Accidents and Incidents

Date Aircraft Type Narrative Death/Injury Remarks March 01, 2008 Key West, FL Diamond Aircraft Industries DA 20 N859MS The DA 20, N859MS, was substantially damaged during a ditching in the Atlantic Ocean. The flight originated at the Florida Keys Marathon Airport (MTH), Marathon, Florida, and was destined...

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Date	Aircraft Type	Narrative	Death/Injury	Remarks
March 01, 2008 Key West, FL	Diamond Aircraft Industries DA 20 N859MS	The DA 20, N859MS, was substantially damaged during a ditching in the Atlantic Ocean. The flight originated at the Florida Keys Marathon Airport (MTH), Marathon, Florida, and was destined for the Key West International Airport (EYW)	No injuries	After departure, the pilot climbed the airplane to an altitude of 8,000 feet and practiced steep turns. He then flew toward EYW, where he intended to practice touch-and-go landings. The pilot reduced the engine power to idle, and initiated a descent. When the airplane reached the traffic pattern altitude of 850 feet, the pilot leveled the airplane. He then advanced the throttle to increase the power; however, the engine did not respond. The propeller continued to turn momentarily and then stopped completely. The pilot could not restart the engine. He reported a "mayday" to air traffic control.
March 02, 2008 Lincoln Park, NJ	Cessna 172SP N107MA	The certificated flight instructor said the purpose of the flight was local air work practice, followed by takeoff and landing practice.	No injuries	In landing, the airplane did not appear to be slowing, so the CFI attempted to go around. He applied power and pulled back on the yoke in an attempt to take off, then saw the airport perimeter fence approaching, and felt a "jolt". The left main landing gear impacted the airport perimeter fence off the departure end of runway 1, then the airplane impacted a guardrail, and came to rest inverted on an adjacent road.
March 02, 2008 Dayton, TN	Cessna 140 N3536V	The pilot was practicing crosswind landings. During the landing attempt, he flared the airplane "too soon." The airplane bounced hard on the runway, and began to bank left. The pilot corrected with aileron and rudder, and the airplane tracked to the right.	No injuries	The left main landing gear made contact with the runway, and separated from the airframe. The propeller, fuselage belly, and left wingtip contacted the runway surface, and the airplane came to rest.
March 05, 2008 San Antonio, TX	Piper PA-28R-200 N41517	The private pilot was asked to perform a power off 180 degree accuracy landing as part of the practical test for a commercial pilot certification.	No injuries	The landing approach appeared normal according to the designated pilot examiner onboard, until approximately five seconds before touchdown. At that point the airplane rate of decent increased to approximately 1000 feet per minute and the airspeed slowed below 75 miles per hour and the airplane "dropped onto the runway."
March 06, 2008 West Chester, PA	Rockwell 112TCA N4623W	The aircraft was substantially damaged when it overran runway 27 after aborting a takeoff from Brandywine Airport (OQN)	No injuries	The pilot initiated a takeoff by advancing the throttle and releasing the brakes once he observed 30 inches on the manifold pressure (MP) gauge. At approximately 65 knots and 40 inches MP, the pilot exerted aft pressure on the control column to lift off, but the airplane did "not feel right."
March 10, 2008 Mercury, NV	Cessna 402C N594DM	The Cessna 402 experienced a complete loss of engine power during cruise flight, and made a forced gear up landing at Desert Rock Airport (DRA).	No injuries	During cruise flight at 15,000 feet, the pilot observed that the right fuel gage was declining, followed by a loss of power. He switched the fuel tank selector to the cross-feed position, but he was unable to restart the right engine. He secured the right engine, and shortly thereafter, the left engine quit.
March 11, 2008 Spartanburg, SC	Cessna 180 N1044Y	The Cessna 180 was substantially damaged while landing at Spartanburg Downtown Memorial Airport (SPA).	Injuries: unavail	As the pilot flared for touchdown, the accident airplane was "pushed hard" to the right, the right main landing gear touched down, the airplane bounced, and "threw to the left hard." The left wing then made ground contact and the airplane ground looped.
March 13, 2008 Wilmington, NC	Robinson R22 Beta II, N2215R	The R22 was substantially damaged during a forced landing in Wilmington.	1 fatality	The helicopter appeared to be just above the top of a billboard sign. The witness stated that she "saw parts shedding to the south then [it] started to reverse direction". The witness then lost sight of the helicopter behind the roof of a building and observed smoke.
