Sunday, June 07, 2015

Incident occurred June 06, 2015 in Churchill County, Nevada



CHURCHILL COUNTY, NV - The Nevada Highway Patrol is reporting that no one was hurt after a small airplane made an emergency landing on the eastbound lanes of I-80 about 70 miles east of Reno on Saturday, June 6, 2015.

The NHP says the airplane, reportedly a Cessna, made an emergency landing after experiencing engine trouble about 5 p.m. 

The plane landed at milepost 81 near the U.S. 95 turnoff.

The NHP says the FAA will assist in the investigation. 

No vehicles were damaged and the highway has since reopened after the plane was moved to the shoulder.

Source:  http://www.kolotv.com

Plane with malfunctioning toilets makes unplanned pit stop at Los Angeles International Airport (KLAX), California

LOS ANGELES -- A jet heading from Dallas to Honolulu had to divert to Los Angeles, and land with an unusually heavy load of fuel, when three of the six onboard toilets malfunctioned Sunday.

The plane landed with five hours of fuel in its wings, prompting Los Angeles city firefighters to meet the arriving jet with emergency fire apparatus. Boeing 767s do not have ways to dump extra fuel, pilots have said, and the extra weight from the jet fuel makes such a landing unusual.

LAFD's battalion chief said the plane's flaps and brakes worked normally and the plane slowed properly on Runway 25 Left, the southernmost of the four parallel runways at LAX.

There were 212 passengers and 12 crew members on American Airlines Flight 5, a scheduled nonstop from Dallas-Fort Worth to Honolulu.

An American spokeswoman in Dallas told City News Service that maintenance crews at LAX would look into the issue, and that the flight was expected to resume after about an hour.

Sources:

http://www.ocregister.com

http://www.latimes.com

AeroContractors, Boeing 737-500, 5N-BLE: Incident occurred June 05, 2015 - Lagos, Nigeria

Why Aero Contractors Airplane Almost Crashed After Losing Altitude


More investigations have revealed how an air disaster was averted, when an AeroContractors Boeing 737-500 plane lost altitude 20 minutes into flight. The company has blamed the event on a ‘technical fault’.

However, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority has demanded a mandatory occurrence report from AeroContractors Airline, following the technical fault developed by one of its aircraft mid-air on Friday.

The General Manager, Public Affairs of NCAA, Fan Ndubuoke, disclosed this on Saturday in a telephone interview in Lagos.

The AeroContractors Airline flight AJ-181, which was carrying not fewer than 120 passengers from Lagos to Kaduna, had to be diverted to Abuja for emergency landing.

The aircraft was said to have suddenly lost altitude, 20 minutes after it departed the domestic wing of the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos.

A statement by the airline had confirmed, “There was depressurization in the aircraft cabin leading to the dropping of oxygen masks.”

It added that Aero had a maintenance facility in Abuja hence the flight was diverted there to fix the problem.

However, Mr. Ndubuoke said the airline had contacted the NCAA over the incident.

“They have told us what happened but it will not stop us from doing our own investigation,” he said. “NCAA has demanded them to give us a report of what happened.”

The official noted that one of its directors was on the said flight, adding that the whole report had been exaggerated.

He said: “A lot of people said the engine caught fire, but there is no way that an engine will catch fire mid-air and everybody will be spared.

“There was nothing like fire incident on the plane and Aero has issued a statement that the airline lost pressure and was diverted to land in Abuja.

“After landing, they brought another aircraft to take the passengers to Kaduna but some of them were afraid to continue with the trip.”

Mr. Ndubuoke emphasized that the aircraft involved in the incident would not fly until there was a complete investigation and re-certification by the NCAA.

Tunji Oketumbi, spokesperson of the Accident Investigation Bureau, said the bureau would not react to the issue since no accident occurred.

Mr. Oketumbi noted that since it was a technical fault, the NCAA was in a better position to ascertain what really happened and how such incidents could be averted.

Original article can be found here:  http://www.theparadigmng.com

Cessna 172F Skyhawk, N8525U and Cessna A185E Skywagon, N1694M

This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed.

The National Transportation Safety Board did not travel to the scene of this accident.

