September 1, 2023, Ava, Mo.
Beech 35-B33 Debonair
At about 1500 Central time, the airplane sustained substantial damage when it was landed off-airport following total loss of engine power. The pilot and passenger incurred no injuries.
While en route, the airplane lost all engine power; engine oil covered the cowling, windscreen and lower fuselage. During the forced landing to a field, the nose gear collapsed. The airplane came to rest upright in a nose-down attitude. Examination revealed a hole in the engine crankcase.
September 1, 2023, Plover, Wis.
Cessna R172K Hawk XP
While en route to a planned fuel stop, the engine hesitated slightly, causing the pilot to turn toward the nearest airport and turn on the auxiliary fuel pump. The engine smoothed out for about 15 seconds, then started acting up again before losing all power. The pilot conducted a forced landing to a roadway, striking a road sign and a moving car. Examination revealed the left fuel tank contained no usable fuel while the right one contained about 14 gallons of fuel. The fuel selector was found on the left tank.
September 2, 2023, Toms River, N.J.
Cirrus SR20
At 2218 Eastern time, the airplane was destroyed when it flew into the ground shortly after takeoff. The solo student pilot was fatally injured. Night VFR prevailed.
Track data from ADS-B show the student completed three stop-and-goes and was attempting a fourth takeoff. The airplane climbed to 425 feet before it leveled for about 30 seconds between 425 and 500 feet. Climb groundspeed was steady at 56 knots; the airplane accelerated slowly to about 90 knots groundspeed before entering a descending, accelerating westerly turn until the target disappeared.
According to a local pilot, the departure runway was “particularly ‘dark’ off the takeoff end due to vegetation/trees below resulting in very little ground references at night—instrument monitoring was essential on climb out.” No pre-impact defects were found with the engine or airframe.
September 3, 2023, Compton, Calif.
Piper PA-18-135 Super Cub
The airplane was substantially damaged at about 1420 Pacific time when the pilot lost control when his seat broke shortly after takeoff. He sustained minor injuries.
When the seat broke, the pilot slid aft about a foot. The airplane pitched up into a nose-high attitude, causing him to slide further aft. Unable to push the flight control stick forward, he let go of it and used the crossbeam to pull himself forward. At about 200 feet agl and in the onset of a stall, he was able to push the flight control stick forward and recover the airplane. The airplane’s engine then experienced a partial power loss. As the airplane descended toward an off-airport landing, it impacted a fence and came to rest upright.
The pilot believes that when he fell back or when he was pulling himself forward, his foot or knee may have moved the fuel selector out of the “both/on” position.
September 4, 2023, Orchard, Texas
Van’s RV-14A Experimental
At about 1100 Central time, the airplane was substantially damaged in a forced landing after complete electrical and engine failure. The pilot and pilot-rated-passenger were not injured.
The airplane was purchased about a month before the accident flight. About 10 minutes into the accident flight, he noticed the left and right battery indications turned on and off several times. About eight minutes later, he noticed loss of electrical power to various avionics but still had the primary EFIS, and the engine continued ran normally. The pilot turned back and flew another 10 minutes before losing all electrical power. “Since the airplane was equipped with an electronic fuel injection and ignition system, the engine experienced a total loss of power,” the NTSB said. In the forced landing, the airplane came to rest upright. Examination revealed a broken alternator belt. The second alternator’s belt remained intact.
September 6, 2023, Huntsville, Texas
Cessna 150K
The airplane was substantially damaged at about 1148 Central time after it apparently lost engine power and stalled while maneuvering for an emergency landing. The flight instructor and student pilot were fatally injured.
According to ADS-B data, the airplane entered the traffic pattern for Runway 36 at 1050, and then flew six touch-and-goes. At about 1128, the airplane switched to using Runway 18 and flew three additional touch-and-goes. Two witnesses reported they heard a sudden decrease in engine rpm from the accident airplane. It was southbound over Runway 18, at about 500 feet agl, rocking its wings in a level pitch attitude. The airplane then entered a left, nose-down turn toward the east. After the airplane had turned about 90 degrees, it entered a spin and descended to the ground in a nose-down pitch attitude. Examination revealed debris throughout the airplane’s fuel system, from the tanks to the fuel strainer. The fuel line from the strainer to the carburetor was separated and not observed.
September 17, 2023, Reno, Nev.
N. American T-6G/N. American AT-6B
At about 1355 Pacific time, the two airplanes collided in the post-race traffic pattern during the Reno Air Races. The solo pilots of both airplanes were fatally injured.
Several witnesses observed the airplanes collide while maneuvering to landing on Runway 8. A witness reported one airplane was on base leg along the airport perimeter fence line at about 300 feet agl, while the other airplane was on downwind, heading west-south-westerly, also at about 300 feet agl. They collided at about a 75-degree angle relative to their flight paths. One of the accident airplanes created a debris path extending about 1366 feet in length. All major structural components of the other airplane were located within about 50 feet of the main wreckage.
