to Coulommiers, France |
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25 May
Tolani Lake, AZ |
Nolan RV-4; Reg: N6290F |
Amateur-built aircraft registered to a private individual and operated by the pilot was substantially damaged when it impacted terrain during a precautionary landing. |
1 Fatal |
Examination by an FAA inspector revealed that the left wing, left horizontal stabilizer, and left elevator were crushed upwards. All primary flight controls were located at the accident site. |
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25 May
Sunrise Beach, MO |
McDonnell Douglas 500-E
Reg: N686F |
Helicopter operated by a commercial pilot impacted the water while attempting to land at a private helipad at Lake of the Ozarks. |
1 Fatal, 3 Minor, 1 Uninjured |
Witness reported that the helicopter made a "very quick 90 degree turn." Multiple witnesses reported that the helicopter was spinning around to the right, multiple times, at a very high speed. The helicopter impacted the water and sank very quickly. |
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25 May
Jordan Valley, OR |
Kolb Kolbra; Reg: N49KK |
Amateur-built aircraft was substantially damaged when it impacted terrain while maneuvering near the Skinner Ranch Airport. |
1 Fatal |
Witnesses adjacent to the accident site reported observing the airplane over flying the runway at a low altitude and entered a steep right turn. As the turn progressed, the airplane descended below a hill and impacted rocky terrain. |
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26 May
Roseburg, OR |
Experimental Hutton KR-2; Reg: N4GJ |
Aircraft lost engine power shortly after takeoff from Roseburg Regional Airport and collided with the terrain near the airport. The airplane was substantially damaged. |
4 Minor |
The pilot reported that the engine experienced a partial loss of power about 200 feet above ground level during initial climb. He initiated a 180 degree turn to return to the runway; however, there was not sufficient altitude or airspeed to complete the turn. The airplane stalled and collided with a road near the airport. |
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27 May
Steamboat, CO |
Cessna 310Q
Reg: N8187Q |
Aircraft was destroyed when it impacted mountainous terrain in the Routt National Forrest in Steamboat Springs. |
2 Fatal |
The initial impact point was a stand of 60-foot-tall trees. Impact marks on these trees became progressively lower and narrower on a magnetic heading of 085 degrees in the direction of the main wreckage. |
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28 May
Big Bear City, CA |
Cessna 172M
Reg: N21134 |
Aircraft sustained substantial damage after striking power lines, buildings, and terrain during a go-around at the Big Bear City Airport. |
1 Serious |
Witness stated that the airplane was "...slowing quickly but not descending... I couldn't believe the plane was still airborne at that slow speed… about 30 miles per hour." The airplane began banking sharply to the left, then right at an estimated bank angle of 45 degrees. Witness reported that he transmitted "Go around," and a few seconds later the accident pilot replied, "I'm trying." |
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29 May
Grand Rapids, MI |
Sikorsky
S-76A
Reg: N176SH |
Helicopter was destroyed by post impact fire after the tail rotor struck a tower while departing from the heliport on top of the Spectrum Health Hospital. |
2 Serious |
The helicopter was about 40 feet in the air when the pilot heard a "pop" and the helicopter started to yaw to the right and vibrate. Then the rate of the right yaw increased rapidly. He attempted to land back on the helicopter pad by using the cyclic and lowering the collective, but the main rotor blades impacted the 27-foot high brick structure located east of the helicopter pad, and the helicopter fell straight down, impacting the hospital roof. |
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30 May
Hillsboro, OH |
Piper
PA-28-235; Reg: N9376W |
Aircraft sustained substantial damage due to impact with terrain and fire after take off from runway at Highland County Airport. |
2 Fatal |
Witness reported there was smoke from the front of the airplane before it banked left, descended, and impacted a tree with its left wing. The airplane then struck a corn field and was consumed by fire. |
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30 May
Murrieta, CA |
Poulin L Lancair Legacy; Reg: N109DC |
Aircraft was destroyed after a loss of control and impact with terrain while maneuvering to land near the French Valley Airport. |
2 Fatal |
Witness reported having observed the airplane make multiple touch-and-go landings. Just prior to the accident he observed the pilot make a turn from base leg to final approach, followed by the airplane in a wings level attitude. The witness stated that as the airplane proceeded on its final approach it suddenly made a steep left bank, "...followed by nosing straight into the ground after making a 180-degree turn." |
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30 May
Tacoma, WA |
Aero Commander 690A; Reg: N115AB |
Aircraft was substantially damaged following a landing gear collapse during landing roll at the Tacoma Narrows Airport. |
2 Uninjured |
According to air traffic control personnel, after touching down and during its landing roll the airplane's right main landing gear collapsed. An FAA inspector reported structural damage to the airplane's undercarriage. |
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30 May
Durham, NC |
Piper J3C; Reg: N3544N |
Aircraft was substantially damaged when it collided with trees short of the runway, at the Lake Ridge Aero Park Airport. |
1 Serious |
Examination of the airplane by an FAA inspector found that the airplane had impacted the tops of trees and came to rest in a steep nose down attitude about 100-yards short of the runway. During an examination, the FAA Inspector found the header fuel tank empty, and when he sampled fuel from the main fuel tanks he found that two thirds of the liquid drained into a jar was water. |
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30 May
Monticello, UT |
Cessna 172R
Reg: N389ES |
Aircraft sustained substantial damage after impacting remote mountainous terrain while maneuvering about 32 nautical miles northwest of Monticello. |
