Across

1 Makers of the world’s largest cargo aircraft, the AN-225

5 8-track tape inventor

7 Raw metal

10 Mass times acceleration

11 Some FADEC planes have just one

12 No fly ___

13 Iron symbol

14 Kind of cockpit David Clark aims to fix

16 NAA trophy honoring the top achievements in aerospace over the past year

18 Word before jets and after cargo

19 Avoid’s other half

20 Hyundai’s air taxi company now in partnership with Miami

23 Often said to be “the thing”

25 Brand that’s part of Textron Aviation  

28 Escape ___ 

29 Device that converts chemical energy into mechanical energy

31 Air missions or airmen?

32 According to Gemini astronauts, what spam goes in

33 What the laser did to the cockpit

34 Modernized with the latest features

Down

1 Aircraft radio navigation system that senses and indicates the direction of a ground transmitter, abbr.

2 Jet engine, example

3 Opposite of SSW

4 Developer of emerging eVTOL

5 Straight’s other half

6 Invisibility element of lift

8 City associated with aviation speed

9 Notify

13 Sense that “seat of the pants” describes

14 Technically, not the conventional type

15 Pilots say “affirmative” instead of this

17 ___ pinch, 2 words

21 What you need to do when the controller says “immediately”

22 Short for an IFR go-around

24  Complicated FAA time of day

26 In no way

27 Change to meet changing circumstances

30 Cold in the air

31 Microsleep

32 Element symbol or texting shortcut for bye-bye 

The post August 2022 Crossword Key appeared first on Plane & Pilot Magazine.

Across

1 Plane with a giant balloon-like forward fuselage

9 Airport screening gp

10 American Navy ship intro

12 Airport lighting facility to enable a correct glide path, abbr.

13 Some say this will replace pilot judgment, abbr.

14 Pilots might call their A320 this

15 Hot or cold drink

17 Equipment the FAA is ordering the Piper PA-12 and PA-14 to replace

21 Acronym for the speed at which the rotation of the aircraft should be initiated to takeoff attitude

22 Add up

23 Military rank, abbr.

25 Lockheed’s amped-up model 

28 Sister company to Beechcraft

29 Starter plane for military pilots, abbr.

31 Hawaiian wreath

32 Udvar-Hazy Air and Space Museum locale

34 One of the capabilities of the Lockheed Martin F-22

36 License is one

38 “___ Gun” film

39 Innovative plane of 2021, ____ DA50 RG

Down

1 Flight school opening a new flight training facility just outside Pittsburgh

2 29.92 is standard for this, abbr.

3 Very fast

4 Toward the sky

5 Airship

6 Testing area

7 Sudden burst of wind

8 Oakland baseball guys

11 New utility from Garmin that helps you reach a safe landing even if your engine has quit, 2 words

16 Evolution, abbr.

18 ET’s ride, abbr.

19 Watch closely

20 What a pilot does to the altimeter

22 Pilot’s best friend

23 Pilot’s compartment

24 Fails to retain

26 Depart

27 Air Force Auxiliary, abbr.

30 Supercharged engine

33 Oddly, the “R” in RNAV

35 Landing spot

37 A can __ person

The post July 2022 Crossword Key appeared first on Plane & Pilot Magazine.

Marana, Arizona

Injuries: 1

The solo student pilot reported that, while en route to the nontowered airport, she obtained local weather and reported on the common traffic advisory frequency that she would be entering the downwind for runway 30. Another pilot in the traffic pattern reported that they were using runway 12, so the student turned the airplane 180° to enter the downwind for runway 12. She added that, during the landing roll, she applied brakes and attempted to turn right off the runway, but the “speed was still high.” She realized that she would not be able to make the turn, so she attempted to turn left back onto the runway. Subsequently, the airplane skidded off the runway to the right and impacted a taxiway sign. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing. The deputy safety officer of the flight school reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The airport’s automated weather observation station reported that, about 5 minutes before the accident, the wind was from 350° at 4 knots. The student landed the airplane on runway 12.

Probable cause(s): The student pilot’s excessive taxi speed during a turn from the runway to a taxiway, which resulted in a runway excursion and collision with a taxiway sign.

Note: The report republished here is from the NTSB and is printed verbatim and in its complete form.

The post Diamond DA40 Accident in Marana, Arizona appeared first on Plane & Pilot Magazine.

