The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association Air Safety\nInstitute (ASI) released new video from its Early Analysis series providing an\ninitial examination of a recent tragic accident involving a light sport\naircraft in Santa Monica and of a tragic accident that took place on September\n18, 2022, at the Reno Air Races.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On Sept. 8, 2022, a PiperSport crashed at the Santa Monica\nMunicipal Airport (KSMO) in Santa Monica, California. The accident caused the\nairplane to catch fire. No one on the ground was injured. Sadly, the\ncertificated flight instructor and the student pilot died in the accident.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The flight had departed the Santa Monica Municipal Airport\non what appears to have been a 30-minute discovery flight along the coastline\nbefore returning to SMO.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIn Early Analysis: N126WK, the AOPA Air Safety Institute\nwants to help pilots understand what is known about the accident as we look at\nfactors that are likely to be a subject of the investigation by the National\nTransportation Safety Board (NTSB),” said AOPA’s ASI senior vice president\nRichard McSpadden.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
McSpadden continued, \u201cLight sport aircraft are highly pitch\nsensitive and the PiperSport pitched up aggressively before it spiraled into\nthe ground. The accident sequence may have started from the PiperSport\nencountering disturbed air from a departing Beechcraft King Air.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAnother possibility is based on ATC audio of the\nPiperSport\u2019s cockpit communications. From that audio it appears that someone\nmay have panicked and pulled back the stick aggressively during final approach\nto land,\u201d said McSpadden.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Early Analysis videos provide an initial assessment of\nprominent mishaps that generate large public interest and may indicate\nimportant safety lessons for the general aviation community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
View the video here. https:\/\/www.aopa.org\/training-and-safety\/online-learning\/early-analysis\/KSMO-TrainingAccident<\/a>\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n Early Analysis on Jet Crash at Reno Air Races <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n An Aero Vodochody L\u201329 Super Delfin crashed at the Stihl\nNational Championship Air Races in Reno, Nevada. No injuries on the ground were\nreported. Sadly, air race competitor and 2021 Rookie of the Year Aaron Hogue\nwas killed in the accident.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIn Early Analysis: Jet Crash at Reno Air Races, the AOPA\nAir Safety Institute wants to help pilots understand what is known about the\naccident. We look at factors that are likely to be the subject of an\ninvestigation by the National Transportation Safety Board,\u201d said AOPA’s ASI\nSenior Vice President Richard McSpadden.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The L-29 was in a tight competition for the overall trophy\nduring the final heat of the Jet Gold race. In between Outer Pylons 4 and 5,\nthe pilot initiated an unusual right-hand turn. He rolled out of the turn and\nbegan climbing to the outside of the track, then reversed to the left. The\npilot appeared to attempt to reenter the race, pulling hard left, which was\nthen followed by a relaxing of the turn and a continuous descent into the\ndesert floor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n McSpadden added that, \u201cThe pilot may have experienced\nG-induced loss of consciousness (G-LOC) that is impacted by factors such as\nfatigue, dehydration, nutrition, and fitness level. In addition, G-tolerance\nvaries from day to day and can change in flight,\u201d he concluded. \u201cHis hard turn\nfollowed by a relaxing of the turn and steady descent to the crash is a classic\nG-LOC profile. Or perhaps there was some type of structural issue that\nprevented full control of the airplane. We\u2019ll watch the NTSB carefully to see\nwhat they can determine as the cause.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Early Analysis videos provide an initial assessment of\nprominent mishaps that generate large public interest and may provide important\nsafety lessons for the general aviation community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n View the video here. https:\/\/www.aopa.org\/training-and-safety\/online-learning\/early-analysis\/n129mm<\/a>\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n