January 1, 2024, Mansfield, La.
Beech C23 Sundowner
The pilot later reported conducting a normal, full-flap landing to the runway. Upon touching down, the airplane’s nose landing gear collapsed, and a post-impact fire ensued after the airplane came to rest. The fire destroyed the airplane, limiting post-accident evaluation. A poor-quality airport surveillance video appeared to show the airplane bounced and porpoised “several” times before it came to rest.
The NTSB’s probable cause finding: “The nose landing gear collapse and post-impact fire due to undetermined reasons.”
This NTSB-generated bar graph plots the relationships of fatal and non-fatal U.S. general aviation accidents among specified flight phases from 2008 through 2022.
From the graph, it’s clear that landing results in the most accidents but they’re not nearly as lethal as taking off. Meanwhile, maneuvering accidents continue to lead in lethality.
January 2, 2024, Moriarty, N.M.
Van’s RV-6 Experimental
The airplane’s landing gear collapsed at 1030 Mountain time during a runway overrun after the engine quit right after liftoff. The solo pilot received minor injuries.
The pilot reported that, shortly after becoming airborne, and while still over the runway, the engine began to “stutter” and lose power. The pilot turned on the electric fuel pump, but the engine did not respond. During the forced landing that followed, the airplane exited the runway and the landing gear collapsed, substantially damaging the fuselage.
January 2, 2024, Green Pond, S.C.
Piper PA-28R-201 Arrow V
At about 1110 Eastern time, the airplane was substantially damaged in an off-airport landing following engine failure. The solo private pilot was seriously injured.
The flight departed a nearby airport at about 1054 and climbed straight out for about 4.5 miles before turning north. The climb continued through about 2800 feet msl before the airplane leveled briefly. It then began a descent and turned left to a westerly track. The pilot was in contact with ATC and declared an emergency due to “engine failure.” The controller offered multiple, potential forced-landing options but the pilot rejected them due to time. The descent continued and groundspeed decreased until data was lost at about 1107. The airplane came to rest partially submerged in a pond. Both wings were damaged, as were the engine compartment and cockpit.
The airplane’s most recent annual inspection was completed November 2, 2023, at 7529.2 total aircraft hours. The tachometer time displayed at the accident site was 7529.9 hours. The airplane’s previous annual inspection was completed in March 2022, at 7528.9 hours.
January 2, 2024, San Marcos, Texas
Learjet 35
The airplane was substantially damaged at about 1710 Central time when it ran off the end of the runway after landing. The two pilots and three passengers aboard were uninjured. The airplane was operated as a FAR Part 135 air medical transport flight.
Arriving at the destination, the crew flew an ILS approach to Runway 13, landing within the touchdown zone, and then applied the brakes and deployed the spoilers. The airplane did not respond to braking and departed the end of Runway 13 before coming to rest in the grass. The lower fuselage sustained substantial damage.
January 3, 2024, Tullahoma, Tenn.
Mooney M20K 231
At about 1226 Central time, the airplane was substantially damaged when it impacted terrain short of the runway while trying to return after engine failure. The solo commercial pilot was not injured.
Shortly after takeoff, with the airplane about four miles from the departure airport and at about 2000 feet agl, the engine suddenly lost all power. The pilot turned back to glide to the airport and attempted to restart the engine, but both efforts were unsuccessful. The airplane impacted hilly terrain about 1/2-mile short of the runway.
The pilot reported he had recently purchased the airplane; the accident flight was his first in it. It also was the first flight since the airplane’s most recent annual inspection, which was completed the same day.
January 6, 2024, Dolores, Colo.
Just Aircraft Highlander LSA
The airplane was destroyed when it apparently collided with a barbed-wire fence at about 0945 Mountain time during an attempted takeoff and caught fire. Both pilots sustained fatal injuries.
The airplane had been parked at the pilot’s private dirt airstrip for two days when a pilot’s family member received a text they were flying to a nearby airport. When they pair did not arrive, a search was initiated; the wreckage was located the next afternoon beyond the departure end of the private runway.
Examination revealed the airplane went off the end of the runway, impacted the barbed-wire fence and came to rest beyond the snow-covered runway. The three-blade propeller was separated from the engine and found behind the empennage. It did not exhibit fire damage; one of the blades had about three turns of the barbed wire wrapped around its root. Over the two-day period when the airplane was parked at the private airstrip, “cycles of snow and sun melting…resulted in areas of surface ice…throughout the area.”
January 7, 2024, Carson City, Nev.
Cessna 421C Golden Eagle
At 2019 Pacific time, the airplane sustained substantial damage when it collided with a disabled airplane partially obstructing the landing runway. The solo pilot was not injured.
Earlier, a Piper M600 landed at Carson City and departed the icy runway, spun 180 degrees and came to rest with its left wing partially blocking the runway. A Notam was issued at 1925, closing the runway.
Meanwhile, the accident aircraft departed Van Nuys, Calif., at about 1820. After flying an instrument approach to a nearby airport, the pilot canceled his IFR flight plan and flew the 12 nm to Carson City VFR. He checked the AWOS at Carson City and neither ATC or AWOS provided information that the runway was closed. The pilot was unaware of the airplane blocking the runway until he heard a “thump” during landing. The Cessna’s left winglet had impacted the Piper’s left wing.
