June 1, 2013, Fredericksburg, Penn., Maule M-4-220C Strata Rocket
At about 0830 Eastern time, the airplane was substantially damaged during a forced landing. The engine lost all power shortly after takeoff. The airline transport pilot sustained minor injuries and a passenger was not injured. Visual conditions prevailed.
The pilot reported taking off and climbed to 2500 feet msl when the engine began to vibrate and lose power, and the cabin began to fill with white smoke. The pilot shut down the engine and performed a forced landing to a soy bean field. During the landing roll, the airplane nosed over. The airplane was equipped with a Franklin 6A-350-C1, 220-hp engine. Initial examination revealed the No. 4 cylinder head was partially separated and the No. 4 cylinder piston was displaced.
June 1, 2013, Fredericksburg, Penn., Maule M-4-220C Strata Rocket
At about 0830 Eastern time, the airplane was substantially damaged during a forced landing. The engine lost all power shortly after takeoff. The airline transport pilot sustained minor injuries and a passenger was not injured. Visual conditions prevailed.
The pilot reported taking off and climbed to 2500 feet msl when the engine began to vibrate and lose power, and the cabin began to fill with white smoke. The pilot shut down the engine and performed a forced landing to a soy bean field. During the landing roll, the airplane nosed over. The airplane was equipped with a Franklin 6A-350-C1, 220-hp engine. Initial examination revealed the No. 4 cylinder head was partially separated and the No. 4 cylinder piston was displaced.
June 3, 2013, Cookson, Okla., Cub Crafters CCK
As the pilot made a teardrop turn toward the airport, the engine lost power. Shortly thereafter, it resumed developing power. The engine lost power and resumed operation on two more occasions. The engine lost power a fourth time but never regained it. The pilot switched the fuel selector from both tanks to one tank, and turned on the backup ignition. The engine would not resume operation.
The pilot realized he did not have enough airspeed or altitude to glide to the runway, so he elected to make a forced landing on a narrow gravel road. As he approached the road, the left wing struck the top of a tree, spinning the airplane around. The pilot said the airplane made a hard impact with the ground. The left wing leading edge sustained compression damage, and the main landing gear was spread apart.
Post-accident examination revealed water in the fuel. The carburetor was opened and a “substantial” amount of water was drained. Water also was found in the pilot’s fuel storage tank. The pilot surmised the water was likely due to recent heavy rain showers. The pilot admitted he failed to check the fuel when he preflighted the airplane, and he overlooked checking the fuel storage tank’s fuel filter/water separator.
June 3, 2013, West Palm Beach, Fla., Piper PA-46-500TP Malibu Meridian
The pilot stated he was taxiing to the runway while adjusting the flight instruments for takeoff when the airplane drifted left of the taxiway centerline and struck a culvert. After performing a visual inspection of the airframe and determining that all systems functioned normally, the pilot elected to continue to the runway and complete the flight as planned. The following day, inspection revealed substantial damage to the left wing. The pilot reported no mechanical malfunctions or anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. He further stated that he should not have started taxiing the airplane or attempted to “multitask” while taxiing.
June 5, 2013, Concord, N.H., Flight Design CTLS
According to the pilot, he flew the visual approach at the 55-knot normal airspeed prescribed by the airplane owner’s manual. The pilot stated that during the flare, the airplane lost lift and impacted the runway. During rollout on the runway, the right main landing gear collapsed and the airplane ground looped 180 degrees, coming to rest on the right side of Runway 35. Examination revealed the right main landing gear attachment point and the engine firewall were substantially damaged. Recorded wind at the airport, about the time of the accident was from 320 degrees at seven knots.
June 7, 2013, Baker, La., Hawker Beechcraft B200GT King Air
At about 1310 Central time, the airplane impacted terrain in a residential neighborhood shortly after departure. The airline transport pilot received fatal injuries and the airplane was destroyed. Visual conditions prevailed.
According to preliminary ATC and radar data, the airplane departed Runway 31. Just after takeoff, the controller assigned the pilot a heading and altitude. Radar data depict the airplane turning on-course and reaching 1200 feet msl. The airplane then descended slowly and decelerated before disappearing from radar. The last radio transmission from the pilot was that he was going to crash. The airplane came to rest in an upright position, in the corner of two houses. A post-crash fire consumed most of the airplane.
June 8, 2013, Mosca, Colo., Piper PA-28-140 Cherokee 140
The airplane was substantially damaged at 1050 Mountain time during a collision with terrain near the summit of Medano Pass. The commercial pilot was fatally injured; one passenger died on June 18, 2013, while being treated for injuries sustained during the accident. The other passenger sustained serious injuries. Day visual conditions prevailed.
