Midair with fatality - Alaska

RIP, this is a good reminder that it is not a big sky out there, look out the windows, and even if you do, this could happen. Be careful out there.
 
Sad. Traffic can close real fast and it just takes a very short moment of inattention for this to happen.
 
The reports say "nose to nose". The head on profile of an airplane presents the least surface area to see. And if approaching head on, not much relative movement to catch the eye either.
One reason to consider leaving the landing light on in certain situations.
 
Years ago I had a very near miss of a head-on in the same area with a big red and white turbine beaver on floats while I was flying a Hawk XP on floats. I never saw him until the last moment and fortunately we both made evasive moves that worked. I’ve had forward facing flashing lights ever since.

Another time I almost drove into a Cub flying same direction in front of me over the inlet on apprach to Lake Hood. Tower told me he was there and I was looking hard but never saw him til I was uncomfortably close. As a result my Cubs have had tail beacons and separate tail strobes so faster planes can see me from behind. I want my planes to be lit up like Christmas even in the middle of the day.

The one positive that can be taken away from tragedy is learning how to prevent it from happening again.
 
Stewartb said:
Years ago I had a very near miss of a head-on in the same area with a big red and white turbine beaver on floats while I was flying a Hawk XP on floats. I never saw him until the last moment and fortunately we both made evasive moves that worked. I’ve had forward facing flashing lights ever since.

Another time I almost drove into a Cub flying same direction in front of me over the inlet on apprach to Lake Hood. Tower told me he was there and I was looking hard but never saw him til I was uncomfortably close. As a result my Cubs have had tail beacons and separate tail strobes so faster planes can see me from behind. I want my planes to be lit up like Christmas even in the middle of the day.

The one positive that can be taken away from tragedy is learning how to prevent it from happening again.
Click to expand...

Indeed. The airspace between the Su and the Arm can be a real zoo at times - to say nothing of the pattern at Merrill or Lake Hood.
 
alaskazimm said:
The airspace between the Su and the Arm can be a real zoo at times -
Click to expand...
Juneau in the summer can be very busy. Last summer I was number 4 behind the C-206. I was laughing to myself, guess I need to slow down...:rolleyes:
 
Pilots I fly with have their head in their laps, ipad with flightaware or whatever. Had a close call , head on not too long ago ... look out the dang window if you are vfr.
 
Passenger said:
Pilots I fly with have their head in their laps, ipad with flightaware or whatever. Had a close call , head on not too long ago ... look out the dang window if you are vfr.
Click to expand...

This issue, not looking out the window, predates ipads.
 
Rhetoric. Anyone familiar with where these two planes were, and where each was going, knows that each pilot could see his destination from the mounth of the Su. I’d say it’s highly unlikely either pilot was looking at a chart, iPad, or anything else for the purposes of navigation. It’s a big place out there with lots of variations in the horizon. Cook Inlet, the Susitna Valley, the Alaska Range, the Kenai Mountains, the Chugach Mountains, Anchorage skyline in the distance, oil platforms on the water... lots of clutter that diguises airplanes that aren’t moving across your sight line, like the ones coming right at you.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top