September 19, 2023, Benson, Ariz.
Champion 7KCAB Citabria
The airplane was substantially damaged at about 0830 Mountain time when its control system failed and it impacted terrain. The flight instructor and the pilot receiving instruction were not injured.
Shortly after liftoff, at about 50 feet agl, the airplane began drifting right and then suddenly rolled sharply right. The flight instructor discovered the aileron controls were unresponsive; he only had rudder and elevator with which to control the airplane. It lost altitude and impacted the ground with the wings level before bouncing and coming to rest on the runway.
September 23, 2023, El Dorado, Ark.
Beech A36 Bonanza
At 1625 Central time, the airplane was force-landed in a field adjacent to a divert airport, sustaining substantial damage. The pilot and the flight instructor received minor injuries.
Although the NTSB states the accident airplane exhibited a loss of engine power about six weeks prior to the accident flight, there’s no further detail. Two hours after takeoff, the airplane began exhibiting a relatively high fuel flow/consumption rate and roughness. Enrichening the mixture temporarily smoothed engine operation but was short-lived and, eventually, the engine was operating with a full-rich mixture. The crew decided to divert to a nearby airport but the engine lost power during the approach. The flight instructor performed a forced landing to a field, damaging the airframe.
September 23, 2013, Gonzales, Texas
Beech C23 Sundowner
The airplane was substantially damaged when its engine lost power during an attempted go-around and was landed in a field to the left of the runway. The solo pilot received minor injuries.
According to the pilot, during final approach to Runway 15, he experienced wind shear and elected to go around. He applied full throttle and began to climb out when he heard “a loud hissing sound.” The engine lost power, and the pilot made a forced landing to the left of the runway. Maintenance records show the engine’s carburetor had been replaced three times since November 2022. The most recent rebuilt carburetor was installed on May 24, 2023, about 24 flight hours before the accident.
September 27, 2023 Whitesville, Ky.
Piper PA-28-161 Warrior II/III
At about 2249 Central time, the airplane was destroyed when its airframe failed in convective turbulence. The flight instructor and student pilot were fatally injured.
The pair were on the return portion of a night cross-country flight, taking off at about 2155 and climbing to cruise at 4500 feet msl. A post to the flight instructor’s social media account at 2215—about 34 minutes before the accident—included an annotated screenshot of a ForeFlight display showing the intended flight path would pass near red and yellow Nexrad radar echoes with tops to FL500.
The pilot contacted ATC at 2244 and was advised of heavy to extreme precipitation at the airplane’s nine o’clock position. About two minutes later, the flight instructor requested an IFR clearance, which was issued, along with an easterly vector to help the flight out of the weather. The flight instructor responded that they were in “pretty extreme turbulence.” The flight track showed a continuing right descending turn; no further communications were received. The airplane’s last ADS-B datum, at 2249, was at 2200 feet msl and about 1000 feet northwest of the debris field, which spanned 25 acres.
September 29, 2023, Cullman, Ala.
Cozy MK IV Experimental
The airplane was substantially damaged at approximately 1200 Eastern time when it reportedly stalled and impacted terrain. The solo airline transport pilot was fatally injured.
A witness observed the airplane make a low pass, wave and initiate a climbing left turn. During the turn, the witness noticed an unusual “wiggle” in the rear of the airplane, where the engine was mounted, accompanied by a propeller noise he described as a droning sound, fluctuating in pitch. Subsequently, the airplane “stalled” and impacted a field in a level attitude.
All flight control surfaces were attached, and control cable continuity was confirmed from the cockpit to the flight control surfaces. The engine remained in the cowling but had become detached from the engine mount. All four mounting bolts and nuts remained in place on the engine mount, but the upper engine mount washers were missing, leaving the rubber bushings. Two thin washers were found on the bottom of the cowling, displaying hex-shaped holes where the nuts had extruded through.
September 30, 2023, Gilford, N.H.
Cessna 150K
At 1942 Eastern time, the airplane was substantially damaged when it descended into Lake Winnipesaukee while attempting to land at a nearby airport. The solo pilot was fatally injured.
At about 1938, the airplane entered the traffic pattern for Runway 26 on the downwind. It then made a slight left turn while over Lake Winnipesaukee before entering a descending right turn. The descent stopped, and the airplane began to climb, but then entered another descending right turn before radar contact was lost.
A witness saw and heard the airplane approach, describing the weather as a little “foggy” out, but he could see the airplane’s red/green position lights and also its white landing lights. The airplane then went “full throttle” and “dove down” in a descending right turn, impacting the water at “full power.” The wreckage was located the next morning in 57 feet of water and recovered. Examination revealed the airplane sustained extensive damage, but all major flight control components were accounted for and cable continuity confirmed. The engine did not display any pre-impact anomalies.
The non-instrument-rated private pilot had not logged night flight time between December 2020 and the most recent entry in his logbook, which was a flight review. Marginal night VFR prevailed at the destination airport, which reported clear skies, with visibility of five miles in haze.
