Wednesday, September 09, 2020

Cessna 150H, N7222S: Incident occurred September 08, 2020 at Idaho Falls Regional Airport (KIDA), Bonneville County, Idaho

Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Salt Lake City

Aircraft was found upside down when the airport opened.

https://registry.faa.gov/N7222S

Date: 08-SEP-20
Time: 13:01:00Z
Regis#: N7222S
Aircraft Make: CESSNA
Aircraft Model: 150
Event Type: INCIDENT
Highest Injury: UNKNOWN
Aircraft Missing: No
Damage: UNKNOWN
Activity: PERSONAL
Flight Phase: UNKNOWN (UNK)
Operation: 91
City: IDAHO FALLS
State: IDAHO

Piper PA-28-181 Archer III, N4166Z: Fatal accident occurred September 08, 2020 and Incident occurred May 18, 2019

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 Entities: 
Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Nashville, Tennessee
Piper Aircraft; Vero Beach, Florida 
Lycoming Engines; Williamsport, Pennsylvania 

Lebanon Flying Club Inc


Location: McMinnville, TN
Accident Number: ERA20LA309
Date & Time: 09/08/2020, 1130 CDT
Registration: N4166Z
Aircraft: Piper PA28
Injuries: 3 Fatal
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General Aviation - Personal 

On September 8, 2020, about 1130 central daylight time, a Piper PA-28-181, N4166Z, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near McMinnville, Tennessee. The pilot and two passengers were fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.

The airplane was based at Lebanon Municipal Airport (M54), Lebanon, Tennessee. The pilot flew uneventfully from M54 to Warren County Memorial Airport (RNC), McMinnville, Tennessee. Review of security video at RNC revealed that the airplane landed on runway 23 about 1123. It then taxied back to the beginning of the runway for takeoff about 1128 and disappeared from camera view during initial climb about 1 minute later. A witness, who was walking in his backyard heard an airplane engine go silent, then heard the sound of an impact about 30 seconds later. During that time, he briefly saw the airplane through trees, but could not determine its attitude.

Examination of the accident site by Federal Aviation Administration inspectors and a representative from the airframe manufacturer revealed that the airplane came to rest upright in a field about 1,000 ft northwest of runway 23. All major components of the airplane were accounted for and remained intact. The engine was canted right and the left side of the empennage exhibited buckling. The cabin roof had been separated by first responders. Three lapbelts were cut by first responders, but their ends remained attached to the respective fuselage attach points.

Fuel remained in both wing fuel tanks and the fuel selector was found positioned to the right main fuel tank. Flight control continuity was confirmed from the cockpit to all flight control surfaces and the flaps were retracted. Measurement of the pitch trim jackscrew corresponded to a partial nose-down trim setting. Examination of the engine revealed that the No. 4 cylinder head was fractured circumferentially, exposing the top of the piston. The cylinder head was displaced horizontally from the crankcase such that the pushrods and pushrod tubes remained captured in the cylinder head, but were dislodged from the crankcase.

The engine was retained for further examination.

Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information

Aircraft Make: Piper
Registration: N4166Z
Model/Series: PA28 181
Aircraft Category: Airplane
Amateur Built: No
Operator: Lebanon Flying Club
Operating Certificate(s) Held: None

Meteorological Information and Flight Plan

Conditions at Accident Site: Visual Conditions
Condition of Light: Day
Observation Facility, Elevation: RNC, 1031 ft msl
Observation Time: 1135 CDT
Distance from Accident Site: 5 Nautical Miles
Temperature/Dew Point: 27°C / 17°C
Lowest Cloud Condition: Clear
Wind Speed/Gusts, Direction: 4 knots / , 200°
Lowest Ceiling: None
Visibility:  10 Miles
Altimeter Setting: 30.09 inches Hg
Type of Flight Plan Filed: None
Departure Point: McMinnville, TN (RNC)
Destination: McMinnville, TN (RNC)

Wreckage and Impact Information

Crew Injuries: 1 Fatal
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Passenger Injuries: 2 Fatal
Aircraft Fire: None
Ground Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Explosion: None
Total Injuries: 3 Fatal
Latitude, Longitude: 35.695278, -85.853611
 
Those who may have information that might be relevant to the National Transportation Safety Board investigation may contact them by email eyewitnessreport@ntsb.gov, and any friends and family who want to contact investigators about the accident should email assistance@ntsb.gov. 

