2016 YEAR END AVIATION ACCIDENT SYNOPSIS JimTimm
by Jim Timm

 

The year 2016 ended with 41 accidents reported in the state of Arizona by the NTSB when this report was prepared in late January. There were no incomplete reports, and I hope there are no accident reports outstanding that have not yet been published. From a flight safety standpoint, the year wasn’t too bad, but it certainly could have been better. To get these accident and injury numbers down, we need to attend - and encourage our fellow pilots to attend - the safety seminars that are put on by the FAASTeams. Statistics indicate that pilots who attend these seminars don’t have accidents. We all need to be vigilant when flying and make 2017 a safe year.

The accidents that occurred in 2016 are broken down as follows, and the corresponding numbers for the previous two years are also included for comparison.

2016 2015 2014
Certified Powered Fixed Wing Aircraft 24 20 37
Experimental Fixed Wing Aircraft 7 10 10
Rotor Wing Aircraft 9 5 9
Gliders 1 1 2
Balloons 0 2 3
TOTAL ACCIDENTS 41 38 67

 

Of the people that were involved in the 2016 accidents, there were:

  9 Fatalities

12 Serious Injuries

  9 Minor Injuries 

39 Non Injuries

 

In 2015, there were three fatalities, and in 2014 there were 16 fatalities.

 

The 2015 year ended rather well from a flight safety standpoint in that the number of accidents and injuries were down, but most significantly, the number of fatal accidents, and fatalities. These were down from 10 accidents with 16 fatalities in 2014, to 2 accidents with 3 fatalities in 2015! We don't want to view this as an anomaly, but rather a goal to maintain. To do this we must do what we can to encourage our fellow pilots to attend safety seminars that are put on by the FAASTeams, continue to be vigilant when flying, and don't become complacent or careless.

 

 

 

ARIZONA 2015 ACCIDENT SYNOPSIS

 

The 2015 year ended with a total of 38 NTSB reported aircraft accidents occurring in the state of Arizona. In the reporting of this number of accidents, keep in mind that an incident such as a gear up landing, which can be very financially devastating, but when no one was injured or structural damage as defined by the NTSB did not occur, these incidents are not included in this accident number.

 

Unfortunately, when this report was prepared in mid-February, there were two reported accidents for the year that were still devoid of detailed information. First was a Cessna 172 on November 7 in Mesa, and a Lancair 360 on December 13, at Rimrock. The number of persons involved and the extent of their injuries, if any, is unknown. Most likely there were no fatalities. (These two are included in the reported accident numbers.)

 

The thirty eight accidents that occurred in 2015 are as follows and are compared to the sixty one that occurred in 2014.

 

 

2014

2015

Certified Powered Fixed Wing Aircraft

20

37

Experimental Fixed Wing Aircraft

10

10

Rotor Wing Aircraft

5

9

Gliders

1

2

Balloons

2

3

 

 

 

 

Of the people that were involved in these reported accidents in 2015, there were 3 fatalities, 9 received serious injuries, 7 received minor injuries, and 68 persons involved were uninjured.

 

 

 

YEAR 2015

ACCIDENT INJURY

BREAKDOWN

 

There were 87 persons involved in the 38 accidents that occurred in 2015 while there were 120 persons involved in the 61 accidents occurring in 2014. A breakdown of the 2014 injuries for aircraft class was not available.

 

AIRCRAFT CLASS

None

Minor

Serious

Fatalities

Certified Powered Fixed Wing

29

2

4

0

Experimental Fixed Wing

14

3

2

0

Rotor Wing

5

2

1

2

Glider

0

0

0

1

Balloon

20

0

2

0

 

Part 135/137 Operations (Included in above) 1 Serious injury, 2 fatalities.

 

 

SYNOPSIS

OF

2015 FATAL ACCIDENTS

 

 

The following are the fatal aviation accidents that occurred within the state of Arizona as reported by the National Transportation Safety Board. In 2015 there were two accidents involving 3 fatalities, as compared to ten accidents involving sixteen fatalities in 2014. The phase of flight/operation and aircraft type is listed and a description of each of the two accidents are also provided.

 

 

LOSS OF CONTROL ON TAKE OFF

Schempp-Hirth Standard Cirrus (Glider) 1 Fatal

 

LOSS OF CONTROL ON LANDING

 

 

LOSS Of CONTROL IN FLIGHT

 

 

CONTROLLED FLIGHT INTO TERAIN

Airbus Helicopters AS350-B3 2 Fatal

FATAL ACCIDENT SUMMARIES

 

 

Accident Date: Saturday, April 11, 2015 Report Dated 4/23/2015

Title 14 CFR Part 91

Location: Prescott Valley

Aircraft Type: Schempp-Hirth Standard Cirrus (Glider)

Injuries: 1 Fatal

 

LOSS OF CONTROL DURING WINCH LAUNCH

 

About 1525 MST, a Schempp-Hirth, Standard Cirrus glider, sustained substantial damage after impact with terrain following a winch-tow-launch and initial climb at the A.C. Goodwin Memorial Field Gliderport (AZ86), Prescott Valley. The certified private pilot, the sole occupant, sustained fatal injuries.

 

Witnesses reported that they observed the glider being launched from a winch tow line to the southwest. During the initial climb at an altitude of about 500 feet above ground level, the left wing dropped, followed by the glider descending in a steep nose-down attitude prior to impact with terrain. A post accident examination of the glider revealed that all components necessary for flight were accounted for at the accident site. It was also reported that the glider had been winch-tow launched three times that day prior to the accident.

 

 

Accident Date: Tuesday, December 15, 2015 Report Dated 1/4/16

Title 14 CFR Part 135

Location: Superior

Aircraft Type: Airbus Helicopters AS350-B3

Injuries: 2 Fatal, 1 Serious

 

CONTROLLED FLIGHT INTO TERRAIN

 

About 1723 MST, an Airbus helicopter, AS350B3 was substantially damaged when it impacted terrain while maneuvering near Superior. The commercial pilot, and flight nurse sustained fatal injuries and the flight paramedic sustained serious injuries. The cross-country positioning flight originated from the Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport (IWA) at 1705 with an intended destination of Globe, Arizona.

 

According to the operator, the air ambulance helicopter had transported a patient from the Cobre Valley Community Hospital, Globe, to the Baywood Heart Hospital in Mesa. The flight originated from their base in Globe, with a planned return to their base at the conclusion of the operation. After transporting the patient, the helicopter was repositioned to IWA for refueling. It subsequently departed IWA for the return flight to its base in Globe. The flight was being tracked by satellite at the company's national communication center, AIRCOM, in Omaha, Nebraska. The company's operations control center (OCC), located in Denver, Colorado, was monitoring the flight on their Flight Management System. At 1723 MST, satellite tracking of the helicopter was lost. AIRCOM notified the OCC and a search was conducted by a company aircraft. The wreckage was located as a result of an aerial search at about 2054.

 

Examination of the accident site revealed that the helicopter impacted mountainous terrain about 10 miles north-northwest of Superior. All major structural components of the helicopter were located within the wreckage debris path, which was about 380 feet in length, and oriented on a heading of about 200 degrees magnetic.

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