Tuesday, June 21, 2022

Cessna 414, N1996G: Accident occurred June 19, 2022 at Rostraver Airport (KFWQ), Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania

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; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania


Location: Monongahela, Pennsylvania
Accident Number: ERA22LA272
Date and Time: June 19, 2022, 13:04 Local
Registration: N1996G
Aircraft: Cessna 414
Injuries: 1 None
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General aviation - Personal

On June 19, 2022, at 1304 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 414, N1996G, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Monongahela, Pennsylvania. The commercial pilot was not injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.

In a written statement, the pilot stated that the preflight, run-up, taxi, and en route portion of the flight revealed no anomalies with the performance and handling of the airplane.

On final approach for runway 26, at Rostraver Airport, the pilot stated that she “had a little wind shear (-15 knots).” She adjusted her airspeed on final approach to Vref plus 10 knots, so the wind shear was “no issue.” The pilot performed the landing flare 500 feet beyond the landing threshold. A wind gust “took” the airplane up and it touched down about 1,000 feet beyond the threshold of the 4,002 ft-long runway.

Upon touchdown, the pilot applied the brakes but “nothing happened,” despite hard application. According to the pilot, “Power was off, flaps up, so, I pull the mixtures, still on the brakes, fuel off, and hope I’ll be slow to make the last exit.”

The pilot stated that she attempted to “ground loop” the airplane at the departure end of the runway without success, and ultimately guided the airplane to the left, avoiding lights and other infrastructure, before the airplane transitioned the grass apron, descended an embankment, and came to rest upright with substantial damage to the nose and right wing.

The pilot reported 6,050 total hours of flight experience, of which 145 hours were in the accident airplane make and model.

The airplane’s most recent annual inspection was completed on June 10, 2022, at 6,475.6 total aircraft hours.

A Federal Aviation Administration aviation safety inspector responded to the scene, but could not safely examine the airplane due to its condition and location. The examination was postponed until the airplane could be moved to a secure location.

Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information

Aircraft Make: Cessna
Registration: N1996G
Model/Series: 414
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: KAGC,1273 ft msl 
Observation Time: 12:53 Local
Distance from Accident Site: 10 Nautical Miles 
Temperature/Dew Point: 21°C /3°C
Lowest Cloud Condition: Clear
Wind Speed/Gusts, Direction: 10 knots / 21 knots, 330°
Lowest Ceiling: None
Visibility: 10 miles
Altimeter Setting: 30.22 inches Hg
Type of Flight Plan Filed: IFR
Departure Point: Leesburg, VA (JYO)
Destination: Monongahela, PA

Wreckage and Impact Information

Crew Injuries: 1 None
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Passenger Injuries: N/A 
Aircraft Fire: None
Ground Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Explosion: None
Total Injuries: 1 None 
Latitude, Longitude: 40.209722,-79.831444 (est)

Aircraft experienced brake failure and slid into the grass while landing. 

Date: 19-JUN-22
Time: 17:42:00Z
Regis#: N1996G
Aircraft Make: CESSNA
Aircraft Model: 414
Event Type: INCIDENT
Highest Injury: NONE
Aircraft Missing: No
Damage: UNKNOWN
Activity: PERSONAL
Flight Phase: LANDING (LDG)
Operation: 91
City: MONONGAHELA
State: PENNSYLVANIA





Rostraver Central Fire Department -
 
This afternoon, RCFD units were dispatched for an Alert 3 at Rostraver Airport. A twin-engine aircraft left the runway on landing and went over an embankment. The crew at the nearby LifeFlight base quickly assessed the pilot, who was not injured. Fire crews contained a small fuel leak before turning the scene over to WCAA personnel. Assisting were Westmoreland County Hazardous Materials Response Team 800, Rostraver West Newton Emergency Services, Rostraver Twp Police Department, Westmoreland County Park Police, and Westmoreland County Airport Authority FD.






BELLE VERNON, Pennsylvania — Caiolinn Ertel shared her story with Pittsburgh’s Action News 4 after an unexpected Sunday afternoon at Rostraver Airport.

“I love flying. It is my happy place,” Ertel said.

