Monday, August 31, 2020

Mooney M20C Ranger, N6080Q: Incident occurred August 29, 2020 at Lorain County Regional Airport (KLPR), Ohio

Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Cincinnati, Ohio

Aircraft landed gear up.

https://registry.faa.gov/N6080Q

Date: 29-AUG-20
Time: 18:20:00Z
Regis#: N6080Q
Aircraft Make: MOONEY
Aircraft Model: M20C
Event Type: INCIDENT
Highest Injury: NONE
Aircraft Missing: No
Damage: UNKNOWN
Activity: INSTRUCTION
Flight Phase: LANDING (LDG)
Operation: 91
City: LORAIN
State: OHIO

Cessna 172S, N99AM: Incident occurred August 30, 2020 at Leesburg Executive Airport (KJYO), Loudoun County, Virginia

Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Washington

Aircraft struck a bird.

Papillon Air Inc

https://registry.faa.gov/N99AM

Date: 30-AUG-20
Time: 14:05:00Z
Regis#: N99AM
Aircraft Make: CESSNA
Aircraft Model: 172
Event Type: INCIDENT
Highest Injury: NONE
Aircraft Missing: No
Damage: MINOR
Activity: PERSONAL
Flight Phase: APPROACH (APR)
Operation: 91
City: LEESBURG
State: VIRGINIA

Eurocopter EC 135 P2+: Incident occurred August 28, 2020 in Roanoke, Virginia

Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Richmond, Virginia

Rotorcraft made a precautionary landing in a field.

Date: 28-AUG-20
Time: 18:44:00Z
Regis#: ARLF1
Aircraft Make: EUROCOPTER
Aircraft Model: EC135
Event Type: INCIDENT
Highest Injury: NONE
Aircraft Missing: No
Damage: UNKNOWN
Activity: UNKNOWN
Flight Phase: UNKNOWN (UNK)
City: ROANOKE
State: VIRGINIA


ROANOKE, Virginia – Although the damage is hundreds of miles away, Roanoke’s Life-Guard 10 helicopter is going to Louisiana to help with Hurricane Laura recovery at FEMA’s request.

The helicopter will be used as needed in areas badly affected by the storm, according to officials.

Life-Guard flew out of Carilion Clinic on Friday and is on standby until needed.

When they’re called in, the crew’s plan is to fly south to places in need.

“Pretty much everything is a little bit different. Logistics are harder. It’s harder to get supplies. Wherever we’re staying, it’s going to be different than our normal environment here,” said Flight Paramedic Scott Davis.

In previous years, Life-Guard also helped when cities were hit by Hurricanes Florence and Dorian.

https://www.wsls.com

Cessna U206F Stationair, N171RM: Incident occurred August 28, 2020 at Roanoke-Blacksburg Regional Airport (KROA),

Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Richmond, Virginia

Aircraft while taxiing went off the ramp into the grass.

Blue Ridge Air LLC

https://registry.faa.gov/N171RM

Date: 28-AUG-20
Time: 14:55:00Z
Regis#: N171RM
Aircraft Make: CESSNA
Aircraft Model: 206
Event Type: INCIDENT
Highest Injury: NONE
Aircraft Missing: No
Damage: UNKNOWN
Activity: AMBULANCE
Flight Phase: TAXI (TXI)
City: ROANOKE
State: VIRGINIA

Abnormal Runway Contact: Tecnam P-92 Echo Super, N508TE: Accident occurred August 28, 2020 at Charlottesville–Albemarle Airport (KCHO), Albemarle County, Virginia

View of the collapsed nose landing gear.

View of the fractured engine mount.



Aviation Accident Final Report - National Transportation Safety Board

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

Additional Participating Entity:
Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Richmond, Virginia 

Investigation Docket - National Transportation Safety Board: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket

Heart of Virginia Aviation Inc


Location: Charlottesville, Virginia
Accident Number: ERA20CA304
Date & Time: August 28, 2020, 15:50 Local 
Registration: N508TE
Aircraft: Tecnam P92 
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Defining Event: Abnormal runway contact 
Injuries: 1 None
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General aviation - Instructional

Analysis

The solo student pilot reported that during a cross-country flight, he entered the traffic pattern at his first destination, and while on final approach he needed to add power to correct the airplane’s low approach. During the touchdown he reported that the “nose wheel dropped hard and bounced twice and damaged the front nose wheel and the prop.” Subsequently, the nose landing gear collapsed, and the airplane skidded to a stop on the runway. The airplane’s engine mount sustained substantial damage. Review of airport security video showed that the airplane touched down and bounced three times. On the third touchdown, the airplane did not become airborne again and stopped shortly after. The student pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures of the airplane.

