Saturday, September 03, 2022

Aeronca 7AC Champion, N85748: Accident occurred September 01, 2022 at Union County Airport (KMRT), Marysville, Ohio

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. 

Investigator In Charge (IIC): Young, Joshua

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

Additional Participating Entity:
David Schluep; Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Columbus, Ohio

Yellow Bird Flyers Association 


Location: Marysville, Ohio
Accident Number: ERA22LA400
Date and Time: September 1, 2022, 19:39 Local 
Registration: N85748
Aircraft: Aeronca 7AC 
Injuries: N/A
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General aviation - Personal

Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information

Aircraft Make: Aeronca 
Registration: N85748
Model/Series: 7AC 
Aircraft Category: Airplane
Amateur Built:
Operator: 
Operating Certificate(s) Held: None
Operator Designator Code:

Meteorological Information and Flight Plan

Conditions at Accident Site: 
Condition of Light:
Observation Facility, Elevation: KMRT, 1021 ft msl 
Observation Time: 19:39 Local
Distance from Accident Site: 0 Nautical Miles
Temperature/Dew Point: 25°C /18°C
Lowest Cloud Condition: Clear 
Wind Speed/Gusts, Direction: 3 knots / , 50°
Lowest Ceiling: None
Visibility: 10 miles
Altimeter Setting: 30.07 inches Hg 
Type of Flight Plan Filed:
Departure Point: Marysville, OH 
Destination: Marysville, OH

Wreckage and Impact Information

Crew Injuries: N/A 
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Passenger Injuries: N/A 
Aircraft Fire: None
Ground Injuries: N/A 
Aircraft Explosion: None
Total Injuries: N/A
Latitude, Longitude: 40.224565,-83.351486 (est)

Aircraft ground looped, slid into a ditch damaging landing gear and propeller. 

Date: 01-SEP-22
Time: 23:39:00Z
Regis#: N85748
Aircraft Make: AERONCA
Aircraft Model: 7AC
Event Type: INCIDENT
Highest Injury: NONE
Aircraft Missing: No
Damage: UNKNOWN
Activity: PERSONAL
Flight Phase: LANDING (LDG)
Operation: 91
City: MARYSVILLE
State: OHIO

Sikorsky S-61N, N617CK: Accident occurred September 01, 2022 in Medford, Jackson County, Oregon

Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Portland, Oregon

Rotorcraft lost load during logging activity and made a forced landing. 

Croman Corporation


Date: 01-SEP-22
Time: 15:00:00Z
Regis#: N617CK
Aircraft Make: SIKORSKY
Aircraft Model: S-61N
Event Type: ACCIDENT
Highest Injury: MINOR
Aircraft Missing: No
Damage: SUBSTANTIAL
Activity: OTHER
Flight Phase: MANEUVERING (MNV)
City: MEDFORD
State: OREGON

Incident occurred September 02, 2022 near Boulder City Municipal Airport (KBVU), Nevada




Boulder City Police Department -

Officers from Boulder City and Nevada State Police Highway Patrol responded to reports that a Plane had made an emergency landing on US95 near Eldorado Valley Drive.  Upon arrival officers found the plane and 2 occupants safe and off the main highway. The plane had a malfunction with the fuel and lost power. The student pilot was able to safely land the plane on the highway and then the pilot and instructor pushed the plane out of the way of traffic.  No injuries or damage were sustained during the emergency landing. The pilot is working to get the plane operational with his mechanic or towed back to the Boulder City Municipal  Airport.

Beechcraft C90A King Air, N342ER: Incident occurred September 03, 2022 at Tupelo Regional Airport (KTUP), Lee County, Mississippi

Southeast Aviation LLC


Cory Wayne Patterson 



OXFORD, Mississippi (WTVA) — A federal grand jury this week indicted a man from Lee County accused of stealing a plane and threatening to crash it into one of the Tupelo Walmarts.

Cory Wayne Patterson faces two counts: threatening to damage, destroy, disable and wreck a civil aircraft and then actually doing that with the plane.

A conviction on both counts would get Patterson a combined 25 years in federal prison and a $500,000 fine.

Law enforcement arrested Patterson on September 3 after he took off in a plane from the Tupelo Regional Airport and flew it wildly over North Mississippi for hours until it went down in a field in Tippah County.

Tupelo Police Chief John Quaka said Patterson called 911 early in the flight and threatened to crash the plane into the Walmart on West Main Street.