Federal Aviation Administration investigators were in Warren County on Wednesday to examine a small airplane that crashed Tuesday, killing all three occupants. The plane reportedly crashed shortly after a touch-and-go landing at the airport nearby.


The three passengers who died in a Tuesday morning plane crash near Warren County Airport have been identified.

The victims, all members of the Tennessee Air National Guard, have been identified as Nolansville resident Lt. Col. Shelli Dawn Huether, 45, Murfreesboro resident Capt. Jessica Naomi Wright, 38, and Murfreesboro resident Master Sgt. Scott Alan Bumpus, 53.

All three worked in intelligence support. 

Huether was director of operations for the 118th Intelligence Support Squadron. Wright was assistant director of operations for the 118th Intelligence Support Squadron, and Bumpus was chief of current operations for the 236th Intelligence Support Squadron.

The three were onboard a Piper PA-28-181 Archer III that crashed at 11:30 a.m. in a 50-acre field off Airport Lake Road. 

The airport runway is visible from the crash site.

Warren County Sheriff Tommy Myers said the Federal Aviation Administration was on the scene Wednesday investigating the crash. Myers said the investigation is still in its early stages but it appears the plane did a touch-and-go landing at the airport and had just taken off.

The plane is registered to Lebanon Flying Club. A veteran local airplane pilot told the Southern Standard on Wednesday that touch-and-go landings are used to practice landing and then taking off without the plane ever coming to a stop.

The veteran pilot said the fact the plane is registered to a flying club and a touch-and-go landing was used Tuesday would suggest an inexperienced pilot was gaining flying hours. In speaking to the Standard, the veteran pilot emphasized his thoughts are pure speculation and he has no role in the official investigation.

He said the first thing crash investigators are going to try to determine is whether there is fuel in both gas tanks and whether the engine was still running at the time of the crash. Since the plane crashed near the runway, it indicates there was a problem during takeoff.

“The fact the plane did not catch on fire is a really good thing because that means there’s a lot of available evidence to evaluate,” said the veteran pilot, who also noted the lack of a fire supports the theory the plane had no fuel.

If the plane ran out of gas or stalled for other reasons during takeoff, the proper procedure is to keep the plane straight, the veteran pilot noted, and to point the nose down. A plane of that size is capable of gliding around two miles at just 1,000 feet above ground.

The thing not to do if the plane stalls is to make a sudden turn. If the plane stalled and a quick turn was made to try and return to the airport it could cause the plane to spin, which is similar to when a car spins out. If the plane did spin, it would create a situation where there’s no lift on the wings. This could cause the plane to fall straight down like an elevator.

Based on pictures of the crash, the plane looks like it almost did a belly flop, landing squarely on the ground in this type of scenario. The ground around the plane did not appear disturbed to indicate there was any sort of glide landing for several hundred feet.

“During takeoff, pilots are not thinking about what they’re having for lunch. They should be looking around and constantly monitoring the landscape. You have to be thinking if the motor quits, where am I going to land this thing? You have to push your nose down to get your lift back and you have to fly straight,” the veteran pilot noted.

While it might not seem like the case, altitude is a pilot’s best friend. When a plane is low to the ground, there’s not nearly as much time to recover from a mistake.

The plane was about 100 feet from landing on a farmer who was mowing his field on a tractor. The farmer, Jerry Wiser, had his back to the crash and heard it, but did not see it. Wiser said an eyewitness who helped him at the scene said he saw the crash and described the plane as “falling out of the sky.”

Emergency responders had to use the Jaws of Life to remove the top from the plane to free the three from the wreckage.

