By Jim Timm

September 2016

The following are the NTSB reports of the aviation accidents that have occurred in Arizona from mid-July thru late August, 2016. We will use this detailed accident information to develop safety programs and briefings to help pilots learn from the mistakes being made by others and then take the action necessary to prevent similar accidents from happening to them. The pilots have not had a very good year, and we need to do what we can to get this trend turned around.

From a flight safety standpoint, this reporting period, while it may consist of only three accidents, was bad in that it did contain a fatal accident that took another life. On a rather disturbing note, the fatal accident involved an individual that you would least expect to have a serious aircraft accident. He was flying an airplane that appeared to be in excellent condition, and he was flying in conditions, that with his experience, should have not presented unusual conditions hazardous for the flight being made. While it’s a bit hard to accept, accidents do and can happen to any one of us. Still, we must try to get the point across to pilots that we must all remain very careful and not become complacent or careless in how we approach flying and maintaining our airplanes. Pilots must strive to not become a part of this report!

Based on the information available when this summary was prepared, the accidents this period are as follows. At the end of this summary is attached a preliminary report of an accident that in the previous summary had been reported devoid of details.

Accident Date: Friday, July 29, 2016

Report Dated: 8/16

Title 14 CFR 91

Location: Wickenburg

Aircraft Type: Cessna 177B

Injuries: 1 Uninjured

HARD LANDING - LOSS OF CONTROL

The pilot reported that after a hard landing the airplane began to porpoise and he decided to abort the landing. The pilot reported that during the aborted landing, he added power and as the airplane began to climb, he retracted the flaps too soon and too quickly and the airplane settled back onto the runway, landed hard again, veered off the runway to the right, collapsed the nose gear, and stopped in a nose down attitude.

The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right aileron, fuselage, and empennage. The pilot reported that there were no pre impact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation. The procedures for a balked landing, as provided by Cessna, state:

1. Power – Full throttle and 2700 RPM

2. Carburetor Heat – Cold

3. Wing Flaps – Retract to 20 degrees

Accident Date: Tuesday, August 2, 2016

Report Dated: 8/8

Title 14 CFR Part 91

Location: Prescott

Aircraft Type: Robinson R22

Injuries: 1 Minor, 1 Serious

HARD LANDING

On August 2 about 1035 MST a Robinson R22 made a hard landing at Ernest A Love Field Airport, Prescott. The student pilot received minor injuries and the flight instructor (CFI) was seriously injured. The helicopter sustained substantial damage during the accident sequence. The local instructional flight departed Prescott about 1000. The pre-solo student pilot and the flight instructor were practicing straight in auto-rotations. The flight instructor stated during the descent he noticed the rotor RPM was low and then the student pilot increased the collective pitch which resulted in the rotor RPM to decay further. The helicopter hit the ground hard and the landing skids collapsed, the main rotor blades connected with the tail boom and severed the tail boom. The helicopter came to rest on its left side.

The flight instructor reported no pre-impact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan had been filed.

Accident Date: Tuesday, August 2, 2016

Report Dated: 8/11

Title 14 CFR Part 91

Location: Flagstaff

Aircraft Type: Piper PA 34-200T

Injuries: 1 Fatal

INFLIGHT LOSS OF CONTROL

On August 2 about 2122 MST, a Piper PA-34-200T Seneca II was destroyed when it impacted trees and terrain shortly after takeoff from Flagstaff Pulliam Airport (FLG). The airline transport pilot received fatal injuries. The personal flight was being conducted as a medical delivery mission for the volunteer organization Flights for Life (FFL), under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Night visual meteorological conditions prevailed at FLG at the time of the accident. No flight plan was filed.

According to its website, FFL is "a non-profit organization dedicated to providing free air transportation to transport blood for the United Blood Service (UBS) of Arizona." FFL works in cooperation with hospitals, blood banks, health-care agencies and private individuals, and flies scheduled and on-demand missions, primarily within Arizona. The pilot was a well-known, long serving, and very active member of FFL.

The pilot owned the accident airplane, and based it at Falcon Field (FFZ), Mesa, Arizona. Commercial flight tracking data indicated that the airplane departed FFZ about 0945, and landed at Show Low Regional Airport (SOW), Show Low, AZ about 1030, and then departed SOW about 1055, arriving at FLG about 1140. According to the line service technician at FLG who met the airplane, at the time of its arrival, it was "pouring" rain. The technician, who was an employee of Wiseman Aviation, a FLG fixed base operation (FBO), reported that the pilot did not want any fuel, and that the pilot unloaded some of his personal items about 30 minutes after landing, once the rain stopped. The pilot then spent the day in the FBO, generally working on his computer, while awaiting a UBS delivery that was expected about 2100. About 1900 the pilot and technician re-located the airplane closer to the terminal, and the pilot began "cleaning" and/or re-arranging some contents in the airplane to make room for the expected cargo.

