Saturday, July 24, 2021

Loss of Control on Ground: Cessna 140, N3697V; accident occurred June 05, 2021 at Chandler Field Airport (KAXN), Alexandria, Minnesota






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; Minneapolis, Minnesota

Investigation Docket - National Transportation Safety Board:


Location: Alexandria, Minnesota
Accident Number: CEN21LA255
Date & Time: June 5, 2021, 13:46 Local 
Registration: N3697V
Aircraft: Cessna 140
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Defining Event: Loss of control on ground
Injuries: 1 Minor, 1 None
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General aviation - Personal

Analysis

The pilot reported that while landing from his sixth Experimental Aircraft Association Young Eagles flight for the day, the airplane encountered a downdraft and variable wind conditions causing it to bounce several times. The pilot attempted to maintain control, but the airplane veered to the left off the runway and impacted the terrain in a nose low attitude. The airplane subsequently nosed over and came to rest inverted. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the vertical stabilizer and rudder. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot reported that prior to this flight, hazardous weather was in the area; however, the weather appeared to not be a factor in the area, and he thought he could complete the flight.

Probable Cause and Findings

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be:
The pilot did not maintain aircraft and directional control during the landing in variable wind conditions resulting in abnormal contact with the terrain.

Findings

Personnel issues Aircraft control - Pilot
Aircraft Directional control - Not attained/maintained
Environmental issues Variable wind - Effect on operation

Factual Information

History of Flight

Landing Hard landing
Landing Loss of control on ground (Defining event)
Landing-landing roll Runway excursion
Landing-landing roll Nose over/nose down

Pilot Information

Certificate: Private
Age: 68, Male
Airplane Rating(s): Single-engine land 
Seat Occupied: Left
Other Aircraft Rating(s): None
Restraint Used: 3-point
Instrument Rating(s): None 
Second Pilot Present:
Instructor Rating(s): None
Toxicology Performed:
Medical Certification: Class 3 Without waivers/limitations
Last FAA Medical Exam: December 24, 2020
Occupational Pilot: No
Last Flight Review or Equivalent: January 4, 2021
Flight Time: 659 hours (Total, all aircraft), 308 hours (Total, this make and model), 618 hours (Pilot In Command, all aircraft), 30 hours (Last 90 days, all aircraft), 8 hours (Last 30 days, all aircraft), 6 hours (Last 24 hours, all aircraft)

Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information

Aircraft Make: Cessna 
Registration: N3697V
Model/Series: 140 
Aircraft Category: Airplane
Year of Manufacture: 1948
Amateur Built: No
Airworthiness Certificate: Normal 
Serial Number: 14973
Landing Gear Type: Tailwheel 
Seats: 2
Date/Type of Last Inspection: March 16, 2021 Annual
Certified Max Gross Wt.: 1450 lbs
Time Since Last Inspection: 30 Hrs 
Engines: 1 Reciprocating
Airframe Total Time: 3991 Hrs at time of accident
Engine Manufacturer: Continental
ELT: Installed, not activated 
Engine Model/Series: O-200A
Registered Owner:
Rated Power: 100 Horsepower
Operator: On file
Operating Certificate(s) Held: None

Meteorological Information and Flight Plan

Conditions at Accident Site: Visual (VMC) 
Condition of Light: Day
Observation Facility, Elevation:
Distance from Accident Site: 0 Nautical Miles
Observation Time: 13:10 Local
Direction from Accident Site: 0°
Lowest Cloud Condition: Scattered
Visibility: 10 miles
Lowest Ceiling: Broken 
Visibility (RVR):
Wind Speed/Gusts: 17 knots / 35 knots 
Turbulence Type Forecast/Actual:  /
Wind Direction: 
Turbulence Severity Forecast/Actual:  /
Altimeter Setting: 
Temperature/Dew Point: 32.2°C
Precipitation and Obscuration: Light - Thunderstorm - Rain
Departure Point: Alexandria, MN 
Type of Flight Plan Filed: None
Destination: Alexandria, MN
Type of Clearance: None
Departure Time: 
Type of Airspace: Class D

