February 1, 2022, Danville, Va.
Cessna 310R
At about 1006 Eastern time, the airplane was destroyed when it collided with terrain. The solo commercial pilot was fatally injured. Visual conditions prevailed for the aerial surveying flight.
According to ADS-B data, the airplane climbed to 2300 feet msl about two minutes into the flight before beginning a descent. The last data point showed the airplane at 1100 feet msl and about 1150 feet from the accident site, at a groundspeed of 168 knots. Examination of the 382-foot-long debris path revealed a strong fuel odor but no evidence of fire. The landing gear and wing flap positions could not be determined. All six propeller blades were fractured and could not immediately be correlated to an engine; some of them displayed leading-edge gouging, chordwise abrasion, twisting and aft bending. The fuel selector for the left engine was in the OFF position; the right engine’s fuel selector was positioned to the left main tank.
February 1, 2022, Crystal River, Fla.
Piper PA-46-350P M350
The airplane was substantially damaged when its nosegear collapsed at 1230 Eastern time, during the landing rollout. The pilot was not injured. Visual conditions prevailed.
The pilot reported the airplane touched down near the beginning of the turf runway at about 70 knots. He applied normal braking, and the airplane drifted slightly right of centerline. He then applied “less right brake and more left rudder” and the airplane corrected back toward the runway centerline. After the speed dropped to “below 20 knots,” the nosewheel suddenly collapsed. Examination revealed lower engine mount, to which the nose gear trunnion was attached, was substantially damaged. A fractured bolt and fractured trunnion fitting were found on the runway. Weather included a 50-degree crosswind at seven knots, gusting to 14 knots.
February 1, 2022, Heath, Ohio
Cessna 182T Skylane
At about 1340 Eastern time, the airplane was destroyed when it collided with trees and terrain. The solo pilot was fatally injured. Visual conditions prevailed.
At 1338, the pilot completed a touch-and-go landing, and then departed to the east. The airplane climbed to about 500 feet agl, then descended to 85 feet agl over a residential area. During the last 30 seconds of the flight, it was at about 100 feet agl and 145 knots groundspeed before it descended into trees. One witness reported the wing flaps stayed extended longer than expected, and the airplane was lower than expected. Two other witnesses observed the airplane flying low and a doorbell camera recorded the airplane at about 40 to 50 feet agl, at high speed. Preliminary examination did not reveal any anomalies precluding normal operation.
February 22, 2022, Ronkonkoma, N.Y.
Pilatus PC-12/47E
The airplane was substantially damaged at about 0656 Eastern time when its crew lost control shortly after engine start and it collided with an unoccupied Hawker 1000 bizjet on the ramp. The commercial pilot and a pilot-rated passenger were not injured.
The pilot later stated the parking brake was set and he was applying the toe brakes during the engine-start sequence. As the engine’s gas generator speed (NG) increased to 40 percent, he felt the airplane “lurching forward” even though he was still applying the brakes. The airplane continued forward as the engine spooled up. The pilot reached to secure the condition lever, but his thumb slipped off the securing device. The Pilatus rolled into and extensively damaged the Hawker as its own right wing separated during the impact sequence.
February 4, 2022, Las Vegas, Nev.
Boeing 737-8K2
At about 0119 Pacific time, the airplane sustained minor damage when its right main landing gear (RMLG) collapsed shortly after touchdown. The 50 passengers and six flight crew members aboard the Sun Country Airlines flight were not injured. The airplane was operated under IFR as a Part 121 scheduled domestic passenger flight.
Retracting the gear after takeoff, the crew observed a warning light for the RMLG. While troubleshooting the problem, the crew heard a loud sound from aft of the cockpit, and declared an emergency. Returning to the departure airport, they observed three green lights for the landing gear. About three seconds after touchdown, the RMLG collapsed. The airplane rolled right, and the right engine impacted the runway. The airplane was stopped on the runway; passengers and crew deplaned using airstairs. Examination revealed the RMLG’s outer cylinder was fractured at the upper end between the forward and aft trunnions. A portion of the landing gear punctured the upper wing skin above the landing gear.
February 4, 2022, Olathe, Kan.
Piper PA-28R-201 Arrow III
The airplane was substantially damaged at about 1200 Central time during a forced landing shortly after takeoff. The pilot and passenger were not injured. Visual conditions prevailed.
