Piper PA-46 N85PG In-Flight Breakup, Westwind N1125A Crash + Other NTSB Reports

Piper PA-46 N85PG In-Flight Breakup, Westwind N1125A Crash + Other NTSB Reports

Max Trescott and Rob Mark review a new NTSB recommendations for the FAA’s Runway Condition Assessment Matrix [https://www.ntsb.gov/news/press-releases/Pages/NR20260526.aspx] after wet-runway overruns showed that heavy rain can sharply reduce braking effectiveness. Brought to you by AVEMCO [https://avemco.com/ntsbnewstalk] aircraft insurance. Support Rob and Max by making a donation at Patreon.com [https://www.patreon.com/ntsbnewstalk] The episode then turns to several recent and preliminary accidents, including a Piper PA-28 N7188W loss-of-control crash [https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/570418] at Akron-Fulton Airport, a Piper PA-32 Saratoga N5802N accident [https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/570546] southwest of Empire, Nevada, a Diamond DA40 N787PV [https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/570588] crash west of Elko, Nevada, and a North American AT-6 N29678 formation-flight crash [https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/202814/pdf] near Bronson, Florida. The final reports include three major lessons. In a Piper PA-28 N8438B crash [https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/194014/pdf] at Muncie, Indiana, an instrument flight in an airplane not properly inspected for IFR ended in spatial disorientation after off-course maneuvering in IMC. In the IAI Westwind N1125A crash [https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/193906/pdf] at Hot Springs, Virginia, the crew continued an unstabilized approach with altimeter, FMS, automation, and crew resource management problems. Finally, the Piper PA-46 N85PG in-flight breakup [https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/194574/pdf] near Trout Creek, New York, shows the danger of continuing into convective weather, turbulence, and IMC while hand-flying.

Frontier A321 Accident, Cessna 421C Pickleball Crash & More

Max Trescott and Rob Mark discuss several recent aviation accidents and new NTSB reports, beginning with a tragic Frontier Airlines A321 accident [https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/570193] at Denver International Airport, where a man entered the runway environment and was struck during takeoff. The crew rejected the takeoff at high speed, the right engine caught fire, and multiple passengers reported minor injuries. Brought to you by AVEMCO [https://avemco.com/ntsbnewstalk] aircraft insurance. Support Rob and Max by making a donation at Patreon.com [https://www.patreon.com/ntsbnewstalk] The episode then examines the fatal crash of Cessna 421C N291AN [https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/202915/pdf] near Wimberley, Texas. The aircraft was carrying people reportedly traveling to a pickleball tournament when it crashed at night in IMC with thunderstorms in the area. The pilot reportedly told ATC that the pitot heat had iced up, that the airplane was on backup gauges, and that pitot heat was not working. Max and Rob also discuss other accidents include Cirrus SR22 N39VF [https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/202898/pdf], which deployed CAPS and was later dragged by the parachute across fields, fences, and a highway; Cessna 401B N122AT [https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/202843/pdf], which crashed after takeoff before reaching blue line speed; Beech 58 Baron N2063G [https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/202813/pdf] during an instrument proficiency check; a King Air 300 [https://www.wftv.com/news/local/10-rescued-plane-crash-off-floridas-coast/3FEYEFK6TBEE5HY7QHFTLOJERA/] ditching in the Atlantic; a Quad City Challenger ultralight [https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/202584/pdf] issue; and Cessna 152 N588BR [https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/202600/pdf] fuel exhaustion.

LaGuardia Runway Collision, Challenger 600 Dual Engine Flameout, and More NTSB Accident Reports

Max Trescott and Rob Mark analyze the LaGuardia runway collision involving Jazz Flight 646 and an airport firetruck [https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/202674/pdf] that was cleared to cross runway 4 shortly before the landing regional jet arrived. The discussion focuses on the timing of the crossing clearance, repeated stop instructions, the movement of the firetruck, and the runway entrance lights that extinguished just seconds before impact. Max explains how runway status lights, runway entrance lights, anticipated separation, and ASDE-X are intended to work, and why that design logic may have failed when a moving firetruck reached the runway edge. Brought to you by AVEMCO [https://avemco.com/ntsbnewstalk] aircraft insurance. Support Rob and Max by making a donation at Patreon.com [https://www.patreon.com/ntsbnewstalk] The episode also examines the final report on Bombardier Challenger 600 N823KD [https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/193769/pdf], which crashed on Interstate 75 near Naples, Florida after both GE CF34-3B turbofan engines flamed out. The NTSB cited corrosion in the engines’ variable geometry systems, which led to near-simultaneous compressor stalls and loss of thrust. Additional accidents include Mooney M20J N1151H [https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/569308] near Union County Airport, Mooney M20J N205MK [https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/569291] near Ironton, Ohio, Beech F-33A Bonanza N8032X [https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/569593] at Minneapolis Crystal Airport, Bell 206 N409AE [https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/569808] in Tennessee, Beech A36 Bonanza N2882W [https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/202675/pdf ] near Olympic Valley, Beech Super King Air B200GT N886DS [https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/202673/pdf ] near Sharp, Louisiana, Globe GC-1B N2387B [https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/193869/pdf] near Afton, MN and Extra 300L N22MW [https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/194296/pdf] near Bandera, Washington. Finally, they talk about N2387B, a Globe GC-1B [https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/193869/pdf] that crashed while in a flat spin.