Additional Participating Entity: 
Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Anchorage, Alaska

https://registry.faa.gov/N1694M

Location: Willow, Alaska
Accident Number: ANC22LA037
Date and Time: May 27, 2022, 09:30 Local
Registration: N1694M
Aircraft: Cessna A185E
Injuries: 1 None
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General aviation - Personal

Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information

Aircraft Make: Cessna
Registration: N1694M
Model/Series: A185E
Aircraft Category: Airplane
Amateur Built:
Operator:
Operating Certificate(s) Held: None
Operator Designator Code:

Meteorological Information and Flight Plan

Conditions at Accident Site: VMC
Condition of Light: Day
Observation Facility, Elevation: PABV,96 ft msl
Observation Time: 09:56 Local
Distance from Accident Site: 34 Nautical Miles
Temperature/Dew Point: 14°C /4°C
Lowest Cloud Condition: Clear
Wind Speed/Gusts, Direction: / ,
Lowest Ceiling: None 
Visibility: 10 miles
Altimeter Setting: 29.88 inches Hg 
Type of Flight Plan Filed: None
Departure Point: Big Lake, AK
Destination: Willow, AK

Wreckage and Impact Information

Crew Injuries: 1 None
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Passenger Injuries:
Aircraft Fire: None
Ground Injuries: 
Aircraft Explosion: None
Total Injuries: 1 None
Latitude, Longitude: 61.649386,-150.59161 

May 27, 2022:  Aircraft landed and hit soft spot or hole on dirt strip and flipped over in Big Lake, Alaska. 

Date: 27-MAY-22
Time: 17:30:00Z
Regis#: N1694M
Aircraft Make: CESSNA
Aircraft Model: A185
Event Type: ACCIDENT
Highest Injury: NONE
Aircraft Missing: No
Damage: SUBSTANTIAL
Activity: PERSONAL
Flight Phase: LANDING (LDG)
Operation: 91
City: BIG LAKE
State: ALASKA













Aviation Accident Final Report - National Transportation Safety Board

The National Transportation Safety Board did not to the scene of this accident. 

Additional Participating Entity: 
Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Anchorage, Alaska

Investigation Docket - National Transportation Safety Board:


Location: Talkeetna, Alaska
Accident Number: ANC15LA033
Date and Time: May 31, 2015, 17:20 Local 
Registration: N1694M
Aircraft: Cessna 185 
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Defining Event: Midair collision 
Injuries: 1 Minor, 4 None
Flight Conducted Under: Part 135: Air taxi & commuter - Non-scheduled - Sightseeing

Analysis

A Cessna 185 airplane was operating as a commercial air tour flight with five passengers on board in day, visual meteorological conditions. A student pilot was operating a Cessna 172 as a solo cross-country flight; both aircraft were landing on the same runway. The Cessna 185 entered the traffic pattern on an extended right base about 2.5 miles from the end of the runway, and the pilot was following procedures established by local commercial air tour operators, which did not include information about reporting points or describe nonstandard traffic pattern entry procedures; this information is contained in Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) publications. The other airplane was also in the right traffic pattern for the same runway, and the student pilot was following the prescribed, FAA-recommended right traffic pattern procedures.

A review of recorded radio communications from the common traffic advisory frequency revealed that the student pilot made position reports 10 miles from the airport, 5 miles from the airport, directly over midfield, on the right downwind leg, and when turning from the base to final leg. The commercial pilot made two position reports: one at a visual flight rules reporting point and a second one during which he stated that he was No. 2 on the base leg for the runway even though he was actually No. 3. The student pilot turned his airplane onto the final approach leg behind the airplane that was No. 2 on the base leg for the runway. While on short final, the Cessna 185 impacted the Cessna 172 from behind, above, and slightly to the right, which resulted in the Cessna 185 straddling the Cessna 172. The two airplanes remained conjoined until ground impact. The commercial pilot reported that he never saw the other airplane. If the commercial pilot had followed the FAA-recommended traffic pattern procedures, he might have been able to see the Cessna 172 and avoid hitting it.

Probable Cause and Findings

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be:
The pilot's failure to maintain an adequate visual lookout, which resulted in a midair collision. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's failure to follow Federal Aviation Administration recommended traffic pattern procedures.