The pilot had landed earlier in the day and added fuel. After departing, when the airplane was about 700 feet agl, the engine stopped producing power. The pilot performed a forced landing to a field, damaging the airplane’s wings and fuselage.
February 7, 2022, Chemehuevi Valley, Calif.
Cessna 152
At about 1600 Pacific time, was substantially damaged when it departed the runway on takeoff and collided with a tree. The solo student pilot was not injured. Visual conditions prevailed.
The flight was the first time the pilot had flown solo, having just received an endorsement from his flight instructor earlier in the day. During the first solo landing, the airplane experienced a pronounced nose wheel shimmy after touchdown. He exited the runway and discussed the event with his flight instructor, then took off and flew uneventful takeoffs and landings. During his fifth takeoff, part of a touch-and-go, he pulled back on the yoke, but the airplane did not lift off. He released back pressure on the yoke and realized the airplane had veered to the left of the runway, where it collided with the tree.
February 10, 2022, Glendale, Ariz.
Dassault Aviation Mirage F1CR
The single-seat jet fighter was destroyed when its engine flamed out and the pilot ejected after reporting a loss of fuel pressure. The pilot sustained minor injuries. The airplane was operated as an aggressor in support of U.S. Air Force flight training. Visual conditions prevailed.
Near the completion of the briefed flight, the accident airplane’s pilot reported a fuel quantity discrepancy and decided to return to base. Shortly thereafter, engine flamed out. The pilot attempted a restart but was unsuccessful. He determined he could not make the intended runway and turned toward an uninhabited area before successfully ejecting from the airplane. Subsequently, the airplane struck desert terrain. There was no post-crash fire.
February 10, 2022, Lincoln, Neb.
Cirrus Design SR22T
At 2006 Central time, the airplane was substantially damaged when its pilot activated the airframe parachute following engine failure. The pilot and passenger were uninjured. Visual conditions prevailed.
While in cruise at 10,000 feet msl, the pilot experienced a brief “stutter” of the engine, after which the engine began to run rough. After initiating a divert and beginning a descent, the pilot told ATC the engine had smoothed out, and he would like to continue the 40nm to the planned destination at 6000 feet. Shortly, the engine’s #3 cylinder-head temperature dropped to 0 degrees F and, at 15 nm from the destination, the engine began to run rough again. The pilot began a descent. At about 2500 feet msl, engine oil pressure rapidly decreased and, about six nm out, he told ATC he was unable to reach the runway. He located a field and deployed the airframe parachute.
February 11, 2022, Katy, Texas
Mooney M20J 201
The airplane was substantially damaged at about 2006 Central time when it collided with terrain short of the runway. The pilot and passenger sustained serious injuries. Visual conditions prevailed.
After overflying the airport at about a GPS altitude of 1075 feet, the airplane turned onto a left downwind leg to land on Runway 15. The airplane turned on final approach at about 650 feet and descended, colliding with a tree on a golf course, and came to rest about 500 feet short of the runway. The the left wing and empennage were damaged.
February 13, 2022, Olathe, Kan.
Piper PA-46-500TP Malibu Meridian
At 1020 Central time, the airplane was destroyed when it crashed during an attempted takeoff. The pilot was fatally injured. Visual conditions prevailed; an IFR flight plan had been filed.
The airplane reportedly had recently undergone an annual inspection; the accident flight was to return it to its base. About one minute after ATC cleared the flight for takeoff, the pilot transmitted, “We gotta come back around,” and was immediately cleared for landing. No further transmissions were received from the accident airplane.
The airplane impacted on the extended runway centerline about 400 feet past the runway’s departure end. A post-impact fire burned the wings and forward fuselage.
February 13, 2022, Beaufort, N.C.
Pilatus PC-12/47E
The airplane was destroyed at about 1402 Eastern time when it impacted the Atlantic Ocean. The commercial pilot, student pilot and six passengers were fatally injured. Instrument conditions prevailed; the flight was operating on an IFR clearance.
The airplane departed Engelhard, N.C., at about 1335 and requested an IFR clearance. At 1338, ATC advised that the nearby restricted airspace was active. The pilot confirmed they would remain clear of the airspace but entered it anyway, forcing ATC to constrain the military aircraft operating in it. After multiple ATC calls with no response from the pilot, the pilot requested an approach into Beaufort, N.C. When ATC queried the pilot about the missed calls, the pilot responded that he “was trying to get out” and was unable to receive the radio transmissions, according to the NTSB.
