Plane down Howell MI, 2 flew west :(

It looks so survivable...... very sad to see this and the outcome. Condolences to friends and family.
 
Sudden-ish stop upon touchdown at approach speeds without shoulder harnesses?
 
Yea I’m thinking a decent chance shoulder harnesses MAY have made a difference...

I had them installed in my C140 after my mechanic told me he repaired two aircraft in his career for families to sell after fatalities... he said the planes weren’t that damaged but head trauma due to impacting yokes or panel is a likely “lights out” event. I ordered them the week he told me that.

Two hooker harnesses plus install was $700... for those flying old equipment with lap belts only it’s a small small investment...
 
Just never know. Years ago I witnessed a 172 doing a touch and go. It touched, then on the go the guy pulled up too much into a stall. The plane started banking left and keep going until the left wing tip hit the ground and the plane literally cart wheeled once then slammed down on its belly. The landing gear all broke off, both wings were bent up making a U shape, the fuselage was twisted and the horizontal stabilizer, rudder and elevators were bent. All the Plexiglas was broken out. The only thing connecting the engine to the plane was one battery cable. The pilot seat had broken and laid down flat and one side of the seat rail was torn from the floor. Yet the pilot was out and walking away before I could get to him. The only injury I could find on him was a bruise on his neck from the shoulder harness.

The salvage company that picked it up asked how many were killed, and they were surprised when I told them no one. They told me they had picked up a 182 a week earlier that 2 people were killed, and the plane will be repaired to fly again.
 
Says at least one was 68 yrs old. While the Meyers is an extremely survivable aircraft, occupant age does play a factor. Coworker died in a helo crash in his early 60s in what would appear to be a very survivable accident. His young students escaped with only minor injuries. The body, especially the brain, can’t absorb the crash forces as well as we get in our senior years.
 
Witness account described power loss at take off and subsequent stall :( They said the plane was taking off then it went silent and wobbled before a sharp nose Down...

A while back I added to my run up list as last item before taking the runway “WHEN My engine quits on THIS take off I will yell “push” and I will do so!”

I did that after reading the plea of a cfi to do so, he lost a former student in a similar accident... he did a little unscientific studies with numerous pilots at altitude and on average it takes us 5 seconds or so to react to engine failure in climb... and he found more pilots reacted wrong than he thought would even when they did respond.
 
sourdough44 said:
2-300’ in the air, very limited options besides in front.
Click to expand...
It’s 30deg left, 30deg right or straight ahead at that point. Turning back is definitely not an option.
 
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