Piper Seminole Crash, Cirrus SR22 Hard Landing, Mooney Door-Pop Spin

Max talks with Rob Mark about a dense lineup of recent accidents and final reports, led by the Piper PA-44 Seminole N595ND [https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/194006/pdf] crash in Fort Pierce, Florida, the Cirrus SR22 N124SP [https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/569093] hard landing [https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/569093] in St. Paul, Minnesota, and the Mooney M20K N4387W [https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/194230/pdf ] stall-spin in St. Augustine, Florida, after a cabin door popped open shortly after takeoff. They also examine the Beech 58 Baron N2063G [https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/569108] crash in Tennessee, which appears consistent with a VMC demo that turned into a stall-spin, the Sling N166TW [https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/568993] crash [https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/568993] on Catalina Island after apparent low-level terrain maneuvering, and the Piper Saratoga N4190E [https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/568966 ] runway overrun [https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/568966 ] in Arizona after an excessively fast approach. Brought to you by AVEMCO [https://avemco.com/ntsbnewstalk] aircraft insurance. Support Rob and Max by making a donation at Patreon.com [https://www.patreon.com/ntsbnewstalk] In the final-report segment, they break down how distraction likely contributed to the Mooney M20K N4387W [https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/194230/pdf] crash, why the Piper PA-44 Seminole N595ND [https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/194006/pdf] shows the danger of trying to salvage a one-engine go-around in a light twin, and how Cessna 172P N781FM [https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/199758/pdf] likely lost power because of carb ice during a low-power descent. They close with one of the strangest cases in the episode: a damaged battery pack that later ignited and destroyed Mooney M20E N5632Q [https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/194155/pdf] in Hornell, NY. A brief additional mention covers a separate Cirrus SR22 N285AH [https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/569145] that departed the runway in Fullerton, California after the pilot seat slid back on takeoff.

Cirrus CAPS Save, Go-Around Stall, Advisory Glidepath Trap

Max Trescott and Rob Mark talk about how pilots get into trouble when they misunderstand instrument procedures, mishandle a go-around, or make shockingly poor decisions on the ground and in the air. They open with Max’s unusual call from the NTSB, which asked him to discuss advisory glidepath guidance, the “+V” vertical path shown on some nonprecision approaches. That leads to a sharp discussion of why advisory glidepaths can become traps when pilots confuse LNAV+V or LP+V with true precision-style guidance and fail to respect MDA limits. Garmin has also released a new Service Alert [https://atlaske-content.garmin.com/filestorage//email/outbound/attachments/26027A_Time1773409330610.pdf] on +V glide paths. Brought to you by AVEMCO [https://avemco.com/ntsbnewstalk] aircraft insurance. Support Rob and Max by making a donation at Patreon.com [https://www.patreon.com/ntsbnewstalk] The team first discusses a recent accident in which the pilot of N58544, a Cessna 182 [https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/568608], took off from York, PA with at tow bar attached. Rob and Max share what they teach student pilots about the handling of tow bars to avoid these kinds of mishaps. They then examine two preliminary reports. In Gulf Shores, Alabama, Beech A36 Bonanza N66519 [https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/202614/pdf] crashes on approach in weather near minimums after weak radio reception, missed vectors, and a breakdown during the final phase of flight. Near Hartsburg, Missouri, Piper PA-46 Malibu Mirage N451MA [https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/194102/pdf] breaks up in severe weather after entering a steep descending turn. The final reports are just as revealing. Cirrus SR22 N272HM [https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/202220/pdf] near Lake Elsinore, California becomes a success story when the pilot, task-saturated in IMC, wisely pulls CAPS and survives. Cirrus SR20 N1108T [https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/193867/pdf] in Key Largo, Florida stalls during a go-around after the flaps are retracted too quickly. The episode also includes a drunk CFI’s VFR-into-IMC Cessna 150 crash [https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/193903/pdf], a hand-propping accident in N26AJ, an RV-9 [https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/201743/pdf], and a runaway Bellanca, N8213R [https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/202303/pdf], left idling with a non-pilot onboard.