Findings

Personnel issues Monitoring other aircraft - Pilot
Personnel issues Use of policy/procedure - Pilot

Factual Information

On May 31, 2015, about 1720 Alaska daylight time (AKD), a wheel-ski equipped Cessna 185 airplane, N1694M, and a tricycle gear equipped Cessna 172 airplane, N8525U, collided midair while landing at Talkeetna Airport, Talkeetna, Alaska. The Cessna 185 was registered to, and operated by, Talkeetna Air Taxi, Inc., Talkeetna, as a visual flight rules (VFR) on-demand commercial air tour, under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulation (CFR) Part 135, when the accident occurred. The commercial pilot and three of the four passengers sustained no injuries, with the fourth passenger sustaining minor injuries. The Cessna 172 was registered to Artic's Air Academy, LLC, Palmer, Alaska, and operated by the student pilot as a VFR cross-country flight under the provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 91. The student pilot, and sole occupant of the airplane, sustained serious injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed in the area at the time of the accident. The Cessna 185 departed Talkeetna Airport about 1456 for a flight seeing tour around Denali National Park, and a VFR flight plan was on file. The Cessna 172 departed Palmer Airport, Palmer, about 1625, destined for Talkeetna airport with no flight plan on file. 

During a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge (IIC) on June 1, 2015, the pilot of the Cessna 185 stated that while approaching Talkeetna (TKA), he was the fifth commercial air tour airplane in sequence for landing. He remembered hearing the Cessna 172 make a radio transmission stating his position as 10 miles south of the airport, but did not remember any other transmissions. He also stated that he did not see the Cessna 172.

In an interview with the NTSB IIC and an FAA air safety inspector on June 4, 2015, the pilot of the Cessna 172 stated that he was conducting a solo cross-country flight from Palmer to Talkeetna when the accident occurred. As he approached the traffic pattern, he saw two airplanes operated by another commercial operator and heard them make a radio transmission that they were on final approach. After watching the two airplanes pass, the pilot turned onto the final approach segment of the traffic pattern. When he was in a position to land, he reduced power and added full flaps. Just before starting to flare, about 20-30 feet above the ground, he heard what he described as a loud "unworldly" sound. He felt the airplane get hit and pushed forward. At that point, the airplane descended at an estimated 45-degree angle until impact with the ground.

After the collision, both airplanes remained joined together during and after impact with the ground. The debris field was about 460 feet long with the initial fragments located about 62 feet prior to the runway threshold. The main wreckage came to rest about 5 feet off of the left side of the runway with the Cessna 185 on top of the Cessna 172.

Talkeetna Airport (TKA) is a public airport in Class E airspace between the hours of 1700-0500 universal coordinated time (UTC), and Class G airspace all other times. It is not served by an operating control tower. There are two main runways, 18 and 36, with 18 having a right traffic pattern and 36 having a left traffic pattern. An FAA Flight Service Station (FSS) is located on the airport property and provides local airport advisories to aircraft operating in the area. It was staffed with one air traffic control specialist at the time of the accident.

During a review of FAA FSS recordings of the common traffic advisory frequency (CTAF) 123.6, both airplanes can be heard transmitting position reports in relation to the airport traffic pattern. 

At 1706, AKD [0106:44 universal coordinated time (UTC)], the pilot of the Cessna 172 reported his position as 10 miles south of TKA and requested traffic advisories. The FSS replied advising pilot of four arrivals, three from the northwest and one from the west that was landing at the village strip. The three arrivals from the northwest were using the callsigns 5FK, 44Q, and 424KT.

About 1708:56, the pilot of N727KT reported being over "Chase," which is a visual flight rules (VFR) reporting point for TKA.

At 1709:50, the Cessna 185 pilot said "Talkeetna radio one six niner four mike is uh chase two thousand with kilo one eight and the traffic." FSS replied "November one six niner four mike Talkeetna radio thank you." "Chase" is a VFR reporting point located about 8 miles northwest of TKA.

At 1710:01, the Cessna 172 pilot reported his location as about 5 miles south with intentions to overfly the airport midfield at 2,500 feet and enter a right downwind traffic pattern leg for runway 18.

About 1710:39, the pilot of N320KT reported being over "chase."

At 1711:34, the Cessna 172 pilot stated that he was flying over midfield at 2,200 feet and would be entering the traffic pattern on a right downwind for runway 18.

At 1713:01, the Cessna 172 pilot reported that he was right downwind for runway 18.

At 1713:08, the Cessna 185 pilot reported "niner four mike's right base number two one eight," when actually he was number three in the sequence behind N727KT and N320KT.

