Accident Briefs: December 2016

Cessna 182C Skylane

1 Fatal

The private pilot was conducting a short flight to his home airport after picking up his airplane following an annual inspection. There were no recorded communications between the pilot and air traffic control services. Radar data first showed the accident airplane about 20 miles east of the departure airport. The radar targets indicated that the airplane traveled toward the southeast with the final radar target about 11 miles west of the accident location. Several witnesses near the accident site reported hearing or observing the airplane flying in a low altitude and maneuvering to the north, east, and south. Witnesses described the airplane as flying about treetop level.

Examination of the accident site indicated a high-airspeed, near-vertical impact with trees and terrain consistent with a loss of airplane control. Postaccident examination of the airframe and engine revealed no mechanical malfunctions or anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. No medical issues were identified with the pilot that would have contributed to the accident.

Probable Cause: The pilot's loss of airplane control while maneuvering during low-level flight for reasons that could not be determined because examination of the airframe and engine did not reveal any preimpact anomalies.

Piper PA-24 Comanche

1 Minor

The pilot reported that while at cruise on a cross-country flight the engine experienced a total loss of power and he switched fuel tanks. The airplane restarted, and then a total loss of power occurred again. The pilot was forced to land the airplane on a private grass airstrip. During the landing roll the left main landing gear impacted a low spot in the ground, veered off the runway to the left and impacted a fence with the left wing. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing. A postaccident examination revealed that the right and left fuel tanks were empty, and no fuel leaks could be identified.

The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association Air Safety Foundation has published Safety Advisor SA16-01/05 Fuel Awareness (2005). This document discusses recommendations regarding fuel management for pilots and states in part:

Know How Much Fuel You Have---The first step in knowing how much fuel you have is to think of fuel not in gallons or pounds but hours and minutes. The Air Safety Foundation recommends that pilots of unfamiliar airplanes add one or two gallons per hour to their computed fuel consumption until they see how much that airplane actually burns.
Know Your Airplane's Fuel System---Pilots must also be familiar with and proficient in operating the fuel system on their airplanes.
Know What's In Your Fuel Tanks---Pilots must ensure the airplane contains the proper grade of uncontaminated fuel.
Update Your Fuel Status Regularly During Flight---It's good to do thorough preflight planning but, once in the air, things can change. Winds are rarely exactly as forecast and weather deviations add miles and minutes to your trip. The Air Safety Foundation recommends that pilots evaluate their fuel status each hour.
Always Land With Adequate Reserve Fuel---Aviation regulations require different fuel reserves for different operations. The Air Safety Foundation recommends that pilots never land with less than one hour of fuel in the tanks. That way all the regulatory reserve requirements are met and exceeded by at least 15 minutes.

Probable Cause: The pilot's failure to properly calculate the fuel consumption rate and to properly monitor the fuel status in flight, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion and a subsequent forced landing, runway excursion, and impact with a fence.

Lake LA 4 Buccaneer

2 Minor

The pilot of the amphibious airplane reported that during the 4th water landing of the flight, during touchdown, "the nose pitched down aggressively" and the airplane nosed over. The pilot further reported that he and the passenger were able to perform an emergency evacuation before the airplane sank. The fuselage sustained substantial damage.

During a postaccident interview with the National Transportation Safety Board investigator-in-charge, the pilot reported that boat wake developed in the landing area and the nose of the airplane "may have been a little low" during the landing.

According to a police report, the passenger reported that "we misjudged the wave and the plane flipped onto its back." The pilot did not report any mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Probable Cause: The amphibious airplane pilot's incorrect pitch attitude during landing on choppy water, which resulted in a nose over, and substantial damage to the fuselage.