It started out as a calm day for Ertel who was visiting her family in Virginia.

“I had a lovely day, and then they brought me to the airport around noon,” Ertel said.

Ertel said her goodbyes and got on her plane.

“I taxi it in, pull it around, put the brakes on, and then I put the throttle up to a pretty high power, and then I look at the engine instruments to make sure everything is in the green, everything is operating properly, it also checks the brakes, so boom everything was great,” Ertel said

It was a smooth take off, but when it was time to land at Rostraver Airport, where her plane is based, things took a turn.

“Touched down, put the brakes on, no brakes. Felt like pressure but nothing, no deceleration at all. Just kept going. I put the flaps up, and I just kept rolling and I am sitting in the back of my seat pushing as hard as I can to get the thing slowed down,” Ertel said.

With 45 years of flying experience, Ertel says training kicked in.

“You just react. Okay, this is an emergency, I may not be able to stop it so that's an accident. How do you minimize it? So you just go into automatic mode,” Ertel said.

Ertel shut the engines down and turned the fuel off to do a controlled crash. The pilot guided her plane off the runway and over this embankment, where it stopped

“It just plopped down,” Ertel said.

Emergency responders arrived on scene within minutes, and fire crews contained a small fuel leak. Ertel says even LifeFlight happened to be at the airport.

Although her plane was damaged in the landing, she walked away without a scratch.

“My kids ask me 'are you going to fly again?' I said 'yeah I would fly right now.' I don't have any problem with it. I had my accident. I think I'm good. Gonna rock and roll it,” Ertel said.





No injuries were reported when the pilot of a Cessna 414 lost control of its brakes Sunday afternoon, causing the airplane to crash at the Rostraver Airport.

Caiolinn Ertel, 61, of Pittsburgh was flying from Leesburg, Virginia, to Rostraver, where her plane is based, when she realized she had lost control of her brakes.

Ertel said everything was working when she took off. It was when she attempted to land that she realized something was wrong.

“Landed, and when I’m way down, I put the flaps up and I said, ‘I’m not coming to a stop.’ So I’m stomping on the brakes trying the get it to stop, nothing’s happening,” Ertel said. “Realize it’s not going to, and so I shut the engines down, put the fuel off and then tried to do a controlled crash.”

Ertel guided the plane off the runway and over a small hillside, where it came to a stop. The nose of the plane and the wings were damaged.

“I wasn’t going maybe 10, 15 mph, and the engines were shut off, so there should be no engine damage — but I don’t know, the plane may be totaled,” Ertel said. “We’ll see what happens. It’s a 45-year-old airplane, though most everything’s new on it.”

There was no damage to the airport or runway. No fuel leaks were reported from the plane.

An official on the scene said they were trying to decide whether they would move the aircraft or keep it where it is for the time being.

Several crews responded to the scene, including the Rostraver Central Fire Department and a medical helicopter in case of injuries.

J&J Ultralights SeaWing, N947MH: Accident occurred June 20, 2022 in Gaffney, Cherokee County, South Carolina

Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Columbia, South Carolina

Experimental amphibious weight-shift-control trike lost power and struck trees while landing in a field. 


Date: 20-JUN-22
Time: 00:46:00Z
Regis#: N947MH
Aircraft Make: J&J ULTRALIGHTS
Aircraft Model: SEAWING
Event Type: ACCIDENT
Highest Injury: NONE
Aircraft Missing: No
Damage: SUBSTANTIAL
Activity: PERSONAL
Flight Phase: MANEUVERING (MNV)
Operation: 91
City: GAFFNEY
State: SOUTH CAROLINA

Aircraft Designs Super Stallion, N622DE: Incidents occurred June 20, 2022 and December 15, 2020

Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; North Texas

June 20, 2022:  Aircraft lost power and crashed into a field causing damage to main landing gear. 


Date: 20-JUN-22
Time: 10:30:00Z
Regis#: N622DE
Aircraft Make: WHITE
Aircraft Model: SUPER STALLION
Event Type: INCIDENT
Highest Injury: NONE
Aircraft Missing: No
Damage: UNKNOWN
Activity: PERSONAL
Flight Phase: EN ROUTE (ENR)
Operation: 91
City: VENUS
State: TEXAS

Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; North Texas

December 15, 2020:  Aircraft departed, experienced rough running engine and returned landing short of the runway and gear collapsed at Fort Worth Meacham International Airport (KFTW), Texas. 