According to FlightAware, which tracks flights nationally, the plane took off Tuesday morning in Lebanon at 10:20 a.m. and made an 11-minute flight to Murfreesboro Municipal Airport. It took off in Murfreesboro at 10:53 a.m., according to FlightAware, and was last monitored at 11:18 a.m. near McMinnville. The 911 call of a plane crash came over the local scanner right at 11:30 a.m.

According to FlightAware, the plane was cruising around 1,800 feet and around 108 mph for most of its trip from Murfreesboro. That altitude is about the lowest that’s advisable to fly, according to the veteran local pilot.

According to FlightAware, that plane had been flown frequently in recent days. It was in the air on Monday and Saturday.

It can take months before airplane crash investigations are complete. 

Sheriff Myers said the plane was scheduled to be moved from the crash site and taken to another location for further analysis on Wednesday afternoon.

https://www.southernstandard.com


Captain Jessica Naomi Wright and Family

Investigators with the Federal Aviation Administration were in McMinnville on Wednesday to examine the airplane which crashed Tuesday in a field off Airport Lake Road.


The three passengers who died in a Tuesday morning plane crash near Warren County Airport have been identified.

The victims, all members of the military, have been identified as Nolansville resident Lt. Col. Shelli Dawn Huether, 45, Murfreesboro resident Capt. Jessica Naomi Wright, 38, and Murfreesboro resident Sgt. Scott Alan Bumpus, 53.

The three were onboard a Piper PA-28-181 Archer III plane that crashed at 11:30 a.m. in a 50-acre field off Airport Lake Road. The airport runway is visible from the crash site.

Warren County Sheriff Tommy Myers said the Federal Aviation Administration was on the scene Wednesday investigating the crash. Myers said the investigation is still in its early stages but it appears the plane did a touch-and-go landing at the airport and had just taken off.

The plane is registered to Lebanon Flying Club. A veteran local airplane pilot told the Southern Standard on Wednesday that touch-and-go landings are used to practice landing and then taking off without the plane ever coming to a stop.

The veteran pilot said the fact the plane is registered to a flying club and a touch-and-go landing was used Tuesday would suggest an inexperienced pilot was gaining flying hours. In speaking to the Standard, the veteran pilot emphasized his thoughts are pure speculation and he has no role in the official investigation.

He said the first thing crash investigators are going to try to determine is whether there is fuel in both gas tanks and whether the engine was still running at the time of the crash. Since the plane crashed near the runway, it indicates there was a problem during takeoff.

“Fuel management is a common mistake among low-time pilots. The fact the plane did not catch on fire is a really good thing because that means there’s a lot of available evidence to evaluate,” the veteran pilot said.

If the plane ran out of gas or stalled for other reasons during takeoff, the proper procedure is to keep the plane straight, the veteran pilot noted, and to point the nose down. A plane of that size is capable of gliding around two miles at just 1,000 feet above ground.

The thing not to do if the plane stalls is to make a sudden turn. If the plane stalled and a quick turn was made to try and return to the runway it could cause the plane to spin, which would create a situation where there’s no lift on the wings. This could cause the plane to fall straight down like an elevator.

Based on pictures of the crash, the plane looks like it almost did a belly flop, landing squarely on the ground in this type of scenario. The ground around the plane was not disturbed to indicate there was any sort of glide landing for several hundred feet.

“During takeoff, pilots are not thinking about what they’re having for lunch. They should be looking around and constantly monitoring the landscape. You have to be thinking if the motor quits, where am I going to land this thing? You have to push your nose down to get your lift back and you have to fly straight,” the veteran pilot noted.

While it might not seem like the case, altitude is a pilot’s best friend. When a plane is low to the ground, there’s not nearly as much time to recover from a mistake.

According to FlightAware, which tracks flights nationally, the plane took off Tuesday morning in Lebanon at 10:20 a.m. and made an 11-minute flight to Murfreesboro Municipal Airport. It took off in Murfreesboro at 10:53 a.m., according to FlightAware, and was last monitored at 11:18 a.m. near McMinnville.

According to FlightAware, the plane was cruising around 1,800 feet and around 108 mph for most of its trip from Murfreesboro. That altitude is about the lowest that’s advisable to fly, according to the veteran local pilot.