Probable Cause and Findings

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be:
The student pilot’s improper landing flare, which resulted in a hard, bounced landing and a nose landing gear collapse.

Findings

Personnel issues Aircraft control - Student/instructed pilot
Aircraft Landing flare - Incorrect use/operation
Aircraft Descent/approach/glide path - Not attained/maintained

Factual Information

History of Flight

Landing-flare/touchdown Abnormal runway contact (Defining event)
Landing-flare/touchdown Hard landing
Landing-flare/touchdown Landing gear collapse

Student pilot Information

Certificate: Student 
Age: 25,Male
Airplane Rating(s): None 
Seat Occupied: Left
Other Aircraft Rating(s): None 
Restraint Used: 3-point
Instrument Rating(s): None 
Second Pilot Present: No
Instructor Rating(s): None 
Toxicology Performed: No
Medical Certification: Class 1 With waivers/limitations
Last FAA Medical Exam: August 1, 2019
Occupational Pilot: No
Last Flight Review or Equivalent:
Flight Time: 44 hours (Total, all aircraft), 44 hours (Total, this make and model), 5.8 hours (Pilot In Command, all aircraft), 6.4 hours (Last 90 days, all aircraft), 2.6 hours (Last 30 days, all aircraft)

Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information

Aircraft Make: Tecnam
Registration: N508TE
Model/Series: P92 EA 
Aircraft Category: Airplane
Year of Manufacture: 2007 
Amateur Built:
Airworthiness Certificate: Special light-sport (Special)
Serial Number: 1110
Landing Gear Type: Tricycle 
Seats: 2
Date/Type of Last Inspection: June 22, 2019 Annual
Certified Max Gross Wt.: 1320 lbs
Time Since Last Inspection: 
Engines: 1 Reciprocating
Airframe Total Time: 2448 Hrs as of last inspection 
Engine Manufacturer: Rotax
ELT: C91A installed, not activated 
Engine Model/Series: 912ULS
Registered Owner: 
Rated Power: 98 Horsepower
Operator: 
Operating Certificate(s) Held: Pilot school (141)

Meteorological Information and Flight Plan

Conditions at Accident Site: Visual (VMC)
Condition of Light: Day
Observation Facility, Elevation: CHO,640 ft msl
Distance from Accident Site: 0 Nautical Miles
Observation Time: 15:53 Local
Direction from Accident Site: 0°
Lowest Cloud Condition: Few / 2500 ft AGL
Visibility: 10 miles
Lowest Ceiling: None 
Visibility (RVR):
Wind Speed/Gusts: 6 knots / 
Turbulence Type Forecast/Actual: None / None
Wind Direction: 180° 
Turbulence Severity Forecast/Actual: N/A / N/A
Altimeter Setting: 29.86 inches Hg
Temperature/Dew Point: 32°C / 23°C
Precipitation and Obscuration: No Obscuration; No Precipitation
Departure Point: Richmond/Ashland, VA (OFP)
Type of Flight Plan Filed: None
Destination: Charlottesville, VA (CHO)
Type of Clearance: None
Departure Time: 14:45 Local
Type of Airspace: Class D

Airport Information

Airport: Charlottesville-Albemarle CHO 
Runway Surface Type: Asphalt
Airport Elevation: 640 ft msl
Runway Surface Condition: Dry
Runway Used: 21 
IFR Approach: None
Runway Length/Width: 6801 ft / 150 ft VFR
Approach/Landing: Stop and go; Traffic pattern

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:38.13972,-78.452224(est)

Beechcraft 95-B55 (T42A) Baron, N353LA: Incidents occurred August 29, 2020 and May 09, 2015

Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Seattle, Washington

August 29, 2020: Aircraft landed and gear collapsed.

https://registry.faa.gov/N353LA

Date: 29-AUG-20
Time: 03:08:00Z
Regis#: N353LA
Aircraft Make: BEECH
Aircraft Model: 95
Event Type: INCIDENT
Highest Injury: NONE
Aircraft Missing: No
Damage: MINOR
Activity: PERSONAL
Flight Phase: LANDING (LDG)
Operation: 91
City: BELLINGHAM
State: WASHINGTON

Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Little Rock, Arkansas

May 09, 2015: Aircraft on landing went off the runway into the grass.

Date: 09-MAY-15
Time: 02:04:00Z
Regis#: N353LA
Aircraft Make: BEECH
Aircraft Model: 55
Event Type: Incident
Highest Injury: None
Damage: Minor
Flight Phase: LANDING (LDG)
City: MENA
State: Arkansas

Fuel Exhaustion: Cessna 150H, N7152S; fatal accident occurred September 20, 2018 near Festus Memorial Airport (KFES), Jefferson County, Missouri

Michael Gunnar Metzger

Jacob Alexander Metzger

   

The National Transportation Safety Board traveled to the scene of this accident.

