By Jim Timm JimTimm

November 2017 

 

The following are NTSB reports of aviation accidents that have occurred in Arizona from late September 2017 through late October 2017. We use this detailed accident information to develop safety programs and briefings that will help pilots learn from the mistakes being made by others and then hopefully take the action necessary to prevent similar accidents from happening to them.

This past reporting period has not been very good in that five accidents were reported by the NTSB.  The really bad news is that one of these five accidents resulted in two fatalities, one accident resulted in two serious injuries, and one accident resulted in both minor and serious injuries. It’s hard to believe that one of the accidents in this reporting period was a mid-air collision with both airplanes making a safe landing and no injuries were encountered. Also, at the beginning of this report are the details that have recently been released for an accident that had occurred earlier this summer.


THE FOLLOWING IS THE ACCIDENT THAT WAS REPORTED MUCH EARLIER WITHOUT DETAILS.

 

Accident Date: Sunday, June 4, 2017

Accident Report Dated: 10/12/17 Factual Report
Title 14 CFR Part 91
Location: Payson
Aircraft Type: Cessna 172
Injuries:  2 Minor Injuries

UNSUCCESSFUL GO-AROUND / OFF AIRPORT LANDING & FIRE

The pilot reported that during an approach to runway 22, the airplane drifted to the right of the runway centerline. He initiated a go-around by turning off the carburetor heat, he applied full throttle, he decreased the flaps from 30° to 20°, and he pushed forward on the yoke to increase airspeed. He noticed that the airplane began to settle into ground effect. He saw that the terrain began to rise, and he recalled that the noise abatement procedure called for a right turn to 270°, so the pilot turned to the right before establishing a climb. The airplane descended into rising terrain, struck trees and impacted the ground and became engulfed in flames. The post-crash fire destroyed the airplane's fuselage. The METAR reported that the wind was variable at 4 kts. and the temperature was 84° Fahrenheit. The field elevation was 5,504 ft. and the altimeter setting was 30.14. The density altitude was 8,255 ft. 

Per the National Transportation Safety Board Pilot Aircraft Accident Report, the pilot reported that the accident could have been prevented by reviewing the airplane's performance data and atmospheric conditions, especially density altitude and its effect on performance per the manufacturer pilot operating handbook. In the future, the pilot vowed to place greater emphasis on performance planning as an essential activity during flight planning. 

The pilot reported that there were no pre accident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

 

THE FOLLOWING ARE THE FIVE ACCIDENTS THAT OCCURRED IN THE LAST REPORTING PERIOD.

 

Accident Date: Saturday, September 16, 2017
Report Dated: 10/5/17 Preliminary Report
Title 14 CFR Part 135 
Location: Sedona
Aircraft Type:  Cessna 208 B
Injuries:  None

HIT A LIGHT POLE WHILE TAXIING

On September 16, 2017, about 1430 MST, a Cessna 208B collided with a light pole while 

taxiing after landing at the Sedona Airport (SEZ). The pilot and eight passengers were not injured, and the airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and a company visual flight rules flight plan was filed for the cross-country flight. The flight departed Grand Canyon West Airport, Peach Springs at 1322.

According to the pilot, after an uneventful landing on runway 3, he taxied the airplane from taxiway A2 to taxiway A and waited for further instructions from ground control at SEZ. A Fly In & Car Show event was taking place at the time, and several areas on the ramp were occupied by the show. The pilot was then instructed by ground control to follow a truck on A6 taxiway to transient parking. The transient parking was moved to the east side of the ramp and was only accessible by taxiway A6 during the event. The pilot stated that as he followed the truck, he noticed several airplanes that were parked to the right side and their wings overhung into the taxiway near to the centerline. As he approached the airplanes he steered left of centerline to maintain clearance to his right. He had one ground personnel to the right side clearing the airplane's right wing and no one on the left side to clear the left wing. The pilot advanced the throttle after he was clear of the airplanes to his right and subsequently impacted a light pole with the left wing. The light pole was positioned about 65ft from the centerline of taxiway A6.

 

accident2017-11-1
Accident Date: Friday, September 22, 2017
Report Dated: 10/10/17 Preliminary Report
Title 14 CFR Part 91 
Location: Perkinsville
Aircraft Type:  Cessna 172 L
Injuries:  2 Fatal

CONTROLLED FLIGHT INTO TERRAIN

On September 22, 2017, about 1634 MST, a Cessna 172L collided with mountainous terrain near Perkinsville, Arizona. The private pilot and passenger sustained fatal injuries and the airplane was destroyed by post impact fire.  The personal local flight departed Ernest A Love Field Airport, Prescott, at 1621. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan had been filed.

On the day of the accident, the pilot told his father that he was planning to fly with his friend, the passenger, and stay in the traffic pattern at Prescott performing touch-and-go takeoffs and landings. 