About 2000, a Beech King Air operated by Tri-State Care Flight arrived at FLG for a patient pickup, and the line service technician tended to that airplane. About 2040, the FBO owner stopped by and spoke briefly with the Seneca pilot, whom he had known for about 5 years. Shortly thereafter the FBO owner left, and the technician asked the pilot again if he needed fuel, and he again declined. The technician then left the airport. Neither he nor the FBO owner witnessed the loading of the Seneca, or saw the King Air or the Seneca depart. Both FBO personnel reported that it was a "dark night" and that it was cloudy, but not raining, when they left.

The UBS employee who delivered the cargo reported that the total load was four "large" boxes and two "small" boxes. She stated that full large boxes weigh about 30 lbs each, small ones weigh about 10 lbs each, and that two of the large boxes were not full. The pilot loaded all the boxes via the aft left-side cargo door(s). He placed the large boxes on the floor of the aft cabin, and the two small boxes on top of them. The UBS employee reported that the pilot then closed the door(s), and that he did not restrain the boxes with a net or any other means.

The FLG air traffic control tower closed at 2100. Sometime after that, while still on the ground, the Seneca pilot contacted Phoenix Approach control, and advised them that he was requesting VFR (visual flight rules) flight following for a return trip to FFZ. At 2119:44, the Seneca pilot radioed to Phoenix Approach that he was "off [runway] two one" and climbing to "eleven thousand five hundred" feet. At 2120:17 the controller advised the pilot of "radar contact one mile south" of FLG, and advised him to maintain VFR. At 2120:21 the pilot radioed his thank you; this was the last radio transmission from the flight. At21:22:57, the controller advised the pilot that radar contact had been lost, and thereafter made repeated, unanswered calls to the flight.

Ground-based Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) radar tracking data first detected the airplane at 21:19:49. The radar returns indicated that the airplane climbed at a rate of about 1,000 feet per minute (fpm) for about 60 seconds, and then the climb rate decreased to and remained at about 400 fpm for the next minute. The airplane reached a maximum radar altitude of 8,400 feet, and then descended to ground impact during the next 20 seconds.

The impact site was located about 2.6 miles, on a true bearing of 236º, from the threshold of FLG runway 3, at an elevation of about 6,950 feet above mean sea level (msl). The airplane was highly fragmented; the debris field measured about 80 feet wide by about 500 feet long, and was oriented on a true heading of 042º. Earwitnesses reported that the engines were operating at high power. Ground scar and propeller signatures were consistent with both engines operating at impact. Initial post recovery evaluation of the wreckage did not reveal any mechanical anomalies, including fire, that would have precluded continued normal operation.

According to FAA records, the airplane was manufactured in 1980, and was equipped with two Continental Motors TSIO-360 series engines. The pilot purchased the airplane in March 2015. Maintenance records indicated that its most recent annual inspection was completed in May 2016, when the airframe had a total time (TT) in service of about 7,453 hours. The left engine had a TT of about 3,992 hours, with about 342 hours since overhaul. The right engine had a TT of about 353 hours.

The 76 year old pilot held multiple certificates and ratings. On his most recent application for an FAA second-class medical certificate in March 2016, he reported a total flight experience of 11,858 hours.

FLG was situated at an elevation of 7,014 feet msl. It was equipped with a single paved runway, 3/21, which measured 8,800 feet by 150 feet.

The 2057 FLG automated weather observation included calm winds, visibility 10 miles, scattered clouds at 10,000 ft, temperature 14 degrees C, dew point 14 degrees C, and an altimeter setting of 30.35 inches of mercury. The 2157 observation included winds from 240 degrees at 3 knots, visibility 10 miles, a broken cloud layer at 11,000 feet, with unchanged temperature, dew point, and altimeter setting.

THE FOLLOWING DATA IS FROM THE NTSB PRELIMINARY REPORT THAT WAS NOT AVAILABLE WHEN THE LAST SUMMARY WAS PREPARED.

Accident Date: Sunday, July 10, 2016

Report Dated: 8/9

Title 14 CFR Part 137 Agricultural

Location: Surprise

Aircraft Type: Bell HO58

Injuries: 1 Minor

CONTROLLED FLIGHT INTO TERRAIN

The pilot of an aerial application helicopter reported that after spraying a field he noticed that he missed a portion of the field. The pilot further reported that he maneuvered at a low altitude to the south end of the field, made a quick right turn to the north, dove into the field at approximately 45 knots, flew into his own vortices, and impacted the terrain.

The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the fuselage.

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

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