Patterson also faces state charges in connection with that flight.
 
Cory Wayne Patterson


TUPELO, Mississippi – A 29-year-old Shannon man faces state charges of grand larceny and making terrorist threats after he stole an airplane from Tupelo Regional Airport and threatened to crash it into a Walmart.

Tupelo Police Chief John Quaka said federal officials were also considering four or five additional charges against Cory Wayne Patterson, who took a Beechcraft King Air C90A King at approximately 5 a.m. Saturday before calling 911 and threatening to crash it.

Quaka said negotiators convinced Patterson to land the plane with the assistance of a pilot over the radio, but during the descent onto the runway, the man aborted the landing and flew north toward Ripley. Quaka said he could not say why Patterson aborted the landing.

After more than four-and-a-half hours, Patterson finally crash landed the plane in a field in Tippah County.

Tippah County Sheriff's Department Chief Deputy Josh Bateman said Tippah and Benton County deputies took Patterson into joint custody at the scene of the plane's landing behind Gravestown Volunteer Fire Department, which is located about five miles west of Ripley near the Benton County line.

After being held in the Tippah County Jail for a short time, Tupelo police transported Patterson back to Lee County.

Bateman said he is unsure of additional charges from Tippah County. Officials there are researching state statutes to see if they will file further charges.

Bateman said the FAA is sending investigators to look over the plane before it can be removed from the field.

At this time, no motive is known for Patterson's theft of the plane or his threats.

“It is an ongoing investigation,” Quaka said. “That is going to take some time to determine. Those are always the last things we learn in an investigation. We will run down the motivation. We pursue any angle and avenue that there is, and we will work in conjunction with the FBI to do so.”

Patterson was a 10-year employee of Tupelo Aviation Unlimited, the fixed-based operator at Tupelo Regional Airport. Patterson was a lineman for TAU, which means he fueled the planes.

During the flight, negotiators, his mother, sibling and others communicated with Patterson, according to Quaka.

Tupelo Regional Airport Executive Director Joseph Wheeler told the Daily Journal he knew and spoke with Patterson often.

“I thought my guys were messing with me, especially after they said the name. I would think I would do it before he did. … Seemed like a straight-laced guy and a hard worker,” he said, noting that Patterson, though not trained in landing an aircraft, pulled off a “textbook” field landing. The plane was damaged but intact, according to law officials.

According to the FAA, Cory Wayne Patterson received a student pilot license on February 6, 2013. FAA rules require pilots to submit medical evaluations every two years to maintain their license. Patterson's last medical evaluation was in 2013 when he received his license. Based on FAA records, Patterson's license is no longer valid.

When asked if there were any protocols in place to prevent events such as this, Wheeler said it was impossible to know because employees had to have access to planes while working.

“We are going to have to reach out to some other airports that went through something like this and see what they’ve done,” he said. “It is hard when someone is doing exactly what they are doing. … You can’t look at someone’s head and read what’s on their mind.”

Quaka called Patterson's theft of the plane a "crime of opportunity" and not a breakdown of security protocols.

Below are the updates from the Daily Journal's live coverage of the event.

UPDATE (3:32 p.m.):

According to the FAA, Cory Wayne Patterson received a student pilot license on February 6, 2013. According to FAA rules, to keep licenses current, pilots have to submit medical evaluations every two years. Patterson's last medical evaluation was in 2013 when he received his license. A student pilot license limits pilots to private flight with no passengers.

Based on FAA records, Patterson's license is no longer valid.

Tupelo Police Department released a photo of Cory Wayne Patterson, 29. The photo was taken in the Tippah County field where Patterson landed the plane he stole from Tupelo Regional Airport.

UPDATE (1:52 p.m.):

Police Chief John Quaka told the Daily Journal that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)  is exploring “four or five” more charges that could be announced against Cory Wayne Patterson, 29, of Shannon in the coming weeks. 

“It is an ongoing investigation,” he said. “That is going to take some time to determine. Those are always the last things we learn in an investigation. We will run down the motivation. We pursue any angle and avenue that there is, and we will work in conjunction with the FBI to do so.”

Tupelo Regional Airport Executive Director Joseph Wheeler told the Daily Journal he knew and spoke with Patterson on a daily basis.

“I thought my guys were messing with me, especially after they said the name. I would think I would do it before he did," Wheeler said. "(Patterson) seemed like a strait-laced guy and a hard worker."