2 Fatal |
Witness observed airplane flying perpendicular to her field of vision in a right bank and below the rim of a canyon. She stated that she momentarily lost sight of the airplane, which reappeared a minute or so later, this time flying in opposite direction, still below the rim of the canyon. The witness further stated that she failed to hear any engine noise. She came upon the wreckage and visible fuel leakage caused her to seek help. |
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31 May
Moses Lake, WA |
Quad City Ultralight Aircraft Challenger LSS
Reg: N95478 |
Aircraft experienced a loss of control and impacted a field near Moses Lake Municipal Airport. |
1 Fatal |
Witness observed the airplane make numerous erratic maneuvers while attempting to land. He transmitted calls over the radio, but the pilot failed to respond. The airplane temporarily continued in level flight and then began more erratic turns. The airplane then pitched up and made a left bank. It subsequently stalled and continued in a spin about 360 degrees before impacting a field located adjacent to the runway. |
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1 June
Torino, Italy |
Sikorsky
S-64F
Reg: N163AC |
Helicopter registered to and operated by Erickson Air-Crane Inc, as an aerial demonstration flight, struck the waters of Lake Aviguana, in the vicinity of Torino. |
2 Minor |
The flight originated from Aeritalia Airport, Torino, Italy, at 1700. |
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1 June
Greensburg, IN |
Cessna 208B
Reg: N102VE |
Aircraft had a loss of engine power and sustained substantial damage when it nosed over in a cornfield after an emergency landing. Pilot was not injured and all skydivers parachuted safely from the airplane after the loss of engine power. |
1 Uninjured |
The pilot reported that the airplane was climbing when he heard an explosion and immediately heard a metal grinding noise coming from the engine section of the airplane. He felt the airplane vibrate and smoke began to fill the cabin. He leveled the airplane at 5,000 feet and set flaps so that the skydivers could exit the airplane. He decided to make an emergency landing. Oil from the engine coated the windshield so he could not see. When he approached he realized that airspeed was too high to make a runway landing. He executed a forced landing in a cornfield. The propeller and left wing struck the terrain, and the airplane nosed over. |
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1 June
Marana, AZ |
Van Heeswyk Lightning; Reg: N62JV |
Aircraft was substantially damaged when it struck terrain while maneuvering. |
1 Fatal |
Witnesses located adjacent to the accident site reported observing the propeller assembly separate from the airplane as it flew over their position. The airplane pitched upwards and subsequently descended into terrain. Witness heard the "engine rev up" just prior to the airplane impacting the ground. |
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2 June
Arlington, WA |
Davison Vari Eze; Reg: N644VZ |
Aircraft experienced a loss of engine power and impacted a field near Arlington Municipal Airport. |
1 Minor |
Pilot reported that the accident flight was the airplane's second flight. |
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2 June
La Porte, TX |
Harms Kitfox V; Reg: N40120 |
Aircraft crashed in a field near the La Porte, TX Municipal Airport. Impact forces and post-impact fire destroyed the aircraft. |
2 Fatal |
The commercial pilot was flying with a prospective buyer for the airplane. Witnesses saw the airplane making a climbing left turn about 1,000 feet above the ground when it nosed over near vertical. The airplane appeared to start to pull up before it struck the ground. |
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8 June
Bend, OR |
Lancair Legacy 2000;
Reg: N199L |
Aircraft experienced a loss of engine power and the pilot executed a forced landing at Bend Municipal Airport, Bend, Oregon. |
Nil |
Lancair International Incorporated operated the airplane under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. The airline transport pilot and single passenger were not injured, and the airplane was substantially damaged. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed. The flight originated at Marysville, California, about 1400. |
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8 June
Battle Creek, MI |
Piper PA-44-180; Reg: N159WM |
Aircraft sustained substantial damage due to a separated propeller blade tip impacting the airplane's nose during cruise near Battle Creek, Michigan. |
Nil |
The airplane landed with out further incident at the W K Kellogg Airport (BTL), near Battle Creek, Michigan. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The 14 CFR Part 91 instructional flight was not operating on a flight plan. The certified flight instructor and student pilot were uninjured. |
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8 June
Fremont, OH |
Cessna U206C;
Reg: N29122 |
Aircraft went down just after taking off at a small airport owned by the pilot. The plane crashed in a grassy field about a mile beyond the runway. |
6 Fatal |
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8 June
Huntsville, TX |
Bell 407; Reg: N416PH |
Helicopter operated by Louisiana-based PHI Air Medical impacted trees in Sam Houston National Forest. 3 rewmembers and 1 patient were killed. |
4 Fatal |
Lost communication with helicopter shortly after departure. The pilot failed to report the position of the helicopter and authorities were alerted as protocol dictates the pilot to give a position check every 15 minutes. |
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9 June
Calgary, Canada |
Single-Engine Homebuilt |
Aircraft tipped into a ditch at the north end of the runway during takeoff. |
1 Fatal |
Witnesses report hearing engine cut out during initial ascent. |
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Military |
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Date |
Aircraft Type |
Narrative |
Casualties |
Remarks |
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15 May
Yuma, AZ |
TAV-8B Harrier II two-seater |
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