Draco crash on takeoff 16 Sept 2019

One thing in that video that really stands out to me, the statement "I don't wanna get the tower mad at me..." , we need to be better than that and don't get me wrong, that's a powerful driver, but it shouldn't be. Ask for what you need. I like this guy, we all screw up, sad he lost his plane.
 
Checkout_my_Six said:
you don't pitch up like that bro....cept when you're hot dogg'n. lower the nose....or lower angle of attack....and or raise flaps....and takeoff into the wind. Basic stuff.
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Have you considered offering lessons?



Sucks about draco, hope he makes a good rebound and who knows, worse has been rebuilt :)
 
James331 said:
Have you considered offering lessons?



Sucks about draco, hope he makes a good rebound and who knows, worse has been rebuilt :)
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sure....I'm open to taking lessons from you. Always open to learn a few things....;)
 
What a shame. Regarding pulling it up too quickly.... if you've watched videos of this thing, that was a fairly long takeoff roll lol. 600hp.... that thing would just about hang on the prop. I think he felt it going, and was trying to get it flying and into the wind, but was too late. I do suspect there was also some overconfidence in such a badass machine.

I hope this doesn't slow down his new build. I'm looking forward to seeing that big 8 cylinder hanging off the front of that cub....
 
Checkout_my_Six said:
sure....I'm open to taking lessons from you. ;)
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Sigh lol

I’d just be reluctant pointing errors in a type of aircraft and type of flying you have little experience with.

Looks to me like he took off on a windy day and caught a bad gust at a bad time. Only sugguestion I would have made would have been the same one PIC gave, ether reduce the crosswind component via takeoff direction however, or just wait it out.
 
Matthew said:
"This runway is short, but it sure is wide."

It might be just the camera angle, but it almost looks like the upwind wing is sitting higher than the downwind wing even before the takeoff roll. Is the engine torque on that airplane strong enough to do that?
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Pretty sure that’s mostly crosswind action. He mentioned it in the video. Not turning into that wind for takeoff was his last preventable mistake as he also mentioned.

Can’t really believe some of you even entertained the thought that this was a planned crash for insurance $$$. His wife and friend were on board. Or was that also planned to throw people like me off the scent?
 
woodchucker said:
Pretty sure that’s mostly crosswind action. He mentioned it in the video. Not turning into that wind for takeoff was his last preventable mistake as he also mentioned.

Can’t really believe some of you even entertained the thought that this was a planned crash for insurance $$$. His wife and friend were on board. Or was that also planned to throw people like me off the scent?
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Also I doubt you’d pull that at a towered airport, with FD, then video the whole thing in HD and publicly upload it.

I’d also bet he could have sold that plane, I mean I’m sure some rich guy would buy it, or some Saudi prince something.
 
PaulS said:
One thing in that video that really stands out to me, the statement "I don't wanna get the tower mad at me..."
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That really caught my attention. Always ask the tower. Worse thing they can do is laugh at you.
 
Will someone PLEASE start the hazardous attitude/rampant dumbaxx conversation, because this one really needs it.going?

 
denverpilot said:
Already a thread.
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Or not. I can’t tell. Might have been a different site. If so, they beat this place by many hours. Ha.

Anyway, say what I said there, respect that he immediately said “pilot error” and didn’t pretend it was someone or something else’s fault.
 
Glad everyone is ok ,tough way to learn from a mistake.
 
Stewartb said:
Wreck a million and a half dollar airplane, crawl out, what's the first thing you do? Make a selfie movie, apparently. That's the last thing I'd think of.
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Wonder how much he makes on social media, heck maybe his YouTube $$ could pay for it, crazy how much some folks make off that.
 
Checkout_my_Six said:
at my airport....tower is SWMBO. ;)
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Obey? Yes. **** them off or ask for something you need to be safe? Also yes.

Man, I hope I can walk away if I ever wad one up like that. I wish we all could.
 
Stewartb said:
Wreck a million and a half dollar airplane, crawl out, what's the first thing you do? Make a selfie movie, apparently. That's the last thing I'd think of.
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did you notice the mic on the phone was pointed directly into the wind while he was video'ing....as he turned it qot quieter. :lol:
 
Ok, so when he posted about the "loss of Draco" because he has to pay $45K for insurance the other day, I quickly responded. He had everyone whining along with him about how insurance keeps going up, etc. There are stories written about how he and his brother started with nothing and now they're millionaires. He takes a plane he values at over $500K and slams it into the ground over and over (I've seen him hit the wingtips on the ground before) and then cries about $45K for a years insurance for demoing it at shows.

Now it's looking like what I was saying wasn't so dumb... I wouldn't touch it for $45K. It took 5 days from him complaining about insurance being to high to balling it up. What a joke.
 
Lowflynjack said:
Ok, so when he posted about the "loss of Draco" because he has to pay $45K for insurance the other day, I quickly responded. He had everyone whining along with him about how insurance keeps going up, etc. There are stories written about how he and his brother started with nothing and now they're millionaires. He takes a plane he values at over $500K and slams it into the ground over and over (I've seen him hit the wingtips on the ground before) and then cries about $45K for a years insurance for demoing it at shows.

