The airplane was descending for a landing when the engine suffered a total loss of power. The pilot stated that he had no memory of the accident. Although personnel who moved the airplane claimed that 15 or 16 gallons of fuel were removed from the accident airplane at the accident scene, only about six gallons could be located.
Category: Non-Fatal Single-Engine
The airplane took off with four parachutists on board. After reaching an altitude of 11,000 feet, one parachutist exited the airplane. As the second parachutist was exiting, his reserve parachute deployed pulling him toward the rear of the airplane. The parachute canopy went over the top of the horizontal stabilizer and the parachutist went under the stabilizer.
The pilot was returning from a skydiving drop when he entered the airport traffic pattern, experienced an inflight loss of control, and then struck trees short of the runway.
AFTER FUELING THE AIRCRAFT, THE PILOT OBSERVED ‘A LOT’ OF WATER IN THE FUEL, WHEN CHECKING THE SUMPS. HE SHOOK THE WINGS, AND AGAIN OBSERVED WATER. HE ALLOWED THE AIRCRAFT TO SIT FOR ABOUT AN HOUR, THEN HE CHECKED THE SUMPS AGAIN. HE DRAINED WATER UNTIL NO MORE WATER WAS OBSERVED. AT ABOUT 200 FEET AGL, DURING THE INITIAL CLIMB, THE ENGINE QUIT.
The pilot was performing the initial takeoff, when he observed a loss of power, associated with a torque indication of zero. He force landed the aircraft in a wooded area when he could not make an open field. A post accident inspection of the engine revealed that the fuel control unit arm was loose, and the lock wire was not in place.
The 81-year-old pilot was flying to the glencoe municipal airport to pick up parachutists. The glencoe airport has a grass runway. The pilot landed in a grass field one-half mile south of the airport. Witnesses reported the pilot circled the field before landing. The airplane struck a fence post and nosed over during landing roll.
On final approach to runway 14, a total loss of engine power occurred. Due to construction equipment, transmission lines, and vehicle traffic on a highway, the pilot made a decision to land in a field. During the landing in rough and uneven terrain, the nose gear, left main gear, and left wing were damaged. The pilot reported 15 gallons of fuel at the initial preflight.
A student sport parachutist was preparing for a static line jump. The parachute inadvertently deployed as he was moving into jump position, outside of the airplane. Canopy static lines caught on the horizontal stabilizer, twisting the empennage.
The commercial pilot was about 50 feet agl on initial takeoff climb when the airplane started to vibrate and the engine started running rough. The pilot determined that he could not clear trees at the end of an open field and made a forced landing straight ahead maneuvering around some trees and cattle. The pilot stated he flared a little high, landed hard and the right main landing gear separated.
During sport parachute operations the aircraft inadvertently stalled when too many jumpers attached themselves on the outside of the aircraft. The jumpers had been briefed on limiting the number to exit at one time to six; however, they ignored these instructions. As they departed the aircraft the pilot regained control and landed without further incident.
The private pilot and four parachutists were on board the airplane as it taxied for takeoff. The wind conditions were reported between 14 and 16 knots. The pilot stated that he added full power, achieved flying speed, rotated, and began to climb out.
The aircraft departed fully topped with 65 gallons of fuel on three 45 nautical mile minimum legs plus a total of five parachute drops involving ascents between 7,500 and 9,500 feet above ground level. During the descent from the fifth parachute drop the engine stopped developing power and the pilot in command executed a forced landing in a field. During the landing roll the aircraft collided with a barb wire fence and impacted a drainage ditch.
The airplane was at 8000 feet, four parachutist had jumped, and the pilot then descended the airplane to the pattern altitude of 1,400 feet. During this descent, carburetor heat was not applied. The pilot then initiated the approach and landing to runway 19. During the approach the pilot applied carburetor heat twice for short periods of time. On final approach the pilot needed additional power to reach the runway.
The pilots were completing a parachute/orientation flight. After the parachutists exited, the airplane, with the first pilot at the controls, returned to the airport, descending at the maximum descent rate. The second pilot, a company check pilot, reported that the first pilot touched down simultaneously on the nose and right main landing gears at a high airspeed. The airplane subsequently swerved to the left and struck a bush located about 150 feet from the runway centerline and nosed over.