January 14, 2024, Poolville, Texas
Cessna 310R
The airplane was destroyed at about 1230 Central time when it collided with terrain under unknown circumstances. The pilot and two passengers were fatally injured. Instrument conditions prevailed; an IFR flight plan had been filed.
The airplane had been cruising at 7000 feet msl. The pilot’s preflight weather briefing included Airmets for moderate icing along the route of flight and Pireps for light rime icing between 4000 and 6000 feet msl in the area of the accident site. The airplane impacted a wooded area about 13 miles southwest of its destination.
January 14, 2024, Leyden, Mass.
Beech 95-B55 (T42A) Baron
At 1125 Eastern time, the airplane was substantially damaged when it impacted terrain, apparently out of control. The flight instructor, commercial pilot and the passenger were fatally injured.
The airplane departed Springfield, Mass., at about 1106 and soon began maneuvering. It climbed to about 4000 feet msl and then entered a rapid descent, coming to rest in a clearing in a wildlife management area. Evidence suggested the airplane impacted in a flat attitude with little forward movement. All major components were located at the accident site.
Ice was observed on the leading edge of both wings and horizontal stabilizers, both engine nacelles and the vertical stabilizer’s leading edge. Ice was also observed on the front face of one of the left engine’s propeller blades, and on the nav antenna located on the vertical stabilizer. At the time, an Airmet for icing conditions and a Sigmet for occasional severe turbulence between 3000 and 16,000 feet msl were active for the accident site.
January 14, 2024, Half Moon Bay, Calif.
Cozy Mark IV Experimental
The airplane was destroyed at about 1905 Pacific time when it impacted the Pacific Ocean. The pilot and two passengers were fatally injured; one passenger is missing and presumed dead.
A witness first heard and then saw the airplane after it took off. The witness reported that the sound of the engine was similar to the sound of coughing, and that the airplane appeared to increase in speed, while it was “dipping and turning.” The witness stated that the engine “cut out” and the airplane appeared to bank toward the shoreline. Shortly thereafter, they lost visual sight of the airplane’s lights. Night instrument conditions prevailed, with a 300-foot overcast ceiling and five sm of visibility.
January 16, 2024, Hugo, Okla.
Piper PA-24-180 Comanche 180
At about 1815 Central time, the airplane sustained substantial damage when its engine lost power while maneuvering for an intentional gear-up landing. The solo pilot was not injured.
After takeoff, the pilot retracted the landing gear but could not obtain a gear-up indication. The pilot noted he had to hold right aileron and right rudder during cruise to maintain coordinated flight. Approaching the destination, the pilot attempted to extend the landing gear but the circuit breaker popped and the gear failed to extended. Multiple attempts to extend the gear failed and the pilot could not obtain either a gear-up or gear-down cockpit indication. After evaluating the terrain and choosing a landing area, he switched fuel tanks, after which the engine failed to produce power. The pilot force-landed in a field.
A few days after the accident, the pilot dipped the fuel tanks and discovered that the tank indicating it was fuller was actually empty. The other tank had about five gallons of fuel remaining.
January 19, 2024, Dulles, Va.
Cessna 208B Grand Caravan
The airplane was force-landed on a highway at about 1247 Eastern time when its engine failed shortly after takeoff. The commercial pilot, commercial-rated copilot and five passengers were not injured. Instrument conditions prevailed for the scheduled FAR Part 135 commuter passenger flight.
Shortly after takeoff, the crew noticed the standby power light illuminated. Then there was a sudden, shattering noise and vibration coming from the engine area. The pilot, who was the pilot flying, instructed the copilot to declare an emergency and initiate procedures for a return to the departure airport. It became evident the engine was unresponsive and the airplane was rapidly losing altitude. The pilot decided to land on an airport-perimeter highway; during the landing, the airplane collided with a steel guardrail.
January 26, 2024, Londonderry, N.H.
Beech C99 Airliner
At about 0726 Eastern time, the airplane was substantially damaged when it impacted wooded terrain. The solo commercial pilot was seriously injured. The airplane was operated as a FAR Part 135 on-demand cargo flight.
Shortly after takeoff, the airplane’s transponder was changed to an emergency code. The airplane then flew erratically for 16 minutes while ATC attempted to establish radio contact before coming to rest about five miles south of the departure airport. The airplane’s pilot-side cockpit door/hatch was located in a residential yard about 10 miles north of the main wreckage. A portable ladder that is supposed to be stowed inside the cockpit before takeoff was found resting against the left engine nacelle.
January 29, 2024, Terrell, Texas
Cessna 172H Skyhawk
The airplane was substantially damaged when it was forced-landed at about 2250 Central time following loss of engine power. The pilot and the passenger sustained minor injuries.
The pair took off at about 1950 and flew to an airport about 122 nm away. After a full-stop landing, the airplane took off with a third airport as its destination, some 81 nm away, landing at about 2230. The pilot attempted to refuel the airplane, but reported the fuel pumps were “out of order.” The pilot dipped the fuel tanks and determined the right tank had about four gallons and the left one had about 12 gallons. They decided to fly to a fourth airport about 14 nm away for fuel. Shortly after taking off, the engine lost all power; the pilot force-landed in a field, sustaining damage. Personnel at the third airport later reported it has never had self-service fuel and there were no after-hours fuel requests that night.
