Loss of tail rotor effectiveness: Bell 206B JetRanger III, N422RH, accident occurred on November 11, 2024, at Lakeland Linder Regional Airport (LAL/KLAL), Lakeland, Florida

• Location: Lakeland, Florida
• Accident Number: ERA25LA059
• Date & Time: November 21, 2024, 11:35 Local
• Registration: N422RH
• Aircraft: Bell 206B
• Aircraft Damage: Substantial
• Defining Event: Loss of tail rotor effectiveness
• Injuries: 1 None
• Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General aviation - Positioning

https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/195549/pdf

https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=195549

The pilot reported that during the approach to land, he initiated a left turn to align with the wind and landing pad when the helicopter entered an uncommanded right spin. He attributed the loss of control to an 18-knot tailwind and described the event as consistent with a loss of tail rotor effectiveness. He was unable to regain control, and the helicopter descended in a spiraling right turn before impacting the ground. A post-accident review of photographs by the NTSB investigator confirmed that the helicopter sustained substantial damage to the fuselage.

The pilot reported that there were no pre-accident malfunctions or failures with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.

- Probable Cause: The pilot’s failure to maintain yaw control during a tailwind approach, which resulted in a loss of tail rotor effectiveness, an uncommanded spin, and subsequent hard landing.

Ground collision: Cessna 560 Citation V Ultra, N981AG, accident occurred on December 11, 2024, at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL/KATL), Atlanta, Georgia

• Location: Atlanta, Georgia
• Accident Number: ERA25LA073
• Date & Time: December 11, 2024, 02:30 Local 
• Registration: N981AG Aircraft: Cessna 560 
• Aircraft Damage: Substantial
• Defining Event: Ground collision 
• Injuries: 2 None 
• Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General aviation - Positioning

https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/199408/pdf

https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=199408

The flight crew of the business jet was taxiing from the ramp to the runway at night after receiving their departure clearance. As they transitioned from the ramp area to the taxiway, they were crossing a non-licensed vehicle roadway (NLVR). A vehicle traveling along the NLVR collided with the nose of the airplane, substantially damaging the forward portion of the fuselage. The driver of the vehicle stated that she was aware of the signage requiring vehicles to yield to aircraft, and that when she didn’t see an aircraft as she approached the intersection, she continued to drive. She further described that it was dark and raining, but not foggy, and that it was difficult to see. She did not realize that the vehicle had struck the airplane until after the collision, and when she looked back after coming to a stop, she saw the airplane and its illuminated wingtip lights. She further stated that she had not anticipated encountering an airplane at that time of the morning, had become complacent, and that she should have been more observant. 

- Probable Cause: The vehicle driver’s inadequate visual lookout while driving on a non-licensed vehicle roadway in restricted visibility conditions, which resulted in a collision with a taxiing airplane.

Landing gear not configured: Beechcraft 58 Baron, N458K, accident occurred on December 27, 2025, at Florence Regional Airport (FLO/KFLO), Florence, South Carolina

• Location: Florence, South Carolina 
• Accident Number: ERA25LA094 
• Date & Time: December 27, 2024, 18:30 Local 
• Registration: N458K 
• Aircraft: Beech 58 
• Aircraft Damage: Substantial 
• Defining Event: Landing gear not configured 
• Injuries: 6 None 
• Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General aviation - Personal

https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/199523/pdf

https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=199523

The pilot was on a return, cross country flight to his home airport in instrument meteorological conditions. The pilot reported that he first performed a non-precision approach into the airport, where he reported that the landing gear extended normally. After performing a missed approach, the pilot retracted the landing gear and he then performed a precision approach in the opposite direction. The pilot reported that he put the landing gear switch in the down position, but that the landing gear did not extend. The pilot elected to continue the approach without troubleshooting, extending the gear manually, or referring to the emergency checklist. The pilot subsequently landed the airplane on the runway with the landing gear retracted, which resulted in substantial damage to the fuselage.