Now it's looking like what I was saying wasn't so dumb... I wouldn't touch it for $45K. It took 5 days from him complaining about insurance being to high to balling it up. What a joke.
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Huh?

Do you have some videos of slamming his wings on the ground over and over?

Didn’t know wilgas had wings that strong
 
James331 said:
Huh?

Do you have some videos of slamming his wings on the ground over and over?

Didn’t know wilgas had wings that strong
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I said he slams the plane into the ground over and over. I've seen him hit a wingtip once... the only time I watched him land in person. He's usually wins the short field competitions. At some point, he put the skids on the wingtips to keep them from getting damaged. You can see how far down the wing would have to be to hit one of them.

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Lowflynjack said:
Ok, so when he posted about the "loss of Draco" because he has to pay $45K for insurance the other day, I quickly responded. He had everyone whining along with him about how insurance keeps going up, etc. There are stories written about how he and his brother started with nothing and now they're millionaires. He takes a plane he values at over $500K and slams it into the ground over and over (I've seen him hit the wingtips on the ground before) and then cries about $45K for a years insurance for demoing it at shows.

Now it's looking like what I was saying wasn't so dumb... I wouldn't touch it for $45K. It took 5 days from him complaining about insurance being to high to balling it up. What a joke.
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So someone loses their dream aircraft they spent years building and developing to perfection and you have the audacity to gloat when it gets destroyed? Regardless of how much money they have, he has a passion for aviation and a passion for that airplane. That'd be like my Skywagon being destroyed - though moreso since he built up himself. I'd be absolutely crushed.

I sure hope someone like you isn't around if you make a mistake like that. I'm no great proponent of Draco, It's not MY dream aircraft, but it was his and many others and I'm certainly empathetic to that.
 
Mtns2Skies said:
So someone loses their dream aircraft they spent years building and developing to perfection and you gloat when it gets destroyed? Regardless of how much money they have, he has a passion for aviation and a passion for that airplane. That'd be like my Skywagon being destroyed - though moreso since he built up himself. I'd be absolutely crushed.

I sure hope someone like you isn't around if you make a mistake like that.
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I'm not gloating. I feel bad he lost his plane. He was complaining that he was being charged too much for insurance and then days later the plane was destroyed. I didn't make the comment when he crashed, I made the comment when he first complained that $45k wasn't enough to insure a plane to over $500K when you fly it like that on purpose. I don't understand a millionaire spending $500K+ on a plane and then complaining that $45K a year to insure it is too much.

Luckily for him, it is on video and shows a normal takeoff and it wasn't destroyed in a demo, so I'm sure he'll be covered.
 
Lowflynjack said:
I'm not gloating. I feel bad he lost his plane. He was complaining that he was being charged too much for insurance and then days later the plane was destroyed. I didn't make the comment when he crashed, I made the comment when he first complained that $45k wasn't enough to insure a plane to over $500K when you fly it like that on purpose. I don't understand a millionaire spending $500K+ on a plane and then complaining that $45K a year to insure it is too much.

Luckily for him, it is on video and shows a normal takeoff and it wasn't destroyed in a demo, so I'm sure he'll be covered.
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You don't get to be a millionaire by throwing away 45k to show your plane off at two demo's a year. "Fly it like that on purpose" That's within the design envelope of the plane. A ground-loop can happen to any taildragger.
 
Sucks to see this!

I just can't believe he makes a video right after it happens and admits fault again and again. Um never admit fault and dang sure don't make a video where you admit fault, give explicit details and post it. Not same day anyway. But that's just me.
 
Mtns2Skies said:
You don't get to be a millionaire by throwing away 45k to show your plane off at two demo's a year. "Fly it like that on purpose" That's within the design envelope of the plane. A ground-loop can happen to any taildragger.
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So would you insure it for $45K a year knowing it was going to be flown that way? I wouldn't and that is the point I made to him.

The groundloop or loss of control destroyed it today and that should be covered under his regular insurance. Anyone insuring him for the demos would surely be taking a very big risk in my opinion.

I thought it was very strange that he started his post saying, "Loss of DRACO. Sad week and loss for Draco, myself and friends." When I first read it, I of course thought he'd wrecked it then.
 
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Stewartb said:
That was not a ground loop. That was “pilot failed to maintain control of the aircraft.” Just sayin’.
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Based on your location you should know better
 
Ground loops are deceleration related. You know, when the CG is behind the mains and it wants to swap ends? That is definitely not what happened in that video. That’s a stall-spin. Like I said earlier. Watch the takeoff run. All’s well until the flaps come down. All he needed was to keep it on the ground until the leeward wing was responsive. Or take off into the wind.
 
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The $45K per year was for flying the plane in airshows and demonstrations. He was still paying for his insurance and could only find one insurer to take that risk.

Hell, he could auction off the pieces of Draco and recoup most of his loss!
 
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