Kalaupapa, Hawaii

Injuries: 2 Minor

The pilot of the commuter airplane reported that she was going to establish an approach and landing on runway 05 at an airport with a single runway and no taxiways. While on a 7-mile final, she communicated with the pilot of an airplane that was on short final for the same airport. The pilot that was on short final reported that he would report when he was clear of the runway, and he did. The commuter pilot acknowledged the other pilot’s clear-of-runway transmission and initiated the approach. As the pilot began the transition to land, she noticed that the airplane that she had communicated with was not clear of the runway. The airplane on the ground was near the runway 23 numbers with the propeller turning facing toward her landing airplane. She aborted the landing, but the airplane did not climb. The airplane impacted the runway hard and bounced. She reported that, when the airplane touched down after the bounce, she “applied left rudder pedal to steer the aircraft off the runway and out of the way of the other aircraft’s possible flight path.” The airplane exited the left side of the runway and ground-looped to the left. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right side of the fuselage and the right wing. Markings on the runway show the propeller struck the runway multiple times in a low pitch configuration before it became feathered. After the groundloop, the pilot of the airplane near the runway 23 numbers attempted to take off. He was contacted via radio transmission by the airport manager and told that the runway was closed until further notice. According to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) safety inspector, the FAA’s postaccident examination of the accident airplane determined that there were no preimpact mechanical anomalies with the airplane that would have prevented normal operation.

Probable cause(s): The pilot’s attempted aborted landing late in the landing sequence because she saw another airplane on the runway facing her with its propeller turning, which resulted in a hard landing, a subsequent loss of directional control, and ground loop. 

Note: The report republished here is from the NTSB and is printed verbatim and in its complete form.

The post Cessna 208 Caravan Crash In Hawaii appeared first on Plane & Pilot Magazine.

Across

1 “Airstrip” used for the High Sierra Fly-In in 2021, 2 words

5 ____ Warrior, a plane whose value doubled in the last 2 years

8 Around 6% of pilots use this pronoun

9 Aerial stunt maneuvers

11 When ATC asks for it, you give them this, abbr.

12 ___ Grande

13 Tiny helicopter used on NASA’s mission to Mars

16 Your way, abbr.

18 Chopper’s blade

19 Operate

20 80, 100 and 100LL are all aviation examples of this

22 The angle between the aircraft heading and the aircraft track

24 It keeps volume down when no signal is being received to limit background noise

27 Awful creature in “The Lord of The Rings”

28 Incident

30 Watch closely

31 ___plane: it can take off from and land in water

32 It’s used for joining metals

33 Day-to-day worker, briefly

Down

1 TBM 910 maker

2 Subject of some FAA directives

3 Most prestigious award in aviation, won by Garmin for its Autoland development

4 Journalist’s question

5 Important factor in navigation, abbr.

6 Introducing fuel into an internal combustion engine prior to starting it

7 Dangerous

10 ____-ignition

14 The heart of the attitude indicator

15 The N in NDB

17 The flip side of “from”

18 Vertical movable control surface in the tail section or empennage of a plane

21 Lug around

23 Word before “air temperature” and after “grand”

25 Ship title, abbr.

26 In the FAA’s view, a plane with an MTOW of greater than 12,500 lbs.

29 “New” prefix

The post June 2022 Crossword Key appeared first on Plane & Pilot Magazine.

Williams, Arizona

Injuries: 1 Minor

The pilot reported that, during an uphill takeoff into ascending terrain, about 4,000 ft down the 6,000-ft long runway and at 80 knots, he rotated the airplane and stayed in ground effect to gain airspeed. He began pulling back to establish a climb, but the stall warning horn sounded, so he reduced the pitch attitude. He added that he “constantly attempted” to pitch up until he heard the stall horn. At the end of the runway, he retracted the landing gear, but it did not affect the airplane’s performance. He reported that he knew the airplane had attained a positive climb rate but did not know the specific value. He then saw that the airplane was going to strike a tree, so he pulled back hard, but the airplane struck the tree and then impacted terrain. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The airport’s automated weather observation station reported that, about 9 minutes after the accident, the wind was calm, temperature 50°F, dew point 3°F, and an altimeter setting of 30.41 inches of mercury. The airplane departed from runway 18. The airport elevation was about 6,691 ft mean sea level (msl). Runway 18 was 6,000 ft by 100 ft with a 1.0% up gradient. The calculated density altitude was 7,128 ft. The calculated takeoff distance with flaps up was 2,442 ft, and the takeoff distance over a 50-ft obstacle was 4,440 ft. The calculated climb rate was 670 ft per minute. The airplane was equipped with additional tip tanks per a supplemental type certificate, which increased the allowable maximum gross weight to 3,833 lbs. The pilot reported that the airplane’s weight at the time of the accident was 3,797 lbs with a center of gravity of 80.7 inches, which was near the forward center of gravity limit.

The pilot added that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector estimated that the tree was 35 to 40 ft tall. The FAA inspector provided an on-scene picture, which included the elevation and latitude and longitude coordinates for the accident site. The elevation was 6,716 ft msl, and based on the coordinates, about 0.4 mile from the end of the runway. 

Probable cause(s): The pilot’s failure to attain a sufficient climb rate during initial climb in high-density altitude conditions with the airplane near its forward center of gravity and maximum gross weight limits, which resulted in an impact with trees.

Note: The report republished here is from the NTSB and is printed verbatim and in its complete form.

The post Beech 36 Bonanza Crash In Williams, Arizona appeared first on Plane & Pilot Magazine.