Date: 15-DEC-20
Time: 00:38:00Z
Regis#: N622DE
Aircraft Make: AIRCRAFT DESIGNS
Aircraft Model: SUPER STALLION
Event Type: INCIDENT
Highest Injury: NONE
Aircraft Missing: No
Damage: MINOR
Activity: PERSONAL
Flight Phase: TAKEOFF (TOF)
Operation: 91
City: FORT WORTH
State: TEXAS

Piper PA-28-180, N6833C: Incident occurred June 19, 2022 at Majors Airport (KGVT), Greenville, Hunt County, Texas

Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; North Texas

Aircraft veered off runway after landing and nose gear collapsed. 

Texins Flying Club


Date: 19-JUN-22
Time: 14:05:00Z
Regis#: N6833C
Aircraft Make: PIPER
Aircraft Model: PA28
Event Type: INCIDENT
Highest Injury: NONE
Aircraft Missing: No
Damage: UNKNOWN
Activity: PERSONAL
Flight Phase: LANDING (LDG)
Operation: 91
City: GREENVILLE
State: TEXAS

Cessna T210F Turbo Centurion, N534F: Incident occurred June 20, 2022 at Accomack County Airport (KMFV), Melfa, Virginia

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

Aircraft landed gear up. 


Date: 20-JUN-22
Time: 18:25:00Z
Regis#: N534F
Aircraft Make: CESSNA
Aircraft Model: T210F
Event Type: INCIDENT
Highest Injury: NONE
Aircraft Missing: No
Damage: UNKNOWN
Activity: PERSONAL
Flight Phase: LANDING (LDG)
Operation: 91
City: MELFA
State: VIRGINIA




MELFA, Virginia - There were some tense moments at an Accomack County airport late Monday afternoon.

Virginia State Police said that a Cessna T210F Turbo Centurion had taken a 10-minute flight from Tangier Island to the airport in Melfa when its landing gear failed to deploy properly and collapsed when the plane touched down on the runway. The hull of the plane and the propeller were damaged as the plane skidded to a stop.

The pilot, 45-year-old Harry Leiser of Rome, Pennsylvania, was unaware there was a problem until the landing gear collapsed. 

Leiser was not injured, according to police. There was no fuel leak and the only damage was to the aircraft, police said. 

Robinson R44 Raven II, N944BC: Accident occurred June 18, 2022 in Auburn, King County, Washington

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; Seattle, Washington

Location: Auburn, Washington
Accident Number: WPR22LA220
Date and Time: June 18, 2022, 16:23 Local
Registration: N944BC
Aircraft: ROBINSON HELICOPTER COMPANY R44 II 
Injuries: 2 None
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General aviation - Instructional

Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information

Aircraft Make: ROBINSON HELICOPTER COMPANY
Registration: N944BC
Model/Series: R44 II 
Aircraft Category: Helicopter
Amateur Built:
Operator: On file
Operating Certificate(s) Held: None
Operator Designator Code:

Meteorological Information and Flight Plan

Conditions at Accident Site:
Condition of Light:
Observation Facility, Elevation:
Observation Time:
Distance from Accident Site: 
Temperature/Dew Point:
Lowest Cloud Condition:
Wind Speed/Gusts, Direction: / ,
Lowest Ceiling: 
Visibility:
Altimeter Setting: 
Type of Flight Plan Filed:
Departure Point:
Destination:

Wreckage and Impact Information

Crew Injuries: 1 None 
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Passenger Injuries: 1 None
Aircraft Fire: None
Ground Injuries: 
Aircraft Explosion: None
Total Injuries: 2 None
Latitude, Longitude: 47.327625,-122.22665 (est)

Rotorcraft crashed while hovering.