Additional Participating Entities: 
Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; St. Louis; St. Ann, Missouri
Textron Aviation; Wichita, Kansas
Continental Motors; Mobile, Alabama

Aviation Accident Factual Report - National Transportation Safety Board: https://app.ntsb.gov/pdf

Investigation Docket - National Transportation Safety Board: https://dms.ntsb.gov/pubdms

https://registry.faa.gov/N7152S

Location: Festus, MO
Accident Number: CEN18FA384
Date & Time: 09/20/2018, 2230 CDT
Registration: N7152S
Aircraft: Cessna 150
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Defining Event: Fuel exhaustion
Injuries: 2 Fatal
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General Aviation - Personal 

On September 20, 2018, about 2230 central daylight time, a Cessna 150H, N7152S, sustained substantial damage when it was involved in an accident near Festus, Missouri. The pilot and passenger sustained fatal injuries. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.

The pilot and his son were relocating the airplane from New York to Festus Memorial Airport (FES), Festus, Missouri. Fuel receipts showed that the pilot refueled the airplane three times during the trip. The first stop was Chautauqua County/Dunkirk Airport (DKK), Dunkirk, New York, about 19 miles from the departure airport, where the pilot obtained 13.4 gallons of fuel. The second refueling stop was about 226 miles away, at Knox County Airport (4I3), Mount Vernon, Ohio, where the airplane was fueled with 16.56 gallons. The third refueling stop was about 174 miles away at Greensburg Municipal Airport (I34), Greensburg, Indiana, where the airplane was fueled with 13.62 gallons at 1906. The distance from I34 to FES was about 275 miles.

The pilot and passenger communicated with the pilot's fiancée via text message during the trip. They told her that the airplane was experiencing a "small electrical problem" and stated that their estimated time of arrival (ETA) would be determined "at the next fuel stop… just before dark." After their fuel stop at I34 they estimated their ETA at FES would be about 2215. They then asked her to stand on the end of the runway with a flashlight to help guide the airplane in for landing.

They also stated that they would attempt to activate the airport lighting system with a handheld radio, but they were unsure if the radio had enough battery power to perform the task. During the last leg of the flight, they indicated that they had "picked up a head wind" and further extended their ETA until 2220.

The pilot's fiancée reported that she went to the end of the runway with the flashlight on, and the pilot attempted to land, but she was unsure if the airplane touched down on the runway due to the dark night conditions. She further reported that the airplane was "blacked out" and did not have any exterior lights on.

The last text message from the pilot stated, "keep light on." After several minutes of not seeing or hearing the airplane, she tried contacting the pilot multiple times with no response before contacting law enforcement. The wreckage was located the following morning in a tree-covered swamp about 1/4 mile southeast of the departure end of runway 19. 

Pilot Information

Certificate: Airline Transport; Commercial
Age: 56, Male
Airplane Rating(s): Multi-engine Land; Single-engine Land
Seat Occupied: Left
Other Aircraft Rating(s): Helicopter
Restraint Used:
Instrument Rating(s): Airplane; Helicopter
Second Pilot Present: No
Instructor Rating(s): None
Toxicology Performed: Yes
Medical Certification: Class 2 Waiver Time Limited Special
Last FAA Medical Exam: 04/26/2018
Occupational Pilot: Yes
Last Flight Review or Equivalent: 08/24/2018
Flight Time:  (Estimated) 6733 hours (Total, all aircraft), 1122 hours (Total, this make and model), 6162 hours (Pilot In Command, all aircraft), 217 hours (Last 90 days, all aircraft), 45 hours (Last 30 days, all aircraft)

At the time of the accident, the pilot was employed as an airline pilot. He previously worked as a helicopter air ambulance pilot and a military helicopter pilot. The pilot held a mechanic certificate with airframe and powerplant ratings. According to the pilot's employer, the pilot's most recent flight with the company was on September 19, 2018. The pilot's last check ride occurred on August 24, 2018.

According to Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) records, while the passenger held a FAA third class medical certificate, he did not hold any airman certificates, and did not have any reported flight time on the date of his examination. 

Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information

Aircraft Make: Cessna 
Registration: N7152S
Model/Series: 150 H
Aircraft Category: Airplane
Year of Manufacture: 1968
Amateur Built: No
Airworthiness Certificate: Normal
Serial Number: 15067852
Landing Gear Type: Tricycle
Seats: 2
Date/Type of Last Inspection: 08/10/2018, Annual
Certified Max Gross Wt.: 1600 lbs
Time Since Last Inspection:
Engines: 1 Reciprocating
Airframe Total Time: 2066.2 Hours as of last inspection
Engine Manufacturer: Continental Motors
ELT: C91 installed, not activated
Engine Model/Series: O-200-A
Registered Owner: Eugene Metzger
Rated Power: 100 hp
Operator: On file
Operating Certificate(s) Held: None

The Cessna 150H pilot's operating handbook (POH) stated that the maximum capacity for both fuel tanks was 26 gallons total (13 gallons in each tank). The POH further stated that the usable fuel amount for all flight conditions was 22.5 gallons total, and the unusable fuel amount was 3.5 gallons total.

The Textron Aviation Pilot Safety and Warning Supplements discussed electrical power failures. This document states in part:

The pilot should maintain control of the airplane and land when practical if an electrical power loss is evident.

If an electrical power loss is experienced, continued flight is possible, but should be terminated as a soon as practical. Such things as fuel quantity and engine temperature indicators and panel lights may no longer work.

Review of the maintenance records revealed no evidence of uncorrected mechanical discrepancies with the airplane.

Meteorological Information and Flight Plan

Conditions at Accident Site: Visual Conditions
Condition of Light: Night/Dark
Observation Facility, Elevation: KCPS, 413 ft msl
Distance from Accident Site: 25 Nautical Miles
Observation Time: 0353 UTC
Direction from Accident Site: 25°
Lowest Cloud Condition: Clear
Visibility:  10 Miles
Lowest Ceiling: None
Visibility (RVR):
Wind Speed/Gusts: 5 knots /
Turbulence Type Forecast/Actual: None / None
Wind Direction: 180°
Turbulence Severity Forecast/Actual: N/A / N/A
Altimeter Setting: 29.91 inches Hg
Temperature/Dew Point: 27°C / 19°C
Precipitation and Obscuration: No Obscuration; No Precipitation
Departure Point: Greensburg, IN (I34)
Type of Flight Plan Filed: None
Destination: Festus, MO (FES)
Type of Clearance: None
Departure Time: 2015 EDT
Type of Airspace: Class G

According to information from the U.S. Naval Observatory, sunset at FES on the day of the accident occurred at 1902, and the end of civil twilight was 1928. Moonrise was 1656, and the moon transit was 2206. The phase of the moon was listed as waxing gibbous with 83% of its visible disk illuminated.

Airport Information

Airport: FESTUS MEMORIAL (FES)
Runway Surface Type: Asphalt
Airport Elevation: 433 ft
Runway Surface Condition: Dry
Runway Used: 19
IFR Approach: None
Runway Length/Width: 2202 ft / 49 ft
VFR Approach/Landing: Forced Landing; Go Around 

The airport lighting system at FES was comprised of runway edge lights (medium intensity runway lights) and runway end identifier lights. A pilot could activate the lighting system while airborne by keying the aircraft's microphone on the airport's common traffic advisory frequency. The FES runway lighting system could also be manually activated by a switch on the outside of the main hangar.

A review of FAA Notices to Airmen for the day of the accident found no malfunctions or failures of the airport lighting system listed for FES.

Wreckage and Impact Information

Crew Injuries: 1 Fatal
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Passenger Injuries: 1 Fatal
Aircraft Fire: None
Ground Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Explosion: None
Total Injuries: 2 Fatal
Latitude, Longitude: 38.190000, -90.384444 (est) 

The wreckage was situated about one quarter of a mile south east of the departure end of runway 19 and about 440 ft above mean sea level.

Flight control continuity was established for the airframe. All structural components of the airplane were located at the accident site. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings, the fuselage, and the empennage. Both wings sustained substantial impact damage from contact with trees. The fuel tanks remained intact, and a total of about 2.25 gallons of fuel were extracted from the two fuel tanks. The propeller blades did not exhibit chordwise scratches or torsional deformation

The alternator and the voltage regulator were examined and functionally checked. The alternator performed normally with no malfunctions or failures; the voltage regulator was inoperable. The voltage regulator was manufactured around 1976. There was no life limit or replacement interval specified. Review of the airplane's maintenance records did not indicate how long the voltage regulator had been installed on the accident airplane.

With the exception of the voltage regulator, no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airframe and engine were noted.
Figure 1 - View of the fuel being extracted to a five-gallon plastic bucket. 
(Courtesy of Continental Motors). 

Medical And Pathological Information

The Jefferson County Office of the Regional Medical Examiner, St. Charles, Missouri, conducted an autopsy of the pilot. The cause of the death was attributed to "craniocerebral trauma."

The FAA's Forensic Sciences Laboratory performed toxicology tests on specimens from the pilot; testing was negative for carbon monoxide, ethanol, and drugs. A test for cyanide was not performed.