About 1713:15, the pilot of N727KT reported clear of runway 18.

At 1714:15, the Cessna 172 pilot reported that he was "on base to final runway 18."

About 1714:22, the pilot of N320KT reported clear of runway 18.

At 1715:18, the FSS air traffic control specialist asks if the Cessna 185 is okay, after witnessing the collision between the Cessna 185 and the Cessna 172.

A transcript of the CTAF recording is located in the public docket for this accident.

A Garmin 296 handheld GPS was located in the wreckage of the Cessna 185. The unit was sent to the NTSB Vehicle Recorders Laboratory in Washington D.C. for examination. A NTSB electrical engineer was able to extract the GPS data for the accident flight, which included, in part: time, latitude, longitude, and GPS altitude. Groundspeed and course information were derived from the extracted parameters. The GPS data logs for May 31, 2015, revealed that the airplane entered the traffic pattern on a right base leg about 2.5 miles from the end of the runway.

The Alaska Supplement in effect on the day of the accident contained a statement for the Talkeetna Airport "See Section C notices for tfc pattern information." The Section C notice contained only a pictorial display of a right traffic pattern, but no reference to reporting points, including "Chase" or written description of non-standard traffic pattern entry procedures.

The Anchorage Sectional Aeronautical Chart with an effective date of May 28, 2015, displayed "Chase" and one other VFR waypoint for TKA. The sectional chart located in the aircraft of the Cessna 172 was the previous edition and was no longer current. This previous chart did not contain the VFR waypoints.

The FAA Aeronautical Information Manual (AIM) recommends inbound pilots to non-towered airports announce their position 10 miles from the airport, entering the downwind leg, base leg, final approach leg and when exiting the runway. 14 CFR 91.113(g) states, in part: "When two or more aircraft are approaching an airport for the purpose of landing, the aircraft at the lower altitude has the right-of-way, but it shall not take advantage of this rule to cut in front of another which is on final approach to land or to overtake that aircraft."

The FAA Airplane Flying Handbook (FAA-H-8083-3A) states "Compliance with the basic rectangular traffic pattern reduces the possibility of conflicts at airports without an operating control tower." It further states "When entering the traffic pattern at an airport without an operating control tower, inbound pilots are expected to observe other aircraft already in the pattern and to conform to the traffic pattern in use." The Handbook recommends entering the traffic pattern at a 45° angle to the downwind leg of the runway to be utilized.

A flight track map overlay, and tabular data corresponding to the accident flight are available in the public docket for this accident.

The closest weather reporting facility is Talkeetna Airport, Talkeetna. At 1653, an aviation routine weather report (METAR) at Talkeetna reported in part: wind 350 at 4 knots; visibility 10 statute miles; sky condition clear; temperature 78 degrees F; dew point 39 degrees F; altimeter 29.76 inHg.

History of Flight

Approach-VFR pattern final Midair collision (Defining event)

Pilot Information

Certificate: Commercial 
Age: 32,Male
Airplane Rating(s): Single-engine land; Single-engine sea
Seat Occupied: Left
Other Aircraft Rating(s): None
Restraint Used: 4-point
Instrument Rating(s):
Airplane Second Pilot Present: No
Instructor Rating(s): None
Toxicology Performed: No
Medical Certification: Class 1 Without waivers/limitations
Last FAA Medical Exam: May 1, 2014
Occupational Pilot: No 
Last Flight Review or Equivalent: May 14, 2015
Flight Time: 731.9 hours (Total, all aircraft), 28.1 hours (Total, this make and model), 641.2 hours (Pilot In Command, all aircraft), 73.6 hours (Last 90 days, all aircraft), 37.4 hours (Last 30 days, all aircraft), 4.8 hours (Last 24 hours, all aircraft)

Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information

Aircraft Make: Cessna 
Registration: N1694M
Model/Series: 185 
Aircraft Category: Airplane
Year of Manufacture: 1971
Amateur Built:
Airworthiness Certificate: Normal
Serial Number: 18501879
Landing Gear Type: 
Tailwheel; Ski/wheel Seats: 6
Date/Type of Last Inspection: May 18, 2015 AAIP
Certified Max Gross Wt.: 3525 lbs
Time Since Last Inspection: 38 Hrs 
Engines: 1 Reciprocating
Airframe Total Time: 9267 Hrs at time of accident 
Engine Manufacturer: CONTINENTAL
ELT: C126 installed, not activated 
Engine Model/Series: IO-550D
Registered Owner:
Rated Power: 300 Horsepower
Operator:
Operating Certificate(s) Held: On-demand air taxi (135)
Operator Does Business As: Operator 
Designator Code: TL7C