Wheeler also said Patterson, though not trained in landing an aircraft, pulled off a “textbook” field landing after the four-and-a-half-hour ordeal. The plane was damaged but intact, according to law officials.

When asked if there were any protocols in place to prevent events such as this, Wheeler said it was impossible to know because employees had to have access to planes while working.

“We are going to have to reach out to some other airports that went through something like this and see what they’ve done,” he said. “It is hard when someone is doing exactly what they are doing. … You can’t look at someone’s head and read what’s on their mind.”

UPDATE (1:45 p.m.):

Cory Patterson was a 10-year employee of Tupelo Aviation Unlimited, the fixed-based operator at Tupelo Regional Airport. Patterson was a lineman for TAU, which means he fueled the planes.

UPDATE (12:49 p.m.):

According to Tippah County Sheriff's Department Chief Deputy Josh Bateman, Cory Patterson was taken into joint custody with the Benton County Sheriff's Department at the scene of the plane's landing behind Gravestown Volunteer Fire Department, which is located about five miles west of Ripley near the Benton County line.

When officials arrived on the scene, the plane's engine was still running, signifying the aircraft still had fuel.

After being held in the Tippah County Jail for a short time, Tupelo police transported Patterson back to Lee County. Tupelo police were also on the scene of the landing.

While Patterson faces charges of grand larceny and making terrorist threats from Tupelo authorities, Bateman said he is unsure of additional charges from Tippah County. Officials there are researching state statutes to see if they will file further charges.

Bateman said the FAA is sending investigators to look over the plane before it can be removed from the field.

At this time, no motive is known for Patterson's theft of the plane or his threats.

UPDATE (12:20 p.m.):

At a press conference at Tupelo City Hall, local officials gave the following updates:

• Cory Wayne Patterson, 29, of Shannon, faces local charges of grand larceny and making terrorist threats. Police Chief John Quaka said he expects federal charges, too.

• Patterson has had some flight instruction, but Quaka does not believe he is a licensed pilot.

• Law enforcement negotiators were able to convince Patterson not to go through with his threat and instead to land at Tupelo Regional Airport. Patterson did not know how to land the plane, so a private pilot was brought in to walk Patterson through the process. Upon final approach, the Patterson aborted the landing and traveled in a northwest direction away from Tupelo. (Correction: A previous version said the private pilot aborted the attempt.)

• Law enforcement and family members were in contact with Patterson throughout the situation.

• Quaka said authorities believe Patterson landed the crash landed the plane because it was running low on or was out of fuel.

• Quaka called Patterson's theft of the plane a "crime of opportunity" and not a breakdown of security protocols. Patterson worked for a company that is contracted to maintain planes at the airport, including fueling the planes. This plane was fueled Friday night.

UPDATE (11:11 a.m.):

According to the FAA, the pilot was the only subject on the plane. The FAA is coordinating with local law enforcement and will investigate the incident.

UPDATE (10:36 a.m.):

The Tupelo Police Department will hold a press conference around noon.

UPDATE (10:35 a.m.):

The Benton County Sheriff's Department has taken Patterson into custody.

UPDATE (10:23 a.m.): 

Multiple sources have confirmed the plane is down in Ashland. The pilot, Cory Patterson, is alive. The status of the plane is unknown.

UPDATE (9:43 a.m.): 

Multiple law enforcement, airport and local authorities have identified the subject as Cory Patterson, 29, of Shannon.

Patterson is a 2011 Tupelo High School graduate.

A Cory Patterson believed to be the suspect posted on Facebook Saturday morning, "Sorry everyone. Never actually wanted to hurt anyone. I love my parents and sister this isn't your fault. Goodbye."

UPDATE (9:37 a.m.):

The plane is lingering west of Tippah County lake, just north of Ripley.

UPDATE (9:23 a.m.):

A communications official with the FBI's Jackson field office said, "The FBI, in accordance with our state and local partners, are aware of the situation. This is an active and ongoing matter. We will provide additional information as we have it."

UPDATE (9:19 a.m.):

A spokesperson for the Mississippi Department of Public Safety said that the Mississippi Bureau of Information is on the scene to assist local and federal authorities.

UPDATE (9:14 a.m.):

Officials are now saying that the pilot of the plane is not an employee of the Tupelo Regional Airport, but may work for a Fixed Based Operator that leases space at the Tupelo airport.