March 13, 2008 Middlesboro, KY	Cessna150 N6615F	The Cessna 150F was substantially damaged during a collision with utility wires, while maneuvering near Middlesboro.	1 serious injury	The airplane had not been operated for approximately six months, while undergoing unspecified maintenance work on the engine. The accident flight was the first flight after the work was completed. Witnesses reported that the airplane had been flying for about 10 minutes, when it struck utility wires during low flight.
March 16, 2008 Wildwood, FL	Cessna 182B, C-FFBC (Canada)	The Cessna 182B crashede into a swamp while maneuvering in the vicinity of Wildwood, on a private ranch.	2 fatalities	A witness looked out the window towards the west, the ceilings were between 800 to 1000 feet, and it was dark with very little ambient light. He observed the airplane flying from the west to the east, and the navigation and landing lights were on. The airplane appeared to be near the base of the clouds, and it passed north of his house and started a turn to the north. The airplane disappeared from view and he did not hear any change in engine noise.
March 16, 2008 Atkins, VA	Mooney M20C C-FRSK (Canada)	The M20C was destroyed when it impacted terrain in the Jefferson National Forest,	2 fatalities	The airplane was in cruise flight, at 6,200 feet, the minimum sector altitude (MSA) for that location, when the pilot reported airframe icing and requested a lower altitude. However, because of the MSA, the controller gave the pilot a 30-degree left turn. The pilot climbed to 8,000 feet. About three minutes later, the pilot advised the controller that he was losing altitude.
March 18, 2008 Las Vegas, NM	Robinson R22 BETA, N3055N	The R22 registered to Pacific Rim Aviation and operated by Premier Helicopters was substantially damaged when it impacted terrain following a loss of engine power during a practice autorotation at Las Vegas Municipal Airport (LVS)	No injuries	The pilots were "en route to Arizona for a checkride." They were planning to land at LVS for fuel. They decided to make a practice 180-degree autorotation to landing. When the helicopter was approximately 300 feet above the ground, they added power but the engine did not respond.
March 18, 2008 Mesa, AZ	Cessna 150L N19521	The Cessna 150L collided with trees during a forced landing at Mesa.	No injuries	The CFI reported that he and the student were in the pattern performing touch-and-go landings. On the third takeoff, the airplane climbed to a few hundred feet, and then the engine sputtered. It did not produce enough power to maintain flight.
March 18, 2008 Winslow, AZ	Jenkins RV-7A, N742MJ	The experimental airplane collided with terrain at Winslow.	1 fatality	Witnesses reported that this was the second flight for the airplane, and the first since an engine repair. On takeoff, the airplane climbed to a nose high attitude, rolled left, and then went nose low straight into the ground.
March 20, 2008 Waxhaw, NC	Cirrus SR22, N615WM	The Cirrus SR22 registered to Manning Companies, collided with trees while on approach to runway 06 at the Aero Plantation Airport in Weddington, NC	1 fatality	The airplane was observed crossing mid-field over the airport at about 800 feet, agl. Witnesses hear the pilot transmit on the UNICOM frequency that he was turning base to final for runway 06. This was the last communication received from the pilot.
March 22, 2008 Maryland	USAirways Boeing 757-200	Flight 1250 was enroute from Orlando to Philadelphia when a panel detached from the left upper wing.	No injuries	The composite panel struck the side of the plane, causing minor damage to the fuselage and cracking the outer pane of a cabin window in row 19.
March 24, 2008 Venice, FL	Piper Warrior	After takeoff from Venice Municipal Airport in a rented plane from Florida Flight Training Center, the former military pilot and insurance agent crashed into the Gulf of Mexico.	One fatality	Anglers saw the plane nose-dive into the water, ending the night flight. The pilot had just started flying again after years of inactivity. The medical examiner said there were no signs of a heart attack or other medical event.
March 24, 2008 LAX Airport	Boeing 747-400	Qantas Flight 12 bound for Australia blows four tires while aborting takeoff.	No injuries	The pilot aborted takeoff after a warning light came on as he took the Boeing 747-400 down the runway. The tires blew when the pilot jammed on the brakes. The plane came to rest on an adjacent runway.
March 25, 2008 Dhaka Bangladesh	Boeing 747-300 Saudi Arabian Airlines Flight SV810	The number 3 engine catches fire during landing at Zia International.		Over 300 passenges and crew evacuated through emergency exits. The aircraft was leased from air Atlanta.