Meteorological Information and Flight Plan

Conditions at Accident Site: Visual (VMC)
Condition of Light: Day
Observation Facility, Elevation: PATK,356 ft msl 
Distance from Accident Site: 0 Nautical Miles
Observation Time: 00:53 Local 
Direction from Accident Site: 210°
Lowest Cloud Condition: Clear
Visibility 10 miles
Lowest Ceiling: None 
Visibility (RVR):
Wind Speed/Gusts: 4 knots / 
Turbulence Type Forecast/Actual:  / None
Wind Direction: 350° 
Turbulence Severity Forecast/Actual:  / N/A
Altimeter Setting: 29.76 inches Hg 
Temperature/Dew Point: 26°C / -4°C
Precipitation and Obscuration: No Obscuration; No Precipitation
Departure Point: Talkeetna, AK (TKA) 
Type of Flight Plan Filed: VFR
Destination: Talkeetna, AK (TKA) 
Type of Clearance: Traffic advisory
Departure Time: 
Type of Airspace: Class E

Airport Information

Airport: TALKEETNA TKA
Runway Surface Type: Asphalt
Airport Elevation: 358 ft msl 
Runway Surface Condition: Dry
Runway Used: 18 IFR 
Approach: None
Runway Length/Width: 3500 ft / 75 ft VFR
Approach/Landing: Full stop

Wreckage and Impact Information

Crew Injuries: 1 None
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Passenger Injuries: 1 Minor, 3 None
Aircraft Fire: None
Ground Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Explosion: None
Total Injuries: 1 Minor, 4 None 
Latitude, Longitude: 62.324722,-150.089172(est)

Talkeetna Air Taxi Inc

NTSB Identification: ANC15LA033A
Nonscheduled 14 CFR Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter
Accident occurred Sunday, May 31, 2015 in Talkeetna, AK
Aircraft: CESSNA 185, registration: N1694M
Injuries: 1 Serious, 1 Minor, 4 Uninjured.

Artic Air Academy

NTSB Identification: ANC15LA033B
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Sunday, May 31, 2015 in Talkeetna, AK
Aircraft: CESSNA 172, registration: N8525U
Injuries: 1 Serious, 1 Minor, 4 Uninjured.

This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed. NTSB investigators may not have traveled in support of this investigation and used data provided by various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report.

On May 31, 2015, about 1720 Alaska daylight time, a wheel/ski equipped Cessna 185 airplane, N1694M, and tricycle gear equipped Cessna 172 airplane, N8525U, collided midair while landing at Talkeetna Airport, Talkeetna, Alaska. The Cessna 185 was registered to and operated by Talkeetna Air Taxi, Inc., Talkeetna, Alaska as a visual flight rules (VFR) on-demand commercial air tour, under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulation (CFR) Part 135, when the accident occurred. The commercial pilot and three of the four passengers sustained no injuries, with the fourth passenger sustaining minor injuries. The Cessna 172 was registered to Artic's Air Academy, LLC and operated by the student pilot as a VFR cross-country flight under the provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 91. The student pilot and sole occupant of the airplane sustained serious injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed in the area at the time of the accident. The Cessna 185 departed Talkeetna Airport about 1456 for a non-stop flight seeing tour around Denali National Park, and a VFR flight plan was on file. The Cessna 172 departed Palmer Airport, Palmer, Alaska, about 1625 destined for Talkeetna airport with no flight plan on file. 

After the collision, both airplanes remained joined together during and after impact with the ground. The debris field was about 460 feet long with the initial fragments located about 62 feet prior to the runway threshold. The main wreckage came to rest about five feet off of the left side of the runway. 

During a preliminary review of FAA Flight Service Station recordings of the common traffic advisory frequency (CTAF), 123.6, both airplanes can be heard transmitting position reports in relation to the airport traffic pattern.