The pilot’s son indicated his father had flown in the mountains for several years; it was not uncommon for him to use the Medano Pass, which is situated at 10,030 feet msl. Several witnesses reported seeing the accident airplane flying low to the treeline (about 100-200 feet agl) toward Medano Pass. The witnesses remarked that the engine was operating normally as the airplane passed over their position at a slow speed, but the airplane’s wings were banking up and down erratically.
The accident site was at 9660 feet msl. The lack of any significant tree damage and the absence of a wreckage debris path were consistent with a near-vertical impact with terrain. The nearest aviation weather station reported wind from 350 degrees at seven knots, visibility 10 miles, sky clear, temperature 21 degrees Celsius and an altimeter setting of 30.08 inches of mercury.
June 9, 2013, Ann Arbor, Mich., Cessna 172S Skyhawk SP
According to the pilot, he made a stop-and-go landing on Runway 6. Due to other airplanes in the traffic pattern, the pilot requested and was cleared to land on Runway 12, but inadvertently aligned the airplane with Runway 30 and was subsequently cleared to land on that runway. The recorded wind was almost a direct tailwind (110 degrees) at 12 knots, gusting to 17 knots.
The pilot said he touched down at 50 to 60 KIAS and about 700 feet short of the intersection with Runway 06-24. A slight upward slope at the intersection caused the airplane to bounce and become airborne. The pilot contemplated making a go-around, but elected to continue the landing. Upon touching down again, the airplane began to porpoise, the nose wheel collapsed, and the airplane came to a stop. The three passengers and a witness corroborated the pilot’s statements. Post-accident examination revealed buckling of the engine firewall and a hole in the bottom of the fuselage. There were no injuries.
June 9, 2013, Peyton, Colo., Beech C24R Sierra
During takeoff, the pilot applied back pressure to the flight controls. When the airplane reached about 50 feet agl, the stall warning horn sounded. The pilot attempted to maintain airspeed and then executed a forced landing to a field straight ahead. The airplane touched down in the field, continued through a small wire fence, struck an embankment and came to rest near a highway. The airplane received substantial damage to its wings and fuselage. The pilot reported a total of 6.1 hours in the airplane make/model and 71.4 hours total time.
June 11, 2013, Pampa, Texas, Pipistrel Alpha Trainer
At about 0130 Central time, the light sport airplane was substantially damaged when it impacted terrain under unknown circumstances. The airline transport pilot was fatally injured and the commercial pilot was seriously injured. Visual conditions prevailed.
The pilots deployed the ballistic recovery parachute for unknown reasons, prior to impacting the ground. The airplane impacted the ground in a canyon and was dragged 1.7 miles before becoming entangled in a barbed-wire fence. Weather at the time of the accident included clear skies with wind from 190 degrees at 17 knots, gusting to 22 knots.
June 12, 2013, Newton, Miss., Cessna 172K Skyhawk
The airplane was substantially damaged at about 0930 Central time when it impacted terrain after striking an electrical transmission power line during approach. The student pilot was fatally injured; the flight instructor (CFI) sustained serious injuries. Visual conditions prevailed.
After turning onto the traffic pattern’s base leg, the CFI advised the student pilot that he was getting “low” and to “add” power. The student pilot made no corrections. After turning onto the final approach leg, the instructor once again advised the student that he was low and to add power. The student pilot once again did not take any action so the instructor took control of the airplane, increased power and climbed. He knew a set of electrical transmission lines were between him and the runway and thought he had cleared them, but the airplane hit the “top wire” and “it threw them straight down into the woods.”
June 15, 2013, La Pointe, Wis., Piper PA-24-260 Comanche 260
The airplane impacted trees and terrain at about 1828 Central time during a go-around after an attempted landing on Runway 22. A post-impact fire occurred. The pilot and pilot-rated passenger were fatally injured. The airplane was destroyed during the impact and ground fire. Day visual conditions prevailed.
A witness heard an airplane engine, heard “squealing,” and heard sounds like screeching tires. He looked at the runway and saw the airplane bouncing “out of control” on the runway. The airplane “went to full throttle” and pitched up to about 45 degrees. The witness thought it was going to circle around to attempt another landing. He turned away and subsequently heard an explosion. Then he looked back and saw a plume of black smoke. The airplane impacted a wooded area about 0.5 nm southwest of Runway 22’s threshold. The runway surface exhibited slash marks consistent with contact by the propeller.