The airplane was being used to haul skydivers. According to the pilot, after about the third or fourth flight, there was a partial loss of power, due to a fuel tank vent that had been blocked by a mud dauber nest. The pilot noted that when a fuel cap was removed, he heard a ‘hiss’ as differential air pressure was relieved. Maintenance was performed to clear the vent, then the pilot continued hauling skydivers.
A commercial pilot was returning to land after dropping parachutists in the local area. While on short final, the airplane impacted a fence, nosed over, and came to rest in the inverted position. The operator stated that the airplane encountered a downdraft created by a hangar adjacent to the runway. The wind at the nearest observation facility, eight miles north of the site, was from 300 degrees at 6 knots.
The pilot stated after the third parachute jumper exited the aircraft, he ‘…Continued at reduced power and started to glide down…For landing. As i was starting a long final approach i saw that i would need power to maintain the glide slope. There was no response when i advanced the throttle.’ attempts to restart the engine were unsuccessful and the pilot made a forced landing.Â
During a vfr final approach, following a parachute jumping flight, to a private airstrip the engine lost all power. The pilot made a forced landing into a field. The owner/operator reported that the flaps remained in the up position at the accident site and that the pilot had stated the flaps remained in the up position during the approach and landing. The manufacturers’ procedures list full flaps for a shortfield landing. During the flare/touchdown the nose gear collapsed and the airplane came to rest in an inverted position. The cause of the power loss was not determined.
During takeoff roll while hauling parachute jumpers from a private airstrip, the aircraft failed to become airborne, departed the runway and collided with a ditch. The aircraft came to rest upright partially extending onto a country road which bordered the airstrip. Weight of the aircraft was computed to be 250.5 pounds over maximum certified gross weight.
After the parachutists exited the airplane, the flight returned to the airport and entered the downwind leg at 750 feet. Flaps were extended and when turning to final approach, the pilot stated that the airplane encountered a high sink rate. Before the pilot could correct the situation, the airplane collided with 20 foot tall trees approximately 300 feet short of the runway.
During a daytime flight, maneuvering at 8,500 feet msl, a parachute jumper exited the airplane to position on the right wing strut in preparation for the jump. The jumper’s reserve parachute inadvertently opened and the jumper was pulled from the strut and impacted the leading edge of the right horizontal stabilizer bending the spar. The airplane landed safely without further incident.
Pilot was flying a group of sport parachutists on a jump run, and noticed a pilot parachute out of its pack. The pilot yelled at parachutist but he stepped onto the aircraft wing strut. The parachute deployed and pulled the parachutist off the strut. The parachute became momentarily entangled with the horizontal stabilizer. The pilot landed the aircraft safely. The parachutist landed safely.
With the door open and preparing to jump, a skydiver had premature deployment of his main parachute. He jumped out the door and his parachute became entangled in the elevator of the airplane. The pilot said the airplane pitched down and the other skydivers immediately exited the airplane. The skydiver whose parachute was entangled with the tail, cut away his parachute and used his reserved chute for landing.
Engine quit on final approach while returning from dropping parachutists. A forced landing was made in a field and the aircraft collided with a ditch on rollout. Post crash examination of the aircraft by faa inspectors indicated the left fuel tank contained one pint of fuel and the right fuel tank contained 1 gallon of fuel. Aircraft information indicated 1.5 gallons of fuel is unusable in each tank. The engine operated normally after the accident and there was no pre or post crash fuel leakage from the aircraft.
The airplane had landed following a sport parachute flight. During the landing roll the nose wheel separated from the strut. The nose strut dug into the sod runway & the airplane nosed over inverted. An faa inspector examined the airplane & noted that the nut & bolt which secured the nose wheel was absent. It was not located. He stated that there was no evidence that the bolt had broken. No maintenance to the nose wheel had been recorded recently, & the last annual inspection was logged 8 months & 72 flight hours before the accident.