After the accident, the pilot performed an operational check and troubleshooting of the landing gear without authorization. The pilot reported that the landing gear again failed to extend, but would retract during his testing. The pilot also reported that the manual landing gear extension system operated normally. During the testing, the pilot said he found an “open circuit of the gear relay due to moisture or foreign debris.” After troubleshooting, the pilot reported that the landing gear started to operate normally. After the pilot had performed the unauthorized troubleshooting, a Federal Aviation Administration inspector examined the landing gear system, and performed a functional test, during which he found that it operated normally.

- Probable Cause: The pilot’s failure to follow the emergency procedures and extend the landing gear manually after the landing gear did not initially extend normally.

Loss of lift: Schweizer SGS 2-33A, N5786S, accident occurred on April 19, 2025, near Ken Jernstedt Airfield (4S2), Hood River, Oregon

• Location: Hood River, Oregon 
• Accident Number: WPR25LA138 
• Date & Time: April 19, 2025, 11:37 Local 
• Registration: N5786S 
• Aircraft: Schweizer SGS 2-33A 
• Aircraft Damage: Substantial 
• Defining Event: Loss of lift 
• Injuries: 2 None 
• Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General aviation - Instructional

https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/200048/pdf

https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=200048

The flight instructor reported that while turning final, the glider encountered a loss of lift and there was not sufficient altitude to reach the airport. The instructor chose to land in an orchard, and during the landing roll, the glider struck several small trees, which resulted in substantial damage to the left wing and left horizontal stabilizer. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the glider that would have precluded normal operation.

- Probable Cause: The glider’s encounter with atmospheric conditions where the lift was not sufficient to maintain flight.

Cessna A150L Aerobat, N6436F, fatal accident occurred on June 18, 2025, near Three Points, Arizona

https://registry.faa.gov/AircraftInquiry/Search/NNumberResult?nNumberTxt=N6436F

https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/200354/pdf

• Location: Three Points, AZ 
• Accident Number: CEN25FA212 
• Date & Time: June 18, 2025, 09:22 Local 
• Registration: N6436F 
• Aircraft: Cessna A150L 
• Injuries: 2 Fatal 
• Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General aviation - Instructional 

On June 18, 2025, about 0922 mountain standard time, a Cessna A150L airplane, N6436F, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Three Points, Arizona. The student pilot and flight instructor were fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 instructional flight.

A family member of the student pilot reported that the airplane departed from Ryan Field Airport (RYN), Tucson, Arizona, about 0900 mountain standard time on June 18, 2025. An alert notification (ALNOT) was issued the following day, June 19, 2025, at 1228, when the airplane was reported missing by a family member of the student pilot. The wreckage was located about 1626, about 11 miles south of RYN in a rural area with desert vegetation.

Radar data obtained from Davis-Monthan Air Force Base revealed that the first radar return was at 0901 and that the duration of the flight was about 21 minutes. The flight path was consistent with low-altitude maneuvering, and the wreckage was located about 0.13 miles west of the last radar return. Figure 1 depicts the airplane’s flight path in magenta and the ground path in green.

The main wreckage came to rest upright on its nose and the aft fuselage was elevated. The forward cabin and engine sustained upward crushing consistent with impact damage. The fuselage was separated about midway between the rear window and the vertical stabilizer. The aft fuselage and empennage remained connected only by the flight control cables.

Both wings exhibited aft and upward crushing consistent with impact damage. The left wing remained attached to the fuselage, and the right wing remained partially attached. The right wing aft spar attachment point was separated, consistent with impact damage.

Both propeller blades exhibited chordwise scratching and leading edge polishing. One of the propeller blades was bent aft about 45° and exhibited twisting deformation. During recovery, liquid consistent with 100LL aviation fuel was drained from both wing fuel tanks. The right wing fuel tank contained about 4 gallons, and the left wing fuel tank contained about 5 gallons.

The airplane was recovered from the accident site and transported to a secure facility for further examination.

No mechanical anomalies were found with the airframe or engine during the onsite or followup wreckage examinations that would have precluded normal operations.

