Lost a good freind!

[LubeDude]

The talk about John Denver reminded me about losing a good freind last year to a private plane crash. I flew with him many times in his own plane. He was a retired commercial pilot with over 35,000 hours in the air, he was in his early 70s. He always flew by the book and NEVER messed around or took any chances. He had a GPS in his plane and had all the routes progamed into it that he flew for his son and his sons partner in an architecture firm. He was flying to Grants Pass from North Bend Oregon over a route that he flew dozens of times before. It was foggy and he clipped the top of a mountain approching the airport! Ive flown that same route with him several times and of course he knew the elevations of all the mountains between take off and landing, not to mention the GPS coordinaces all the way. The FAA hasnt released the cause of the crash yet, but it had to be something like a heart atack or plane malfunction. Both him and his sons partner were killed, his son was busy and couldnt go.

 

[SoulWinner]

Re: Lost a good freind!

LD,<br /><br />I'm sorry for this tragedy. I hope and pray that they are with the Lord now. I know that instruments like altimeters get old, like all electromechanical instruments and need to calibrated. It was probably a slight mis calibration of the altimeter that led to the crash. Flying IR is an art that I'm certain the pilot was very familiar with, but when you fly instruments, the instruments must be correct, otherwise...... Bless them Lord, they died in terror....be they comforted now and forever.

 

[LubeDude]

Re: Lost a good freind!

Yes, he was one of the best and nicest Christian men I ever knew, He allways prayed before taking off, His wife (soulmate) had recently been diagnosed with altiemers. I beleive the Lord let him be taken this way to save him from having to go through the agony of seeing his wife have to go through it all, she was just put into a home and they never told her about the crash, and she never even missed him.

 

[LubeDude]

Re: Lost a good freind!

The FAA has finalized the report finally, They claim it was Pilot error! I other words, They dont have a clue! I have a real hard time with that! As I know him better than that. Oh well , it only takes one mistake in the fog!<br /><br />The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from mountainous terrain while in cruise flight. Factors include low ceilings and mountainous terrain.

 

[SpinnerBait_Nut]

Re: Lost a good freind!

Originally posted by LubeDude:<br />The FAA has finalized the report finally, They claim it was Pilot error! I other words, They dont have a clue! I have a real hard time with that! As I know him better than that. Oh well , it only takes one mistake in the fog!<br /><br />The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from mountainous terrain while in cruise flight. Factors include low ceilings and mountainous terrain.

Now I wonder what the insurance companies will do.<br />They will have a field day with this one since the FAA has drawed that conclusion.

 

[SinisterAngel]

Re: Lost a good freind!

If he's had 35000 hours and has flown the route many times, I SERIOUSLY doubt it's going to be pilot error. On the approach to the airport, was he following a glideslope?

 

[SpinnerBait_Nut]

Re: Lost a good freind!

I agree Jason, but if the FAA has made their final report all that is mute then.<br />They probably don't know what happened for sure so that is their conclusion, pilot error.

 

[LubeDude]

Re: Lost a good freind!

Subsequent to the aircraft's takeoff from North Bend, radar facilities in Salem, Oregon, and Klamath Falls, Oregon, recorded a 1200 beacon code on a southeasterly track, originating from the North Bend area and continuing southeasterly to a point approximately 9 miles northwest of the accident site. The last radar target was recorded at 42 degrees 43 minutes 28 seconds North latitude and 123 degrees 34 minutes 50 seconds West longitude. The target's pressure altitude was 5,200 feet and descending approximately 100 - 200 feet per minute. The last radar return was at 0847 Pacific daylight time. <br /><br />The 5,200 feet makes me wonder as when I was with him we always flew at 8,000, He could have been decending at that point though. However that is close to the elevation of the terrain, (obviosly) in the area. Something just isnt right!

 

[Trent]

Re: Lost a good freind!

Give me the date of the crash? Was he VFR or IFR?

 

[LubeDude]

Re: Lost a good freind!

VFR, The airport he was going to is a podunk airport without much equipment! The date was April 9, 03. I beleive the accident # is SEA03FA059. Plane # 9785M