June 19, 2013, Clearwater, Fla., Cessna 172S Skyhawk SP
At about 1000 Eastern time, the airplane was substantially damaged during a forced landing. The private pilot was not injured. Visual conditions prevailed. The purpose of the flight was to practice maneuvers in preparation for the commercial pilot practical test. After completing the maneuvers, he returned to practice touch-and-go takeoffs and landings. The pilot had completed two landings and was on final when the engine experienced a total loss of power. After attempting to restart the engine, the pilot configured the airplane for its best glide speed and elected to land in the grass short of the runway. The airplane touched down in the grass and the bottom of the rudder impacted the runway edge as the airplane rolled onto the runway. Post-accident examination of the airplane also revealed substantial damage to the engine firewall.
June 20, 2013, McClellanville, S.C., Rockwell 690B Turbo Commander
The airplane was destroyed when it collided with terrain at about 1646 Eastern time after an apparent in-flight loss of control. The private pilot and a flight instructor were fatally injured. Visual conditions prevailed; an IFR flight plan was filed. The flight’s purpose included conducting a flight review.
After takeoff, the pilots requested maneuvering airspace for airwork in an altitude block of 13,000 to 15,000 feet msl. At about 1646, ATC asked the pilot to say his heading, but there was no response. Radar contact was lost and search and rescue operations were initiated. Examination of the accident site showed that the airplane collided with trees and then the ground. The total length of the wreckage path was about 290 feet in length and 40 feet in width. Measurements of the path through the trees was consistent with the airplane in a right bank of 42 degrees and a descent angle of 41 degrees.
June 20, 2013, Jamestown, N.Y., IAI Gulfstream 200
At about 1410 Eastern time, the airplane overran the runway during landing. The two airline transport pilots, two FAA inspectors and the aircraft operator’s chief pilot were not injured. The airplane sustained minor damage to the trailing edge of the left wing flap. Visual conditions prevailed and an IFR flight plan had been filed for the Part 135 check ride.
According to the pilot flying, the airplane landed within the touchdown zone following a “normal stabilized approach.” After touchdown, the pilot flying deployed the thrust reversers and applied steady brake pressure; however, the “braking/stopping ability was nil.” The airplane came to rest about 40 feet beyond the runway pavement. During the overrun, the nose wheel and the trailing edge of the left wing flap made contact with two runway end lights, which resulted in minor damage to the flap. According to photographs provided by an FAA inspector, the airplane created a furrow in the soft turf a few inches in depth.
June 21, 2013, Waterford, Mich., Cessna 172M Skyhawk
The airplane impacted terrain at about 1240 Eastern time, during takeoff. The pilot and three passengers were fatally injured. The airplane was destroyed. Visual conditions prevailed.
Control tower personnel saw the airplane lift off from Runway 9L and climb to about 100 feet agl. The pilot then reported he was “slightly overweight.” He was cleared to land straight ahead on the grass. The airplane impacted the ground and burst into flames. The on-scene investigation revealed no evidence of pre-impact airframe, powerplant, or propeller malfunction or failure. Control continuity was established. The flaps were found fully extended.
June 27, 2013, Marion, Texas, Vans RV-7A Experimental
At 2116 Central time, the airplane impacted trees and a power line while trying to land. The solo pilot was fatally injured and the airplane was destroyed. Visual conditions prevailed.
Witnesses saw the pilot make two attempts to land at the unlit airstrip. The accident occurred on the pilot’s third attempt at landing. A post-impact fire ensued.
June 28, 2013, Cantwell, Alaska, Beech 95-B55 (T42A) Baron
At about 1040 Alaska time, the airplane was destroyed following a collision with terrain and post-crash fire in an area known as Broad Pass. The airline transport pilot and two passengers were fatally injured. Instrument conditions were reported in the area while visual conditions prevailed at the airplane’s point of departure.
The accident pilot owned and operated a business through which pilots provide their own airplanes and travel as a group on a guided tour throughout Alaska. His was the lead airplane in a group of 18 airplanes on an aerial tour when the accident occurred. Other aircraft flying in the group diverted to a nearby airport.
A debris path was oriented on a magnetic heading of 345 degrees and measured about 726 feet. The closest weather observation included six sm visibility in haze, few clouds at 4700 feet, broken clouds at 7000 feet, broken clouds at 8500 feet, temperature of 70 degeees F and a dewpoint of 55 degrees F.
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