The flight was cleared to cross an initial approach fix at or above 1900 feet msl. A series of heading and altitude excursions ensued. At 1358:46, ATC issued the altimeter setting because the airplane was at 1700 feet. The pilot read back the altimeter setting correctly, and that was the last transmission from the airplane. At 1401, ATC called the airplane after observing it was at 4700 feet msl and climbing quickly. There was no response. Radar contact was lost at 1402; the airplane impacted the Atlantic Ocean and sank in about 60 feet of water.
February 15, 2022, Culebra, P.R.
Britten-Norman BN-2A-9 Islander
At about 0950 Atlantic time, the airplane’s crew apparently lost directional control while landing. The pilot receiving instruction, flight instructor and pilot-rated passenger were not injured. Visual conditions prevailed.
The pilot receiving training had recently retired from flying large transports and had been hired by the aircraft operator. The accident occurred on the first landing of his first flight, and first-ever landing at the accident airport, which the operator considered a “special airport” due to a short runway and challenging environment. The instructor described a stabilized approach at 70 knots. He said the pilot made a three-point, flat landing and the airplane turned right almost immediately. When asked, the instructor said it was not a hard landing.
Examination revealed the aft portion of the right wing was pushed upward at the wing root, resulting in substantial damage to the right wing. Witness marks consistent with propeller strikes were observed on the runway and the right propeller blades displayed tip curling.
February 16, 2022, Lexington, N.C.
Beech 58 Baron
The airplane was destroyed at about 1707 Eastern time when it collided with a tractor-trailer shortly after takeoff. The solo private pilot was fatally injured; the truck driver and a truck passenger sustained minor injuries. Visual conditions prevailed.
Witnesses observed the right engine emitting white smoke during the takeoff roll, and later reported the right engine quitting and its propeller stopping. About the time the landing gear was retracted, a witness noted smoke trailing the left engine, also. The airplane banked left, stalled, pitched nose-down and disappeared behind terrain before colliding with the tractor-trailer.
February 21, 2020, Aspen, Colo.
Raytheon Hawker 800XP
At 1133 Mountain time, the airplane was substantially damaged when it departed the end of the runway during an aborted takeoff. The two pilots and four passengers were not injured. Visual conditions prevailed.
According to the captain, the crew performed a static takeoff, with the first officer making the callouts. At rotation speed, the captain applied back pressure to the yoke but the airplane would not become airborne. The captain reported, “the yoke did not have any air resistance or any pressure on it as we experience normally in Hawkers (the weight and pressure on the yoke felt the same as though the airplane was stationary on [the] ground).” The captain aborted the takeoff, reduced engine power to idle, deployed the thrust reversers and applied the brakes, but the airplane rolled off the end of the runway into the snow.
February 22, 2022, Fostoria, Ohio.
Piper PA-32-260 Cherokee 6 260
The airplane was destroyed at about 2241 Eastern time when it collided with terrain during an instrument approach. The pilot and passenger were fatally injured. Instrument conditions prevailed; the flight operated on an IFR flight plan.
The flight was cleared to the initial approach fix (IAF) outbound for a procedure turn. Crossing the IAF, it turned about 45 degrees to the left, consistent with a teardrop entry. It then turned back to the right and paralleled the inbound course of the procedure turn. About four nm from the IAF, the airplane turned right, as if to intercept the inbound course, but descended rapidly in a spiral and impacted terrain.
February 24, 2022, Hilltown Township, Penn.
Beech 35-C33 Debonair
At about 1656 Eastern time, the airplane was destroyed when it collided with terrain after an apparent loss of control. The private pilot and flight instructor were fatally injured. Visual conditions prevailed.
The pilot owned the airplane and was training for the commercial pilot practical examination. Review of ADS-B data revealed the airplane was performing maneuvers at about 2000 feet msl when it entered a left spin and descended to a residential street. During the impact, a propeller blade separated and entered a residence. The wreckage came to rest upright with no observable debris path. Flight control continuity was confirmed from all flight control surfaces to the cockpit area. The three propeller blades were separated from the hub. Most of one blade was consumed by fire. Both of the remaining blades exhibited S-bending, chordwise scratching and leading-edge gouging. The flaps and landing gear were retracted.
