The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association Air Safety Institute (ASI) released new video from its Early Analysis series providing an initial examination of a recent tragic accident involving a light sport aircraft in Santa Monica and of a tragic accident that took place on September 18, 2022, at the Reno Air Races.
On Sept. 8, 2022, a PiperSport crashed at the Santa Monica Municipal Airport (KSMO) in Santa Monica, California. The accident caused the airplane to catch fire. No one on the ground was injured. Sadly, the certificated flight instructor and the student pilot died in the accident.
The flight had departed the Santa Monica Municipal Airport on what appears to have been a 30-minute discovery flight along the coastline before returning to SMO.
“In Early Analysis: N126WK, the AOPA Air Safety Institute wants to help pilots understand what is known about the accident as we look at factors that are likely to be a subject of the investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB),” said AOPA’s ASI senior vice president Richard McSpadden.
McSpadden continued, “Light sport aircraft are highly pitch sensitive and the PiperSport pitched up aggressively before it spiraled into the ground. The accident sequence may have started from the PiperSport encountering disturbed air from a departing Beechcraft King Air.”
“Another possibility is based on ATC audio of the PiperSport’s cockpit communications. From that audio it appears that someone may have panicked and pulled back the stick aggressively during final approach to land,” said McSpadden.
Early Analysis videos provide an initial assessment of prominent mishaps that generate large public interest and may indicate important safety lessons for the general aviation community.
View the video here. https://www.aopa.org/training-and-safety/online-learning/early-analysis/KSMO-TrainingAccident
Early Analysis on Jet Crash at Reno Air Races
An Aero Vodochody L–29 Super Delfin crashed at the Stihl National Championship Air Races in Reno, Nevada. No injuries on the ground were reported. Sadly, air race competitor and 2021 Rookie of the Year Aaron Hogue was killed in the accident.
“In Early Analysis: Jet Crash at Reno Air Races, the AOPA Air Safety Institute wants to help pilots understand what is known about the accident. We look at factors that are likely to be the subject of an investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board,” said AOPA’s ASI Senior Vice President Richard McSpadden.
The L-29 was in a tight competition for the overall trophy during the final heat of the Jet Gold race. In between Outer Pylons 4 and 5, the pilot initiated an unusual right-hand turn. He rolled out of the turn and began climbing to the outside of the track, then reversed to the left. The pilot appeared to attempt to reenter the race, pulling hard left, which was then followed by a relaxing of the turn and a continuous descent into the desert floor.
McSpadden added that, “The pilot may have experienced G-induced loss of consciousness (G-LOC) that is impacted by factors such as fatigue, dehydration, nutrition, and fitness level. In addition, G-tolerance varies from day to day and can change in flight,” he concluded. “His hard turn followed by a relaxing of the turn and steady descent to the crash is a classic G-LOC profile. Or perhaps there was some type of structural issue that prevented full control of the airplane. We’ll watch the NTSB carefully to see what they can determine as the cause.”
Early Analysis videos provide an initial assessment of prominent mishaps that generate large public interest and may provide important safety lessons for the general aviation community.
View the video here. https://www.aopa.org/training-and-safety/online-learning/early-analysis/n129mm
View other Early Analysis videos here. https://www.aopa.org/training-and-safety/online-learning/early-analysis
