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

This reporting period would appear to be good based on the accidents reported by the NTSB. In reality, it wasn’t really all that great with both the number of accidents and fatalities that occurred. The NTSB reported only one accident, and that was probably minor in nature because a preliminary report had not yet been released. In reality, there were two additional accidents that I am aware of that were covered in the local media, and they both involved injuries and fatalities. There is only one more month left in the year, and I only hope everyone flies safely for the rest of the year, and we don’t add any more to the list that have already occurred.

Available information on the accident reported in this period is detailed below, and the last portion of this report contains the details of four accidents that had occurred much earlier, but the accident details have only recently been made available. Let’s all do what we can to be more careful, and make sure both we, and our airplanes, don’t get hurt. Fly Safe.

 

THE FOLLOWING ACCIDENT OCCURRED IN THE PAST REPORTING PERIOD

 

Accident Date: October 27, 2018

Preliminary Report Dated: 11/15/2018

Title 14 CFR Part 91 Operation 

Location: Marana

Aircraft Type: Diamond DA 40

Injuries: Unknown

The NTSB did not release any details other than the above information.

 

 

THE FOLLOWING TWO ACCIDENTS WERE REPORTED IN THE LOCAL MEDIA 

 

Accident Date: November 16, 2018

Title 14 CFR Part 91 Operation 

Location: Overgaard

Aircraft Type: Zenith CH601XL

Injuries: 2 Fatalities

The above information is from the media, and other sources. 

 

 

Accident Date: November 17, 2018

Title 14 CFR Part 91 Operation 

Location: Morristown (Lake Pleasant)

Aircraft Type: Scottish Aviation 100MDL 101 Bulldog

Injuries: 2 Minor

The above information is from the media, and other sources.

 

 

THE FOLLOWING ACCIDENTS OCCURRED AT AN EARLIER DATE WITHOUT DETAILED INFORMATION

Accident Date: April 21, 2018

Factual Report Dated: 10/26/2018

Title 14 CFR Part 91

Location: Tucson

Aircraft Type: Rutan Long EZ

Injuries: 1 Uninjured

LOSS OF CONTROL ON GROUND 

According to the pilot in the airplane with a retractable nose-wheel, he landed about mid-field on the 4,000ft long runway, and his approach speed had been about 10 knots fast.

During the landing roll, the pilot started a right turn to exit his approaching taxiway and pressed the brakes hard, because the airplane's ground speed was too fast. He reported that he heard a "small pop" and that he had "no braking control" and the airplane veered to the left.

He released the brake pressure and retracted the nose landing gear to slow the airplane. The airplane skidded off the left side of the runway and collided with trees.

The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left canard and the right wing.

A Federal Aviation Administration, Aviation Safety Inspector examined the airplane after the accident. He reported that the right brake fluid line failed at the brake caliper. He asserted that the brake line failure was not a material failure; rather, it was the result of the airplane's collision with trees.

 

 

Accident Date: May 29, 2018

Factual Report Dated: 10/16/2018

Title 14 CFR Part 91

Location: Prescott

Aircraft Type: Piper PA 46

Injuries: 3 Uninjured

INFLIGHT LOSS OF POWER, FUEL EXHAUSTION

According to the pilot, about 15 minutes prior to reaching the destination airport during descent, the engine lost power. The pilot switched fuel tanks and the engine power was momentarily restored, but the engine stopped producing power, even though he thought it "was still running all the way to impact."

The pilot force landed on a highway at night, and the right wing struck an object and separated from the airplane. The airplane came to rest inverted.

According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Aviation Safety Inspector (ASI) that performed the post-accident airplane examination, the fuel lines to the fuel manifold were dry, and the fuel manifold valves were dry. He reported that the fuel strainer, the diaphragm, and the fuel filter in the duel manifold were unremarkable. Fuel was found in the gascolator.

The FAA Inspector reported that during his interview with the pilot, "the pilot changed his story from fuel exhaustion, to fuel contamination." The Inspector reported that there were no signs of fuel contamination during the examination of the airplane's fuel system.

According to the fixed base operator at the departure airport, the pilot requested 20 gallons of fuel. He then canceled his fuel request and walked out of the FBO.

 

 

Accident Date: May 11, 2018

Factual Report Dated: 11/21/2018

Title 14 CFR Part 91

Location: Chandler

Aircraft Type: Aeropro CZ A240 & PA 28-161

Injuries: 1 Uninjured

GROUND TAXI COLLISION

According to the pilot in the low-wing airplane, he was cleared by ground control to taxi to runway 22R via "Alpha and November." Taxiway Alpha runs parallel to runway 22R. The pilot approached taxiway Alpha via taxiway Mike, and before entering the intersection of taxiways Alpha and Mike, he "looked in all directions for aircraft" and then proceeded to make a left turn onto taxiway Alpha without stopping. His airplane's right wing collided with the left side of another airplane already taxing via Alpha to 22R. He asserted that the other airplane was moving very fast when the collision occurred. His airplane sustained substantial damage to the right aileron.

According to the student pilot in the high wing airplane, he received clearance from ground control to taxi to runway 22R via "Alpha and November." He recalled that he was established on Alpha and heading toward 22R with his landing lights on. He saw the low wing airplane approaching the intersection of taxiway Alpha and Mike from the non-movement area. He reported that the low-wing airplane made a left turn onto taxiway Alpha without stopping. The low-wing airplane's right wing collided with the left side of his airplane. His airplane sustained damage to the left-wing lift strut, the left wing support struts, and the windscreen.

Both pilots reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

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