According to FlightAware, that plane had been flown frequently in recent days. It was in the air on Monday and Saturday.

It can take months before airplane crash investigations are complete.

The three passengers who died in a Tuesday morning plane crash near Warren County Airport have been identified.

The victims, all members of the military, have been identified as Nolansville resident Lt. Col. Shelli Dawn Huether, 45, Murfreesboro resident Capt. Jessica Naomi Wright, 38, and Murfreesboro resident Sgt. Scott Alan Bumpus, 53.

The three were onboard a Piper PA-28-181 Archer III plane that crashed at 11:30 a.m. in a 50-acre field off Airport Lake Road. The airport runway is visible from the crash site.

Warren County Sheriff Tommy Myers said the Federal Aviation Administration was on the scene Wednesday investigating the crash. Myers said the investigation is still in its early stages but it appears the plane did a touch-and-go landing at the airport and had just taken off.

The plane is registered to Lebanon Flying Club. A veteran local airplane pilot told the Southern Standard on Wednesday that touch-and-go landings are used to practice landing and then taking off without the plane ever coming to a stop.

The veteran pilot said the fact the plane is registered to a flying club and a touch-and-go landing was used Tuesday would suggest an inexperienced pilot was gaining flying hours. In speaking to the Standard, the veteran pilot emphasized his thoughts are pure speculation and he has no role in the official investigation.

He said the first thing crash investigators are going to try to determine is whether there is fuel in both gas tanks and whether the engine was still running at the time of the crash. Since the plane crashed near the runway, it indicates there was a problem during takeoff.

“Fuel management is a common mistake among low-time pilots. The fact the plane did not catch on fire is a really good thing because that means there’s a lot of available evidence to evaluate,” the veteran pilot said.

If the plane ran out of gas or stalled for other reasons during takeoff, the proper procedure is to keep the plane straight, the veteran pilot noted, and to point the nose down. A plane of that size is capable of gliding around two miles at just 1,000 feet above ground.

The thing not to do if the plane stalls is to make a sudden turn. If the plane stalled and a quick turn was made to try and return to the runway it could cause the plane to spin, which would create a situation where there’s no lift on the wings. This could cause the plane to fall straight down like an elevator.

Based on pictures of the crash, the plane looks like it almost did a belly flop, landing squarely on the ground in this type of scenario. The ground around the plane was not disturbed to indicate there was any sort of glide landing for several hundred feet.

“During takeoff, pilots are not thinking about what they’re having for lunch. They should be looking around and constantly monitoring the landscape. You have to be thinking if the motor quits, where am I going to land this thing? You have to push your nose down to get your lift back and you have to fly straight,” the veteran pilot noted.

While it might not seem like the case, altitude is a pilot’s best friend. When a plane is low to the ground, there’s not nearly as much time to recover from a mistake.

According to FlightAware, which tracks flights nationally, the plane took off Tuesday morning in Lebanon at 10:20 a.m. and made an 11-minute flight to Murfreesboro Municipal Airport. It took off in Murfreesboro at 10:53 a.m., according to FlightAware, and was last monitored at 11:18 a.m. near McMinnville.

According to FlightAware, the plane was cruising around 1,800 feet and around 108 mph for most of its trip from Murfreesboro. That altitude is about the lowest that’s advisable to fly, according to the veteran local pilot.

According to FlightAware, that plane had been flown frequently in recent days. It was in the air on Monday and Saturday.

It can take months before airplane crash investigations are complete.


All three passengers onboard a Piper PA-28-181 Archer III plane died Tuesday when the plane crashed in a field at the doorstep of Warren County Airport.  The identities of the passengers, all out of town residents, have not been released. Families have been notified. Two women and one man, all members of the military, were onboard the Piper PA-28-181 Archer III plane, according to Sheriff Tommy Myers. The plane is registered to Lebanon Flying Club. It crashed at 11:30 a.m. in a 50-acre field off Airport Lake Road. The field is owned by Jerry Wiser, who was on a tractor mowing at the time and heard the plane crash behind him.

