By Fred Gibbs

 

First off, I would like to wish you all an early Merry Christmas.  And here we are, December of 2022, and another year has gone by. According to the NTSB CAROL report, there have been no new fatal accidents in Arizona since last month’s report, a good sign. However, like I said last month, 2022 has not been a good year. The count currently stands at 7 in-state fatal accidents and one out-of-state Arizona-based pilot fatality, for a total of 7 pilots and 8 passengers killed. The aircraft involved in the accidents consisted of 5 normal categories, 2 experimental and one helicopter. It has been most definitely an above average year. A summary of the accidents to date is included below. 

The first accident was a Van’s RV-7A that crashed under unknown circumstances near the Triangle Airpark (AZ50), White Hills, Mohave County, Arizona. The second accident was the Robison R22 helicopter that crashed short of the runway at Gila Bend Municipal Airport. The third crash was an experimental plane, a Covie Quickie, near Gila Bend Municipal Airport. The fourth accident, in Buckeye, was a Bonanza that crashed in the desert northwest of the airport. The fifth accident was a Cessna C-172, at Show Low, Arizona. The sixth was the C207 that crashed in Lake Powell with a load of passengers, and the 7th, a Piper PA-46 operating under questionable circumstances, occurred in mid-September, out north of Seligman.  It simply dropped off the radar and was later found by a search and rescue helicopter. The two occupants were killed in the crash, with the circumstances unknown at this time. The report also includes the fatal accident in California involving a Mooney Rocket flown by an Arizona-based pilot.  The airplane took off from Camarillo Airport for his return trip back home to the Phoenix area. The aircraft was seen flying very low, apparently struck a building on departure, leaving part of his wing on the roof, and crashed in a field shortly thereafter.

FOR INFORMATION ON ALL ACCIDENTS/INCIDENTS THAT OCCURRED LAST MONTH, REFER TO JIM TIMM’S ACCIDENT SUMMARY HEREIN. 

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