Airport Information

Airport: CHANDLER FLD AXN
Runway Surface Type: Asphalt
Airport Elevation: 1425 ft msl 
Runway Surface Condition: Dry
Runway Used: 13/31
IFR Approach: None
Runway Length/Width: 5099 ft / 100 ft
VFR Approach/Landing: Full stop

Wreckage and Impact Information

Crew Injuries: 1 Minor 
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Passenger Injuries: 1 None
Aircraft Fire: None
Ground Injuries: 
Aircraft Explosion: None
Total Injuries: 1 Minor, 1 None 
Latitude, Longitude: 45.865829,-95.394694(est)

Aerodynamic Stall / Spin: Cessna 150H, Unregistered; accident occurred June 10, 2021 in Muncie, Delaware County, Indiana





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; Indianapolis, Indiana

Investigation Docket - National Transportation Safety Board:

Location: Muncie, Indiana
Accident Number: CEN21LA262
Date & Time: June 10, 2021, 20:28 Local 
Registration: UNREGISTERED 
Aircraft: Cessna 150H 
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Defining Event: Aerodynamic stall/spin
Injuries: 1 Serious
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General aviation - Personal

Analysis

A pilot-rated witness reported that the non-certificated pilot shortly after taking off from a 1,200 ft private grass airstrip, was starting a turn to the north to avoid trees when the airplane “stalled, fell sideways from the sky”, and impacted the ground left wing first, followed by the airplane’s nose and then the right wing. The witness said that the airplane appeared underpowered for the hot and humid weather conditions. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and both wings. A post-accident examination by the Federal Aviation Administration revealed no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The density altitude at the time of the accident was 3,314 ft. The airstrip elevation was 937 ft.

Probable Cause and Findings

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be:
The non-certificated pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control on departure in high density altitude conditions which resulted in an aerodynamic stall.

Findings

Personnel issues Aircraft control - Pilot
Aircraft Angle of attack - Capability exceeded
Aircraft Airspeed - Not attained/maintained
Personnel issues Qualification/certification - Pilot
Environmental issues High density altitude - Effect on operation

Factual Information

History of Flight

Takeoff Aerodynamic stall/spin (Defining event)

Pilot Information

Certificate: None 
Age: 81,Male
Airplane Rating(s): None 
Seat Occupied: Left
Other Aircraft Rating(s): None 
Restraint Used: Unknown
Instrument Rating(s): None
Second Pilot Present:
Instructor Rating(s): None
Toxicology Performed:
Medical Certification: None 
Last FAA Medical Exam:
Occupational Pilot: No
Last Flight Review or Equivalent:
Flight Time: 130 hours (Total, all aircraft)

Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information

Aircraft Make: Cessna 
Registration: UNREGISTERED
Model/Series: 150H 
Aircraft Category: Airplane
Year of Manufacture: 1968 
Amateur Built: No
Airworthiness Certificate: Normal 
Serial Number: 15068432
Landing Gear Type: Tricycle 
Seats: 2
Date/Type of Last Inspection: Unknown 
Certified Max Gross Wt.:
Time Since Last Inspection:
Engines: 1 Reciprocating
Airframe Total Time: 
Engine Manufacturer: Continental
ELT: 
Engine Model/Series: O-200
Registered Owner: 
Rated Power:
Operator: On file 
Operating Certificate(s) Held: None

Meteorological Information and Flight Plan

Conditions at Accident Site: Visual (VMC)
Condition of Light: Day
Observation Facility, Elevation: KMIE,937 ft msl 
Distance from Accident Site: 7 Nautical Miles
Observation Time: 19:53 Local
Direction from Accident Site: 18°
Lowest Cloud Condition: Clear
Visibility: 10 miles
Lowest Ceiling:
Visibility (RVR):
Wind Speed/Gusts: 4 knots / 
Turbulence Type Forecast/Actual:  /
Wind Direction: 90° 
Turbulence Severity Forecast/Actual:  /
Altimeter Setting: 29.86 inches Hg
Temperature/Dew Point: 31°C / 18°C
Precipitation and Obscuration: No Obscuration; No Precipitation
Departure Point: Muncie, IN
Type of Flight Plan Filed:
Destination: 
Type of Clearance: None
Departure Time: 
Type of Airspace: Class G