UPDATE (9:07 a.m.):

The plane is currently flying over a rural area in Hickory Flat and law enforcement have converged on that area. 

UPDATE (8:44 a.m.):

The plane is now reported to be airborne north of Tupelo in the Benton, Union County area.

Local, State and Federal authorities are continuing to monitor this dangerous situation.

UPDATE (8:42 a.m.):

The Mississippi Department of Public Safety is aware of the situation and is monitoring it closely.

UPDATE (8:39 a.m.):

The plane is now located Northwest of New Albany, flying in that general direction from Tupelo.

UPDATE (8:21 a.m.):

Police have reopened roads in west Tupelo around the airport as the threat has shifted away from this area, at least temporarily.

UPDATE (8:12 a.m.):

An airport personnel with knowledge of the matter said that the plane has currently left Tupelo's airspace, but that could change within moments.

Law enforcement on the scene said the pilot is now flying near the Toyota plant in Blue Springs.

UPDATE (7:58 a.m.):

Here's what we know about the plane:

Model: 1987 Beech C90A (Fixed wing multi-engine — 9 seats / 2 engines)

Owner: Southeast Aviation, LLC | Oxford, MS, US

Serial number: LJ-1156

Fuel capacity: 3,149 pounds (at least five hours of fuel at max speed)

Police approximate that the plane took off between 5-5:30 a.m.

UPDATE (7:56 a.m.):

Police are closing all roads on the west side of Tupelo. 

Original Story:

Police are working to keep the public safe after the pilot of an airplane flying over Tupelo phoned in a threat early this morning.

At approximately 5 a.m. on Sept. 3, the pilot made contact with E911 and threatened to intentionally crash into Walmart on West Main Street. 

The Tupelo Police Department has worked with Walmart and nearby the Dodge's convenience store to evacuate customers and disperse those people as practically as possible. TPD has also been in talking directly with the pilot.

According to law enforcement, the plane is believed to be stolen.

The situation is ongoing as TPD and all Emergency Services remain alert.

Citizens are asked to avoid that area until the all clear is given. With the mobility of an airplane, the danger zone for this type of incident is much larger than Tupelo.

More information will be released when it's available. 













Piper PA-28-180, N3331R: Incident occurred August 18, 2022 and Accident occurred September 15, 2016

National Transportation Safety Board - Accident Number: CEN22LA399

Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Indianapolis, Indiana 

August 18, 2022:  Aircraft on landing and went off runway and nose gear collapsed at Sullivan County Airport (KSIV),  Indiana.


Date: 18-AUG-22
Time: 23:00:00Z
Regis#: N3331R
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: SULLIVAN
State: INDIANA

September 15, 2016








Aviation Accident Final Report - National Transportation Safety Board 

Investigator In Charge (IIC): Vanover, Jackie

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

Additional Participating Entities:
Victor Liberatore;  Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Des Plaines, Illinois

Investigation Docket - National Transportation Safety Board:


Location: Valparaiso, Indiana 
Accident Number: GAA16CA491
Date and Time: September 15, 2016, 15:30 Local
Registration: N3331R
Aircraft: Piper PA 28-180 
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Defining Event: Hard landing 
Injuries: 2 None
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General aviation - Personal

Analysis

The pilot reported that during the landing touchdown the airplane bounced on the main landing gear then nosed down and the propeller struck the ground.

The airplane sustained substantial damage to the engine mount.

The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Probable Cause and Findings

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be:
The pilot's improper landing flare, which resulted in a bounced landing.

Findings

Aircraft Landing flare - Not attained/maintained
Personnel issues Aircraft control - Pilot

Factual Information

History of Flight

Landing Hard landing (Defining event)

Pilot Information

Certificate: Private 
Age: 76,Male
Airplane Rating(s): Single-engine land 
Seat Occupied: Left
Other Aircraft Rating(s): None 
Restraint Used: Unknown
Instrument Rating(s): None 
Second Pilot Present: No
Instructor Rating(s): None
Toxicology Performed: No
Medical Certification: None None 
Last FAA Medical Exam: September 16, 2014
Occupational Pilot: No 
Last Flight Review or Equivalent:
Flight Time:

Pilot-rated passenger Information

Certificate: Commercial; Flight instructor 
Age: 68,Male
Airplane Rating(s): 
Seat Occupied: Right
Other Aircraft Rating(s): 
Restraint Used: Unknown
Instrument Rating(s):
Second Pilot Present: No
Instructor Rating(s): 
Toxicology Performed: No
Medical Certification: None Without waivers/limitations 
Last FAA Medical Exam: December 4, 1997
Occupational Pilot: Yes 
Last Flight Review or Equivalent: September 8, 2016
Flight Time:

Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information

Aircraft Make: Piper
Registration: N3331R
Model/Series: PA 28-180 180 
Aircraft Category: Airplane
Year of Manufacture: 1969
Amateur Built:
Airworthiness Certificate: Normal 
Serial Number: 28-5661
Landing Gear Type: Tricycle
Seats: 4
Date/Type of Last Inspection: August 15, 2015 100 hour 
Certified Max Gross Wt.: 2400 lbs
Time Since Last Inspection: 
Engines: 1 Reciprocating
Airframe Total Time: 6000 Hrs at time of accident
Engine Manufacturer: LYCOMING
ELT: Not installed Engine 
Model/Series: O-360-A2A
Registered Owner: 
Rated Power: 180 Horsepower
Operator: On file
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: KVPZ,770 ft msl
Distance from Accident Site: 0 Nautical Miles
Observation Time: 08:56 Local
Direction from Accident Site: 66°
Lowest Cloud Condition: Clear
Visibility 10 miles
Lowest Ceiling: None 
Visibility (RVR):
Wind Speed/Gusts: 3 knots /
Turbulence Type Forecast/Actual:  / None
Wind Direction: 50°
Turbulence Severity Forecast/Actual:  / N/A
Altimeter Setting: 30.23 inches Hg 
Temperature/Dew Point: 13°C / 12°C
Precipitation and Obscuration: No Obscuration; No Precipitation
Departure Point: Valparaiso, IN (VPZ)
Type of Flight Plan Filed: None
Destination: Valparaiso, IN (VPZ)
Type of Clearance: Unknown
Departure Time: 13:00 Local
Type of Airspace: Class G

Airport Information

Airport: PORTER COUNTY RGNL VPZ
Runway Surface Type: Asphalt
Airport Elevation: 770 ft msl 
Runway Surface Condition: Dry
Runway Used: 27 
IFR Approach: None
Runway Length/Width: 7001 ft / 150 ft
VFR Approach/Landing: Full stop; Traffic pattern

Wreckage and Impact Information

Crew Injuries: 1 None
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Passenger Injuries: 1 None 
Aircraft Fire: None
Ground Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Explosion: None
Total Injuries: 2 None
Latitude, Longitude: 41.45222,-87.008331(est)

September 15, 2016: Aircraft on landing sustained substantial damage at Porter County Regional Airport (KVPZ), Valparaiso, Indiana.

FAA Flight Standards District Office: FAA South Bend FSDO-17

Single Wingers Inc

Date: 15-SEP-16
Time: 20:30:00Z
Regis#: N3331R
Aircraft Make: PIPER
Aircraft Model: PA28
Event Type: Accident
Highest Injury: None
Damage: Substantial
Flight Phase: LANDING (LDG)
City: VALPARAISO
State: Indiana

Cessna 172L Skyhawk, N46202: Accident occurred August 28, 2022 in Olivet, Eaton County, Michigan

National Transportation Safety Board - Accident Number: CEN22LA398

Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Grand Rapids, Michigan 

Aircraft landed hard and flipped over. 


Date: 28-AUG-22
Time: 17:45:00Z
Regis#: N46202
Aircraft Make: CESSNA
Aircraft Model: 172
Event Type: ACCIDENT
Highest Injury: NONE
Aircraft Missing: No
Damage: SUBSTANTIAL
Activity: PERSONAL
Flight Phase: LANDING (LDG)
Operation: 91
City: OLIVET
State: MICHIGAN

Beech A36 Bonanza, N2270L: Accident occurred August 31, 2022 in Houghton Lake, Roscommon County, Michigan

National Transportation Safety Board - Accident Number: CEN22LA403

Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Grand Rapids, Michigan 

Aircraft front panel of engine fell off and landed in a field. 

JW Aviation LLC


Date: 31-AUG-22
Time: 20:51:00Z
Regis#: N2270L
Aircraft Make: BEECH
Aircraft Model: A36
Event Type: INCIDENT
Highest Injury: NONE
Aircraft Missing: No
Damage: UNKNOWN
Activity: PERSONAL
Flight Phase: EN ROUTE (ENR)
Operation: 91
City: HOUGHTON LAKE
State: MICHIGAN