“I really didn’t see anything,” said Wiser. “I heard a crash, a really loud crash. When I turned around there was a plane sitting right behind me. I didn’t expect to see that at all.”  The plane crashed about 100 feet directly behind Wiser’s tractor. He said a person who was working on a nearby barn jumped a fence and rushed to the wreckage with him.  “It was smoking a little when we first got to it,” said Wiser. “I called 911 and was using my knife to cut the seatbelt off one of them when first-responders arrived.”  First-responders used the Jaws of Life to remove the top of the plane to get the occupants out.

Wiser’s property joins Warren County Airport property and the runway is clearly visible from the crash site. The National Transportation Safety Board was called to investigate and is expected to arrive Wednesday.  According to FlightAware, which tracks flights, the plane took off Tuesday morning in Lebanon at 10:20 a.m. and made an 11-minute flight to Murfreesboro Municipal Airport. It took off in Murfreesboro at 10:53 a.m., according to FlightAware, and was last monitored at 11:18 a.m. near McMinnville.

What could have caused the plane to crash is open to speculation. According to FlightAware, the plane was cruising around 1,800 feet and around 108 mph for most of its trip from Murfreesboro. That altitude is about the lowest that’s advisable to fly, according to a veteran local pilot.  The plane crashed in a field and didn’t appear to strike any objects, which is what you want to happen if forced to make an emergency landing. You want to find a large, open area, if forced to make an emergency landing, the veteran pilot noted, and avoid hitting anything such as trees, cows or hay bales.

It’s not known if the engine stopped or ran out of fuel. If the engine did stop, it’s possible for the plane to glide safely to the ground provided it doesn’t lose too much speed. If the plane goes too slow, it prevents proper airflow across the wings, which is what keeps the plane in the air.  If this happens with a plane, proper airflow over the wings stops. The plane can then drop straight down like an elevator. It’s possible to recover from such a spin out, the veteran pilot noted, but not at 1,800 feet.  According to FlightAware, the plane has flown frequently in recent days. It was in the air on Monday and Saturday.  The  National Transportation Safety Board can take months to complete a crash investigation.










Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Alabama and NW Florida

May 18, 2019: Made a hard landing in a field near Shelby County Airport (KEET), Alabaster, County, Alabama.

Vagabond Air LLC

https://registry.faa.gov/N4166Z

Date: 18-MAY-19
Time: 16:37:00Z
Regis#: N4166Z
Aircraft Make: PIPER
Aircraft Model: PA 28 181
Event Type: INCIDENT
Highest Injury: NONE
Aircraft Missing: No
Damage: UNKNOWN
Activity: UNKNOWN
Flight Phase: LANDING (LDG)
Operation: 91
City: ALABASTER

State: ALABAMA

Cessna 172H Skyhawk, N1784F: Incident occurred September 08, 2020 in Alvin, Brazoria County, Texas

Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Houston, Texas

Aircraft forced to land in a field due to engine issues.

https://registry.faa.gov/N1784F

Date: 08-SEP-20
Time: 22:22:00Z
Regis#: N1784F
Aircraft Make: CESSNA
Aircraft Model: 172
Event Type: INCIDENT
Highest Injury: NONE
Aircraft Missing: No
Damage: UNKNOWN
Activity: PERSONAL
Flight Phase: UNKNOWN (UNK)
Operation: 91
City: ALVIN
State: TEXAS

Air Tractor AT-802A, N512LA: Incident occurred September 08, 2020 in Jackson, Teton County, Wyoming


Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Denver

Aircraft clipped cable or line during during firefighting operations.

Western Pilot Service Inc

Date: 08-SEP-20
Time: 00:45:00Z
Regis#: N512LA
Aircraft Make: AIR TRACTOR
Aircraft Model: AT802
Event Type: INCIDENT
Highest Injury: NONE
Aircraft Missing: No
Damage: UNKNOWN
Activity: FIREFIGHTING
Flight Phase: MANEUVERING (MNV)
Operation: 103
City: JACKSON
State: WYOMING