Preliminary radar and audio data provided by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) revealed that on the day of the accident, after making contact with Prescott ground controllers, the pilot switched to the tower frequency, and requested a departure to the northeast. The clearance was granted, and after taking off from runway 21R, a radar target which was presumed to be that of the accident airplane, entered the right downwind traffic pattern and departed to the northeast. Over the next 2 ½ minutes the target climbed to an altitude of 7,175 ft mean sea level (about 2,100 ft above field elevation), leveling off 2.75 miles northeast of the airport.

For the next 8 minutes, the target began a gradual descent, while maintaining the northeast track. The last target was recorded at 1632:47, at an altitude of 4,550 ft, above the Verde River, and about 1,500 ft west of the entrance to Verde Canyon. The canyon followed the meandering path of the river to the east.

The following morning, family and friends of the pilot became concerned when they had not heard from him since the night before. They alerted the local Sheriff's department, and at 1108 the FAA issued an Alert Notice (ALNOT). The Sheriff's department initiated a search, and the wreckage was located by a captain from the air support unit at about 1300. The airplane was equipped with an emergency locator transmitter (ELT), and the captain stated that although he was performing grid searches southwest of the accident site for about 3 hours, he did not hear the ELT signal until he was almost directly over the wreckage site.

The wreckage was located on the north face of the canyon wall, at an elevation of 4,290 ft msl, about 200 ft below the canyon top, and 1.8 miles east-southeast of the last recorded radar target. The airplane had come to rest inverted, with the cabin on a heading of about 030° magnetic. The tail cone had rotated 90° to the airplanes right, and fire had consumed the main cabin, and most of the left wing; the right wing and empennage remained largely undamaged.

 


Accident Date: Saturday, October 7, 2017
Report Dated: 10/19/17 Preliminary Report
Title 14 CFR Part 91 
Location: Tucson
Aircraft Type:  Borom Long EZ
Injuries:  1 Uninjured

MIDAIR COLLISION

On October 7, 2017, about 1030 MST, an experimental amateur built Borom Long EZ, and a Piper PA-28-180, collided midair about 1 mile northwest of the Ryan Field Airport (RYN) Tucson. The private pilot, sole occupant of the Long EZ, and the private pilot and passenger of the Piper, were not injured. The Long EZ sustained substantial damage to the left rudder and the Piper sustained minor damage to the landing gear assembly. The Long EZ departed P13 about 0950 and the Piper departed from Chandler Municipal Airport, Chandler, Arizona, about 0935.

 The pilot of the Long EZ reported that he was on downwind when he observed another airplane on left base, slightly above him, off to his right side, and closing rapidly. Shortly thereafter, the airplanes collided. According to the pilot of the Piper, he began his turn for a left base for runway 6L when he noticed an airplane coming from the east, on downwind. The pilot of the Piper stated that he attempted to avoid the other airplane, however, his airplane's landing gear struck the Long EZ. Both pilots declared an emergency and landed at RYN without further incident.

Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for either flight.

 

accident2017-11-2
Accident Date: Saturday, October 7, 2017
Report Dated: 10/19/17 Preliminary Report
Title 14 CFR Part 91 
Location: Tucson
Aircraft Type:  Piper PA 28-180
Injuries:  2 Uninjured

MIDAIR COLLISION

See details above in Long EZ Report.

 

accident2017-11-3
Accident Date: Monday, October 9, 2017
Report Dated: 10/19/17 Preliminary Report
Title 14 CFR Part 91 
Location: Buckeye
Aircraft Type:  Nanchang CJ 6
Injuries:  1 Serious, 1 Minor Injury

IN FLIGHT LOSS OF POWER

On October 9, 2017, about 1616 MST, an experimental Nanchang China CJ- 6 sustained substantial damage during a forced landing after a reported loss of engine power near Buckeye. The private pilot sustained serious injuries and the passenger sustained minor injuries.  The flight departed North Las Vegas Airport, Las Vegas, Nevada, about 1500, Pacific daylight time, with a planned destination of Phoenix Goodyear Airport (GYR). Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the cross-country flight.

According to the pilot, after he started his descent, the engine lost power. Unable to make an airport, he decided to land on a clearing at a nearby construction site. During the landing, the airplane's left wing struck an obstacle which caused the airplane to veer out of control.

 

accident2017-11-4

Accident Date: Saturday, October 21, 2017
Report Dated: 10/26/17 Preliminary Report
Title 14 CFR Part 91 
Location: Maricopa
Aircraft Type:  American Aviation AA 1A
Injuries:  2 Serious Injuries

COLLISION WITH POWER LINE WHILE LANDING

On October 21, 2017, about 1113 MST, an American Aviation AA-1A airplane impacted the runway hard after coming in contact with power lines during the approach to land at Millar Airport (2AZ4) in Maricopa. The private pilot and passenger were seriously injured and the airplane sustained substantial damage throughout. The personal flight originated from an unknown location.

Witnesses reported that while the airplane was on short final, the landing gear impacted power lines. Subsequently, the airplane descended rapidly and impacted the ground hard.

 

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