Landing gear not configured: Cessna 680 Citation Sovereign, N680SA, accident on August 18, 2024, at Washington-Warren Airport (OCW/KOCW), Washington, North Carolina

• Location: Washington, North Carolina 
• Accident Number: ERA24LA351 
• Date & Time: August 18, 2024, 21:39 UTC 
• Registration: N680SA 
• Aircraft: Cessna 680 
• Aircraft Damage: Substantial 
• Defining Event: Landing gear not configured 
• Injuries: 1 Minor, 2 None 
• Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General aviation - Positioning

https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/194945/pdf

https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=194945

The business jet landed on the runway at the completion of a visual approach with the landing gear retracted. The airplane slid to a stop, and a post-crash fire ensued which resulted in the airplane sustaining substantial damage. The two pilots, the sole occupants, egressed the airplane successfully without injury. In telephone interviews and written statements, the pilots each stated that there were no mechanical deficiencies with the airplane that would have precluded deployment of the landing gear and a successful landing.

The first officer further stated that the gear warning was only audible in the left seat (Captain’s) headset and was not heard in her headset (right seat) or the overhead speaker, and that the communications panel had a “history” of problems.

Review of the cockpit voice recorder (CVR) confirmed the limitations of the airplane’s communication system, that the crew was aware of them, and that they discussed and debated how to mitigate the system’s limitations.

The review also revealed that during the flights on the day of the accident, the performance of Before-Starting-Engines, Engine Start, Before Taxi, Before Takeoff, Before Landing and other tasks did not comport with the manufacturer’s checklists and were sometimes performed without any verbal communication between crewmembers. The CVR recording further revealed that the captain removed his headset due to a 500Hz “squeal” that he failed to identify as the gear warning horn, and consequently missed the repeating, “too low, gear” aural warning that followed.

- Probable Cause: The flight crew’s failure to properly configure the airplane before landing and the captain’s subsequent failure to recognize the landing gear aural warning, which resulted in a gear-up landing. Contributing to the accident was the flight crew’s inadequate checklist use and crew coordination, and the known diminished capability of the airplane’s communication system.

Loss of engine power (total): Piper PA-24-250 Comanche, N6430P, accident on June 25, 2023 at Alturas Municipal Airport (AAT/KAAT), Alturas, California

• Location: Alturas, California 
• Accident Number: WPR23LA239 
• Date & Time: June 25, 2023, 09:00 Local 
• Registration: N6430P 
• Aircraft: Piper PA-24-250 
• Aircraft Damage: Substantial 
• Defining Event: Loss of engine power (total) 
• Injuries: 1 Minor 
• Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General aviation - Personal 

https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/192448/pdf

https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=192448

On June 25, 2023, at 0900, Pacific daylight time, a Piper PA-24-250, N6430P, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Alturas, California. The pilot sustained minor injuries. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Aviation Regulations Part 91 test flight.

The pilot reported that, shortly after takeoff, the airplane’s engine began to run rough, so he returned to the airport, landed uneventfully, parked the airplane, and deplaned his passengers to conduct another preflight inspection. The pilot sampled the fuel, checked for loose spark plugs, and checked the magnetos. The pilot then decided to do an engine run-up and test flight before departing the area with the passengers. After takeoff, about 100 ft above ground level (agl), the engine began to shake violently, and he initiated a turn back to the airport. The engine lost total power, and the airplane landed hard and came to rest upright in the grass adjacent to the runway, resulting in substantial damage to fuselage, both wings, and the right horizontal stabilizer.

Postaccident examination of the engine established mechanical and valvetrain continuity. When the propeller was rotated, the No. 5 ignition harness top lead did not spark. The right magneto was removed and functionally tested with an intermittent spark. The left magneto was also removed, and spark was obtained on all posts during the functional check. Further testing revealed that the intermittent spark from the right magneto could not be duplicated. Disassembly of right magneto revealed about 1/4 of the teeth were separated from the distributor gear, which would likely result in a partial loss of engine power and a rough running engine. No additional evidence of any preexisting mechanical malfunctions that would have precluded normal operation were observed with either magneto. 

- Probable Cause: A loss of engine power due to the failure of the right magneto distributor gear and the pilot’s decision to conduct a test flight with known mechanical issues.