Date: 18-JUN-22
Time: 23:23:00Z
Regis#: N944BC
Aircraft Make: ROBINSON
Aircraft Model: R44
Event Type: ACCIDENT
Highest Injury: MINOR
Aircraft Missing: No
Damage: SUBSTANTIAL
Activity: PERSONAL
Flight Phase: MANEUVERING (MNV)
Operation: 91
City: AUBURN
State: WASHINGTON

Cessna 182 Skylane, N6300A: Accident occurred June 18, 2022 in Yorkville, Racine County, Wisconsin

Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Aircraft experienced power loss and flipped over while landing in a field. 


Date: 18-JUN-22
Time: 18:09:00Z
Regis#: N6300A
Aircraft Make: CESSNA
Aircraft Model: 182
Event Type: ACCIDENT
Highest Injury: NONE
Aircraft Missing: No
Damage: SUBSTANTIAL
Activity: PERSONAL
Flight Phase: EN ROUTE (ENR)
Operation: 91
City: YORKVILLE
State: WISCONSIN

Eurocopter EC135 P2+, N226SA: Accident occurred June 18, 2022 in Waukesha, Wisconsin

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; Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Bennett Aviation LLC


Location: Waukesha, Wisconsin
Accident Number: CEN22LA258
Date and Time: June 18, 2022, 17:10 Local
Registration: N226SA
Aircraft: EUROCOPTER DEUTSCHLAND
GMBH EC 135 P2+
Injuries: 4 None
Flight Conducted Under: Part 135: Air taxi & commuter - Non-scheduled - Air Medical (Unspecified) 

On June 18, 2022, about 1710 central standard time, an Eurocopter EC-135 P2+ helicopter, N226SA, sustained substantial damage when it was involved in an accident near Waukesha, Wisconsin. The pilot and 3 passengers were not injured. The helicopter was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 135 air medical flight.

According to the operator, the pilot received a flight request for an inter-facility transfer flight. The intended route of flight was from the aircraft's primary base at Waukesha County Airport (UES) to pick up a patient at Aurora Lakeland Medical Center and transport them to Children's Hospital of Wisconsin in Milwaukee. After departing from UES, about 150-ft AGL, the pilot heard a "thump,” and the helicopter pitched up. The pilot immediately executed an emergency landing, and all occupants exited the helicopter uninjured.

Initial examination of the helicopter revealed that the Fenestron retention cap of the tail rotor was missing. All parts were located and secured with the helicopter for further examinations.

Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information

Aircraft Make: EUROCOPTER DEUTSCHLAND GMBH
Registration: N226SA
Model/Series: EC 135 P2+ 
Aircraft Category: Helicopter
Amateur Built:
Operator: 
Operating Certificate(s) Held: On-demand air taxi (135)
Operator Designator Code:

Meteorological Information and Flight Plan

Conditions at Accident Site: VMC 
Condition of Light: Day
Observation Facility, Elevation: UES
Observation Time: 16:45 Local
Distance from Accident Site: 0 Nautical Miles
Temperature/Dew Point: 19°C /2°C
Lowest Cloud Condition: Clear 
Wind Speed/Gusts, Direction: 6 knots / , 80°
Lowest Ceiling: None 
Visibility: 10 miles
Altimeter Setting: 30.28 inches Hg
Type of Flight Plan Filed: Company VFR
Departure Point: Waukesha, WI
Destination: Elkhorn, WI (0W13)

Wreckage and Impact Information

Crew Injuries: 1 None 
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Passenger Injuries: 3 None 
Aircraft Fire: None
Ground Injuries: 
Aircraft Explosion: None
Total Injuries: 4 None
Latitude, Longitude: 43.039627,-88.239269

Rotorcraft heard a loud bang after departure and the Fenestron cover had come into contact with the Fenestron blades.

Date: 18-JUN-22
Time: 22:09:00Z
Regis#: N226SA
Aircraft Make: AIRBUS HELICOPTERS
Aircraft Model: EC135
Event Type: ACCIDENT
Highest Injury: NONE
Aircraft Missing: No
Damage: SUBSTANTIAL
Activity: UNKNOWN
Flight Phase: INITIAL CLIMB (ICL)
Operation: 91
City: WAUKESHA
State: WISCONSIN