The following are the reports of aviation accidents and incidents that occurred in Arizona from late April through late May. APA will use this detailed information to develop safety programs, briefings, and posters/flyers that would help pilots learn from the mistakes being made by others and take the action necessary to prevent them from having similar occurrences.
Aviation safety this past reporting period has improved somewhat from the last report, but it’s still not the best. It’s acceptable in that there were only a few serious injuries and most of the accidents, or incidents, didn’t incur any injuries. It would appear that people are still not thinking about what they are doing. This is rather apparent based on the large number of no injury accidents and incidents, and the large number of pilot deviations that also occurred in the reporting period.
We are going to continue with the expanded scope of the report using information from the NTSB, ASN, FAA, and APA Members. With this increased source of information, I think you will be getting a better idea of what is really happening to out there, and help you keep from making the same mistakes. We can only hope that all this will help make flying just a little bit safer.
THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION WAS OBTAINED FROM THE ASN, FAA, NTSB, AND APA MEMBERS
Accident Date: May 2, 2021
Info Source: ASN, NTSB,FAA
Location: Phoenix
Aircraft Type: Ultra Magic N500 (Balloon)
Injuries: 17 Uninjured, 1 Minor Injury, 1 Serious Injury
WIND BLEW BALLOON INTO TREE
The balloon sustained unreported damage subsequent to impact with a tree during a landing attempt in gusting wind conditions in the Phoenix area. Of the nineteen occupants onboard the sightseeing hot air balloon, one was seriously injured, one received minor injuries, and seventeen were not injured.
Accident Date: May 4, 2021
Info. Source: ASN
Location: Phoenix
Aircraft Type: Cessna 150H
Injuries: 1 Uninjured
INFLIGHT LOSS OF POWER
Following a loss of engine power, the aircraft made a forced landing to a roadway in Desert Ridge, east of Phoenix Deer Valley Airport (DVT). The airplane was not damaged and the pilot, only person onboard, was not injured during the incident. The owner of the plane said the plane was rented out to the pilot who was trying to build up flying hours. The owner said the plane had enough fuel for a two-hour flight but the plane ran out of fuel when the pilot was on the way back to the airport.
Accident Date: May 5, 2021
Info Source: NTSB, FAA
Location: Mesa
Aircraft Type: MD 369FF
Injuries: 2 Uninjured
PRECAUTIONARY OFF AIRPORT LANDING
No information was available other than substantial damage had occurred during the precautionary off airport landing.
Accident Date: May 5, 2021
Info. Source: FAA
Location: Mesa FFZ
Aircraft Type: H500 Helicopter
Injuries: 2 Uninjured
DAMAGE DISCOVERED POST FLIGHT
A post-flight inspection discovered a damaged tail rotor. The extent of damage was deemed to be substantial.
Accident Date: May 5, 2021
Info Source: FAA
Location: Chandler (P19)
Aircraft Type: Mooney M-20K
Injuries: 1 Uninjured
NOSE GEAR/PROP DAMAGE ON LANDING
The aircraft incurred a prop strike and nose gear damage during a pilot induced porpoising during landing. Pilot experience in the Mooney was low.
Date: May 6, 2021
Info. Source: FAA, APA Member
Location: Wilcox (P33)
Type: Northstar Trike (Ultralight)
1 Serious Injury
CRASHED DURING TAKEOFF
The unregistered ultralight Northstar trike crashed during takeoff from P33, and the pilot sustained serious injuries. Aircraft damage was undetermined.
Date: May 8, 2021
Info. Source: NTSB, APA Member
Location: Tucson
Type: Cessna 172P
1 Uninjured
HARD LANDING
During a Part 91 G/A local Instructional flight, the solo student pilot had a hard landing resulting in a prop strike, and the aircraft sustained substantial damage.
Date: May 9, 2021
Info. Source: FAA, NTSB, APA Member
Location: Chandler (P19)
Type: Cessna 172R
1 Minor Injury
STRUCK POWER LINE AND FREEWAY FENCE
During what may have been an attempted forced landing on a freeway, the airplane clipped a power line and struck a freeway overpass fence and sustained substantial damage during the landing attempt southeast of the approach end of Runway 35 at Stellar Airpark (P19), Chandler. The aircraft departed Roswell International Air Center Airport, (ROW), with a nighttime destination of Stellar Airpark (P19).
The sole pilot onboard the airplane received unspecified but apparent minor injuries.
Accident Date: May 13, 2021
Info Source: ASN
Location: Mesa
Aircraft Type: Boeing CH47
Injuries: 1 Uninjured
CAUTIONARY OFF AIRPORT LANDING
The helicopter made a safe off airport cautionary landing 3 miles from the airport for an unspecified reason.
Accident Date: May 13, 2021
Info Source: ASN
Location: Prescott
Aircraft Type: Piper PA18-150
Injuries: 1 Uninjured
LOSS OF CONTROL LANDING
The Piper PA18-150 Super Cub departed Calvada Meadows (74P), NV, and ground looped on landing at Prescott regional Airport. Extent of damage was unreported.
Accident Date: May 18, 2021
Info Source: ASN
Location: Mesa
Aircraft Type: Piper PA28-180
Injuries: 3 Uninjured
RAN OUT OF FUEL
After experiencing an inflight loss of power shortly after takeoff, the airplane landed on a freeway, striking a median wall and a cement truck. The three persons on board were uninjured. Extent of damage was unreported.
Accident Date: May 20, 2021
Info Source: ASN
Location: Lake Havasu
Aircraft Type: Beech King Air B200
Injuries: 8 Uninjured
NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED ON LANDING
The airplane had departed Scottsdale Airport (SDL) with a destination of Lake Havasu Municipal Airport (HII). Following an inflight notation of a landing gear anomaly, the aircraft landed successfully sustaining some damage to the nose of the aircraft when the nose gear did not extend properly.
Accident Date: May 21, 2021
Info Source: NTSB
Location: Phoenix
Aircraft Type: Cessna TU206G
Injuries: 2 Uninjured
UNKNOWN PROBLEM
The aircraft was performing a FAA Part 91 personal flight when it experienced an accident. None of the two persons onboard the aircraft were injured, and the phase of flight or accident was not described, except it was noted that the damage incurred was deemed to be substantial. An NTSB Preliminary Report is in process and was not available for review.
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