Airport Information

Airport: Private PVT Runway
Surface Type: Grass/turf
Airport Elevation: 937 ft msl 
Runway Surface Condition: Unknown
Runway Used: East 
IFR Approach: None
Runway Length/Width: 1200 ft / 0 ft 
VFR Approach/Landing: None

Wreckage and Impact Information

Crew Injuries: 1 Serious 
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Passenger Injuries:
Aircraft Fire: None
Ground Injuries: 
Aircraft Explosion: None
Total Injuries: 1 Serious
Latitude, Longitude: 40.127503,-85.438765

MUNCIE, Indiana — A longtime local pilot escaped serious injury Thursday evening when his plane crashed on Muncie's south side.

The crash — in a field near the 5600 block of South Meeker Avenue, south of the Muncie Bypass — was reported to emergency dispatchers at 8:30 p.m.

Authorities said the accident involved a single-engine aircraft occupied only by its pilot, Calvin "Buddy" Carroll.

Carroll, 81, was in contact with emergency dispatchers after the crash and had avoided life-threatening injuries, according to reports.

The Muncie businessman has an airstrip at his rural Muncie home.

Indiana State Police joined Delaware County sheriff's deputies at the scene Thursday night.

Investigators with the Federal Aviation Administration were expected to arrive in Muncie on Friday.


Calvin “Buddy” Carroll


Buddy's Place, a bar on Muncie's southside at 3101 S. Madison St., was raided by drug task force agents Wednesday morning. Two other locations were also raided, owner Buddy Carroll's home and the Buddy Carroll Auto Sales lot on Fuson Road. Crime scenes were established at each site. 




June 30, 2017

MUNCIE, Indiana  – Local businessman Calvin “Buddy” Carroll — arrested Wednesday after being accused of selling drugs at his southside car lot — had been a target of police investigations for as long as 15 years, court documents reflect.

Carroll, 77, of the 6200 block of South Delaware County Road 300-W, was preliminarily charged with two counts of dealing in a controlled substance, and single counts of possession of a controlled substance and maintaining a common nuisance.

He was released from the Delaware County jail after posting a $75,000 bond.

He is accused of twice selling suboxone, a controlled substance prescribed to patients addicted to opioids, to informants, according to an affidavit.

City police say the two drug deals took place this month at one of Carroll’s southside Muncie businesses, Carroll's Auto Sales and Services, 880 W. Fuson Road.

Carroll was arrested shortly before 10 a.m. Wednesday in a traffic stop near his home. City police — including members of the department’s narcotics unit — served search warrants at his home and auto lot, and at a tavern owned by Carroll: Buddy’s Place, 3101 S. Madison St.

The affidavit indicated that during an interview with police, Carroll “admitted to selling suboxone on three separate occasions.”

Several strips of the drug were found in the main office of Carroll’s auto business, the report said.

In a request for a search warrant — authorized Tuesday night by Delaware Circuit Court 4 Judge John Feick — investigators reported a probe of Carroll’s activities dated back to 2002-03, when “members of the Muncie/Delaware County Drug Task Force made several attempts to purchase cocaine from Buddy Carroll.”

“During each attempt, Carroll offered to give the informants cocaine in exchange for sex,” an officer wrote, resulting in those transactions not being completed. No related charges were filed.

That document also says “several confidential informants” had more recently told police Carroll was selling suboxone and marijuana.

It also said informants claimed marijuana was flown into Delaware County on Carroll’s private plane. The businessman has a grass air strip at his rural home.

The preliminary charges lodged Wednesday did not refer to marijuana sales.

The warrant document also described members of the narcotics unit following Carroll — in one instance to his home — after the alleged drug transactions at his auto business.

Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT): Bellanca 8GCBC Scout, N178TT; accident occurred June 13, 2021 in Nenana, Alaska

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; Anchorage, Alaska 


Location: Nenana, Alaska
Accident Number: ANC21LA046
Date and Time: June 13, 2021, 08:30 Local
Registration: N178TT
Aircraft: Bellanca 8GCBC 
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Defining Event: Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT) 
Injuries: 1 None
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General aviation - Personal

Analysis

After takeoff the private pilot flew to several different airstrips where he performed several full-stop landings. He then elected to fly to the “Lynx Strip” and flew across the runway and did not notice any “significant [wind]” at low altitude or on the water of a nearby pond. He performed two passes over the runway from different directions and again noted the wind was “negligible.” He performed two landings to the north then a full stop landing to the south. He departed and performed a “left traffic teardrop” for a final landing to the north. Either at touchdown or just moments before he felt drag on the right wing and realized the right wingtip was, “in the small Black Spruce [trees] to the right of the runway.” He applied left rudder and some aileron input to correct back to center, but the drag on the right wing increased. The airplane made an arc to the right and contact black spruce trees off the right side of the runway coming to rest upright perpendicular to the runway facing east.

According to the airplane manufacturer, the total wingspan of the airplane was about 36 ft. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed damage to the leading edges of both wings which was greater than 10% of the total wingspan; therefore, the damage was considered substantial.

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 adequate clearance with trees during landing.

Findings

Personnel issues Monitoring environment - Pilot
Environmental issues Tree(s) - Awareness of condition

Factual Information

History of Flight

Landing-landing roll Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT) (Defining event)

Pilot Information

Certificate: Private 
Age: 51, Male
Airplane Rating(s): Single-engine land; Single-engine sea
Seat Occupied: Front
Other Aircraft Rating(s): None
Restraint Used: 5-point
Instrument Rating(s): None
Second Pilot Present: No
Instructor Rating(s): None 
Toxicology Performed:
Medical Certification: BasicMed Without waivers/limitations
Last FAA Medical Exam: June 4, 2020
Occupational Pilot: No 
Last Flight Review or Equivalent: July 2, 2020
Flight Time: 347 hours (Total, all aircraft), 73 hours (Total, this make and model), 275 hours (Pilot In Command, all aircraft), 13 hours (Last 90 days, all aircraft), 3 hours (Last 30 days, all aircraft), 1 hours (Last 24 hours, all aircraft)

Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information

Aircraft Make: Bellanca
Registration: N178TT
Model/Series: 8GCBC NO SERIES
Aircraft Category: Airplane
Year of Manufacture: 1978 
Amateur Built:
Airworthiness Certificate: Normal
Serial Number: 278-78
Landing Gear Type: Tailwheel 
Seats: 2
Date/Type of Last Inspection: June 24, 2021 Annual 
Certified Max Gross Wt.: 2150 lbs
Time Since Last Inspection:
Engines: 1 Reciprocating
Airframe Total Time: 2209.8 Hrs at time of accident
Engine Manufacturer: Lycoming
ELT: C91 installed, not activated 
Engine Model/Series: O-360-C2E
Registered Owner: 
Rated Power: 180 Horsepower
Operator: On file
Operating Certificate(s) Held: None

Meteorological Information and Flight Plan

Conditions at Accident Site: Visual (VMC)
Condition of Light: Day
Observation Facility, Elevation: PANN, 362 ft msl 
Distance from Accident Site: 18 Nautical Miles
Observation Time: 08:53 Local
Direction from Accident Site: 297°
Lowest Cloud Condition: 
Visibility: 10 miles
Lowest Ceiling: Overcast / 8500 ft AGL
Visibility (RVR):
Wind Speed/Gusts: / 
Turbulence Type Forecast/Actual: None / None
Wind Direction: 
Turbulence Severity Forecast/Actual: N/A / N/A
Altimeter Setting: 29.84 inches Hg
Temperature/Dew Point: 14°C / 8°C
Precipitation and Obscuration: No Obscuration; No Precipitation
Departure Point: Nenana, AK 
Type of Flight Plan Filed: None
Destination: Nenana, AK 
Type of Clearance: None
Departure Time: 
Type of Airspace:

Airport Information

Airport: Lynx Strip None
Runway Surface Type: Grass/turf
Airport Elevation: 537 ft msl
Runway Surface Condition: Dry
Runway Used: 36
IFR Approach: None
Runway Length/Width: 660 ft / 50 ft
VFR Approach/Landing: Full stop; Straight-in

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: 64.4198,-148.46158