The closest weather reporting facility is Talkeetna Airport. At 1653, an aviation routine weather report (METAR) at Talkeetna, Alaska, reported in part: wind, 350 at 4 knots; visibility, 10 statute miles; sky condition, clear; temperature, 78 degrees F; dewpoint, 39 degrees F; altimeter 29.76 inHG.

A detailed wreckage examination is pending.

ANCHORAGE -  The National Transportation Safety Board says both of the aircraft which collided over the Talkeetna Airport last weekend, injuring two people, were transmitting position updates until the crash.

A preliminary NTSB report on the midair crash, which took place at about 6 p.m. on May 31, said the student pilot and sole occupant of a Cessna 172 -- identified by Alaska State Troopers as 32-year-old Anchorage man Antonio Benavides -- was seriously injured in the collision. One of the four passengers on board a Talkeetna Air Taxi Cessna 185, flown by 27-year-old Cole Hagge of Eagle River, reported minor injuries after the crash.

According to the NTSB, Benavides didn’t have a flight plan but left the Palmer Airport for Talkeetna at about 4:25 p.m. Hagge took off from the Talkeetna Airport just before 5 p.m., on a flight plan for a flightseeing trip over Denali National Park. Troopers said last week that the planes had collided at an altitude of roughly 100 feet over the runway.

“After the collision, both airplanes remained joined together during and after impact with the ground,” NTSB officials wrote. “The debris field was about 460 feet long with the initial fragments located about 62 feet prior to the runway threshold. The main wreckage came to rest about five feet off of the left side of the runway.”

Weather conditions reported by the Talkeetna Airport just before 5 p.m. that evening included clear skies with 10 miles of visibility, and winds from the north at 4 knots. Radio traffic included calls from Benavides and Hagge.

“During a preliminary review of FAA Flight Service Station recordings of the common traffic advisory frequency (CTAF), 123.6, both airplanes can be heard transmitting position reports in relation to the airport traffic pattern,” NTSB officials wrote.

Clint Johnson, the NTSB’s chief Alaska investigator, said Sunday that little additional information is available on the collision, pending further investigation.

“They’ve got a couple of folks who actually saw it that they’re trying to track down, but that about sums it up,” Johnson said.

Investigators have yet to examine the wreckage from the crash in greater detail.

Fatal accident occurred June 07, 2015 in Akasia - South Africa



A 27-year-old student pilot died while flying a microlight west of Akasia on Sunday morning.

Pretoria North police spokesperson Lieutenant Rebecca Phatlhane said the accident occurred at 08:30.

“The pilot a male, was flying alone when he crashed on plot 119, on the R513, just west of Akasia. He was declared dead on the scene.”

She said the student’s flight instructor would notify the family of the accident.

“The cause of the accident is not yet clear, but police are investigating,” said Phatlhane.

Source:  http://rekordnorth.co.za

Frequency of general aviation accidents still troubling for National Transportation Safety Board

WASHINGTON — Transportation safety has been generally improving across the board except in one area: general aviation.

“We’re troubled that the general aviation safety trend has been flat for few years,” NTSB Chairman Christopher Hart told WTOP. “When you break out the personal flying from the business flying, the business flying is improving which means the personal flying is getting worse which is troubling.”

Hart addressed the topic with attendees of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) Homecoming Fly-in Saturday morning in Frederick.

“We are the accident investigators, so we are there when something goes wrong,” Hart explained.  “That’s why we inform the process of improvement is because we see what actually went wrong as opposed to what might go wrong.  We’ve seen it and been there up close and personal with what really did go wrong.”

The NTSB investigates about 1,500 general aviation accidents every year, whereas the agency can go years at a time without a commercial aviation accident.  The biggest cause of death in general aviation crashes is from loss of control, generally some form of aerodynamic stall.

“It basically comes down to the familiarity of the pilot with the machine, the situation, and being ready for the unexpected,” noted Hart.

The NTSB chairman also said there are other factors that pilots need to consider to understand their risk when they takeoff.

“How current are you, how long has it been since you last flew, how good is your training, are you ready to go into that weather you are expecting to encounter, do you even know what the weather is you expect to encounter?”

Hart said that pilots need to know the weather conditions, whether that is thunderstorms rumbling through in the summer or ice in the winter, to help reduce their risk of a crash.  He also recommended shoulder belts for all on board rather than lap belts to reduce the chance of death just in case something does go wrong.

Original article can be found here:  http://wtop.com