Warrenton, Georgia

Injuries: 1

The pilot was attempting to land the airplane on a private, 950-ft-long turf airstrip. The airplane was high during the first two attempts to land, and the pilot initiated a go-around each time. During the third attempt, the airplane was traveling too fast, and it touched down near the mid-point of the runway and bounced. The airplane then departed the end of the of the runway and impacted trees. The pilot was seriously injured, and the airplane was destroyed.

Probable cause(s): The pilot’s failure to attain the proper touchdown point which resulted in a runway overrun and collision with trees.

Note: The report republished here is from the NTSB and is printed verbatim and in its complete form.

The post Cessna 180 Skywagon Crash in Warrenton, Georgia appeared first on Plane & Pilot Magazine.

Valkaria, Florida

Injuries: 1 Serious

The pilot stated that, shortly after takeoff on a local test flight of the experimental, amateur-built airplane, the engine surged, with a corresponding fuel pressure fluctuation. Because the engine was developing partial power, he elected to return to the airport for landing, but while on the base leg of the airport traffic pattern, the engine lost total power. The airplane subsequently impacted a small retention pond and came to rest partially submerged in water. Postaccident examination of the engine revealed damage to the Nos. 2 and 5 cast aluminum pistons consistent with detonation. The fuel pumps and engine control unit were operationally tested with no discrepancies reported. Inspection of the cooling system components revealed no evidence of pre-impact failure or malfunction, and no evidence of warpage of the cylinder heads was observed. The owner reported continuing engine overheating problems that occurred at sustained “moderate” power settings, which he was unable to correct despite extensive troubleshooting efforts including rerouting of the coolant reservoir. Although he believed he was operating the engine with a rich fuel-to-air ratio, when compared to an identical airplane that was operating successfully, the accident engine was being operated in a lean fuel-to-air ratio at all power settings (500 to 5,000 in 250 rpm increments). This finding was consistent with the pilot’s report of overheating at sustained moderate power settings.

Probable cause(s): The partial, then total, loss of engine power due to detonation and associated damage to several pistons as a result of an overly lean fuel-to-air ratio.

Note: The report republished here is from the NTSB and is printed verbatim and in its complete form.

The post Titan T51 Crash in Valkaria, Florida appeared first on Plane & Pilot Magazine.

Chesaning, Michigan
Injuries: 1 Fatal

The pilot departed on a personal flight about 10 minutes before the accident. According to a witness, the pilot was conducting touch-and-go landings at the airport when the engine “cut out” and the airplane went “straight down.” Two other witnesses described a steep bank or a sharp turn before the airplane descended at a steep angle and impacted the ground and then a building. The pilot was fatally injured. Ground scars at the accident site and damage to the airplane were consistent with a left-wing-low attitude and the engine operating at high power at the time of impact. The airplane’s steep bank and descent at a steep angle were consistent with a loss of control. The examination of the airplane and engine revealed no mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operations. Toxicology testing revealed the pilot was using a combination of phenobarbital and phenytoin at the time of the accident. Although these drugs can cause various impairing symptoms, the type of impairment that these drugs cause is unlikely to lead to a sudden loss of control. Both drugs can be used to prevent seizures in patients with epilepsy. Although a seizure or other neurologic event causing sudden incapacitation could have occurred without leaving autopsy evidence, there was not enough available information to indicate that the pilot had an increased risk of such an event. Thus, the investigation could not determine, based on the available information, whether the pilot’s loss of airplane control was related to a medical issue. 

Probable cause(s): The pilot’s loss of airplane control for reasons that could not be determined based on the available information.

Note: The report republished here is from the NTSB and is printed verbatim and in its complete form.

The post Cessna 172 Hawk XP Crash in Chesaning, Michigan appeared first on Plane & Pilot Magazine.

Milton, Florida
Injuries: 1

The pilot/owner was conducting a no-flap landing in the multiengine airplane. The pilot stated that the left main landing gear brake failed on rollout, and the airplane then overran the end of the 3,701-foot-long runway. The left wing struck part of the runway’s lighting system, which resulted in substantial damage to the airplane’s left wing. A witness stated that the airplane landed with at a high speed and touched down at/about midfield. A cursory examination of the airplane’s brakes following the accident revealed no evidence of any preaccident mechanical malfunctions for failures that would have precluded normal operation. Review of the airplane’s maintenance records revealed that the airplane did not have a current annual inspection. Further, the pilot did not hold a multi-engine rating for airplanes, did maintain a personal flight logbook, did not have an endorsement documenting a flight review (or other equivalent proficiency) within the preceding 24 calendar months. Based on the pilot’s lack of certification to operate multiengine airplane and proof of recent flight history, he was likely not proficient in operating the airplane. Further, he likely landed long and fast with insufficient runway remaining to slow down, which resulted in the runway overrun. 

Probable cause(s): The pilot’s failure to attain a proper touchdown point and his landing with a high approach speed, which resulted in a runway overrun.

Note: The report republished here is from the NTSB and is printed verbatim and in its complete form.

The post Piper PA23 Aztec Crash In Milton, Florida appeared first on Plane & Pilot Magazine.