By Jim Timm 
January 2016
The following are the NTSB reports of aviation accidents that have occurred in Arizona from late November thru late December. As all detailed accident information becomes available, APA will attempt to use it to develop safety programs and briefings that should help pilots learn from the mistakes being made by others and prevent similar accidents from happening to them.
From a flight safety standpoint, this reporting period was both good and bad in that there were only three accidents and in two of them the injuries were either none or minor in nature. The really bad news was that one of the accidents involved two fatalities. As this report is being written, there are only a few days left in the year, and I hope we can finish off the year without any more accidents, especially serious ones.
So far in the last reporting period, the NTSB issued reports of only two accidents, both relatively minor in nature. However, days before this report was written, there was a helicopter accident northwest of Superior in the Superstition Mountains involving two fatalities and one serious injury. Because of the serious nature of the accident, the initial NTSB reporting of the incident will no doubt be delayed slightly to include a preliminary accident report. Of the two accidents that were reported by the NTSB, one was the result of a power loss on approach to landing which terminated in landing short of the runway in unsuitable terrain. Neither occupant was injured, only the airplane sustained serious injuries. The other reported accident did not contain any accident information, and therefore it could be assumed that it was minor in nature in reference to personal injuries.
Fortunately the accident numbers have been down, and for the most part, they have been minor in nature. I only hope we can complete the year with a record low accident/injury rate. If everyone will plan and execute all their flights with continued careful planning, and good judgment we should be able to make this a banner year for safety. So please fly safe!
Based on information available when this summary was prepared, the accidents this reporting period are as follows:
Accident Date:Wednesday, November 25, 2015
Report Dated 12/8/15
Title 14 CFR Part 91
Location:Wickenburg
Aircraft Type: Piper PA 28-140
Injuries:2 Uninjured
LOSS OF POWER, LANDING
About 1000 MST on25, a Piper PA 28-140, N7PM, was substantially damaged during a forced landing following a partial loss of engine power near Wickenburg Municipal Airport (E25). The private pilot and flight instructor were not injured.
According to a Federal Aviation Administration inspector, the purpose of the flight was to familiarize the pilot with the airplane prior to his purchase of it. At the conclusion of the flight, they returned to E25 to conduct practice takeoffs and landings. While on the base leg of the traffic pattern for landing on runway 5, the flight instructor attempted to apply engine power, but the engine did not respond. The flight instructor assumed control of the airplane and was able to produce a response from the engine by "pumping" the throttle, however, the airplane could not reach the runway, and the flight instructor conducted a forced landing to desert terrain. The airplane came to rest upright and sustained substantial damage to both wings, the fuselage, and empennage. About 20 gallons of blue-colored fuel was drained from the right wing fuel tank. The left wing fuel tank was breached during the accident sequence. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the local flight, which departed from E25 about 0900.
Accident Date:Sunday, December 13, 2015
Location:Rimrock
Aircraft Type: Lancair 360
NO NTSB INFORMATION AVAILABLE
Accident Date:Tuesday, December 15, 2015
Location:Superior
Aircraft Type: Airbus AS350-B2
Injuries:2 Fatal, 1 Serious
REPORT NOT YET ISSUED BY THE NTSB