421C down Fairview, OR

According to FB, the pilot reported control issues. Sounds like the plane hadn’t flown for nearly a year.
 
ADS-B history shows a flight from UAO to TTD on 2/13/24.
 
Damn, one on the aircraft sounded like a woman.
 
Did that sound like Jerry Wagner to anyone else?
 
What is the Troutdale area VFR altitude restriction (“at or below 1200 ft”) referred to by the tower controller? I see the 1700 ft Class C floor and N421GP was within the Class D. Don’t see anything else on the chart or in the chart supp.
 
with no disrespect, I'd say he sounds as incompetent as jerry, but does not actually sound like jerry to me. there were competency issues before leaving the ground, whether that had anything to do with the accident, I dunno. sux all around though.
 
"What is the Troutdale area VFR altitude restriction?"

They are very careful not to let VFR traffic go up into the final approach path of PDX. The ATC can set the altitude restrictions according to the flow, it's in the AF/D. "Portland Intl arpt (PDX) Rwy 10L–28R extended centerline crosses arpt, twr may issue restrictions due to PDX tfc."
When I flew out of there, you had to turn before the lakes to the west, right or left, and stay low until you were out of the airspace. It's an interesting airport with a high bluff on the baseleg to 25, heavy Columbia River gorge winds and that airspace to contend with.
 
skyking3286 said:
"What is the Troutdale area VFR altitude restriction?"

They are very careful not to let VFR traffic go up into the final approach path of PDX. The ATC can set the altitude restrictions according to the flow, it's in the AF/D. "Portland Intl arpt (PDX) Rwy 10L–28R extended centerline crosses arpt, twr may issue restrictions due to PDX tfc."
When I flew out of there, you had to turn before the lakes to the west, right or left, and stay low until you were out of the airspace. It's an interesting airport with a high bluff on the baseleg to 25, heavy Columbia River gorge winds and that airspace to contend with.
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I used to fly there also. There was handout they would give pilots that showed local procedures. I looked and I don’t still have it. I can visualize it but don’t recall the ‘numbers.’ Do you remember that thing?
 
skyking3286 said:
"What is the Troutdale area VFR altitude restriction?"

They are very careful not to let VFR traffic go up into the final approach path of PDX. The ATC can set the altitude restrictions according to the flow, it's in the AF/D. "Portland Intl arpt (PDX) Rwy 10L–28R extended centerline crosses arpt, twr may issue restrictions due to PDX tfc."
When I flew out of there, you had to turn before the lakes to the west, right or left, and stay low until you were out of the airspace. It's an interesting airport with a high bluff on the baseleg to 25, heavy Columbia River gorge winds and that airspace to contend with.
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Yes, I saw that in the chart sup but there was no altitude specified. The 1700Z TTD ATIS stated “VFR altitude restrictions are in effect” but no altitude was specified. The aircraft departing prior to N421GP had an explicit at-or-below 1200 restriction included in the takeoff clearance, but he was a south departure. N421GP’s takeoff clearance did not include a VFR altitude restriction I assume because he told tower he was going to remain in the pattern, which tower assumed would be below 1200 ft. Instead, N421GP somehow wandered up at 1700 ft triggering the admonishment.

Also noted listening to TTD ground archive that N421GP stated his point of origin on the airport was “Emerald Aviators.” There is an Emerald Aircrafters listed as an aircraft maintenance business at TTD.
 
Wasn’t it “Zeb’s” that had a big sign that was an informal check point to the south?
 
The pilot's voice seemed to reveal trepidation and misgivings while discussing his plans with the tower. It's a shame he didn't act on those feelings.

I hope the victim on the ground didn't have time to realize what was happening. It would be a mercy.
 
With the aircraft making a jog to the left and reporting handling problems, wonder if he had lost or was loosing power on one engine. Agree with @3393RP that pilots should listen to their inner voice and take caution. It's part of basic risk management. We've heard other accident preflight comms with similar characteristics of high concern or confusion or distraction or a combination.

In this case the pilot flew contrary to his approved tower request. Interesting when the pilot said he would "fly around the pattern again" and tower had to tell him he had yet to fly the pattern. The pilot seemed either confused, rusty, over his skill level, or distracted trying to manage a budding problem which unfolded into an emergency. RIP.
 
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I think something was very (stressfully) wrong from the time the airplane got off the ground (maybe before). Frankly, give me a turn direct to the runway and let me get this thing on the ground.
 
Video from home cam sounds like healthy engines all the way to impact. Wreckage fragmented and burned. NTSB will have its work cut out from them. My guess is mental overload with unexpected issues. IF they had a flight plan to Utah ready to be air filed, the test flights may have been very informal and then XC. A couple of patterns and then off to go. Wide pattern and inattention to altitude suggests the problem was developing at initial climb. And progressed as time went on. At the initial contact about the altitude bust, no indication to tower of any issues. Would have been the time to request immediate return.
 
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Id be interested to know who the other person in the plane was. Being a test flight after what id imagine was some form of maintenance.
 
Hard to see any aileron, elevator or rudder deflection in video previous to wire strike. Outboard Wing was ripped off aircraft with the strike.

 
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Latest from NTSB, appears indeed to be a test flight with only broad left turns. Woman was a 79 year old CFI. Sounds like two people checking out a ramp rat with a pilot who was unsure of the plan, after some work on the plane. Drove by the power lines they hit north of I-84, they are high, but any plane hitting them was in deep trouble already. https://www.flyingmag.com/news/ntsb-launches-probe-after-cessna-crashes-into-townhomes/
 
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skyking3286 said:
Latest from NTSB, appears indeed to be a test flight with only broad left turns. Woman was a 79 year old CFI. Sounds like two people checking out a ramp rat with a pilot who was unsure of the plan, after some work on the plane. Drove by the power lines they hit north of I-84, they are high, but any plane hitting them was in deep trouble already. https://www.flyingmag.com/news/ntsb-launches-probe-after-cessna-crashes-into-townhomes/
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I wonder if anyone has done the statistics on age and accident rate. I’m guessing there’s a reason insurance companies won’t touch people over 75.
 
DavidWhite said:
I wonder if anyone has done the statistics on age and accident rate. I’m guessing there’s a reason insurance companies won’t touch people over 75.
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Based on homebuilt accident data, but it should be about the same.
www.kitplanes.com

Aging Aviators and Safety - KITPLANES

When is it time to hang up the helmet and goggles for the last time?
www.kitplanes.com www.kitplanes.com

Ron Wanttaja
 
skyking3286 said:
Latest from NTSB, appears indeed to be a test flight with only broad left turns. Woman was a 79 year old CFI. Sounds like two people checking out a ramp rat with a pilot who was unsure of the plan, after some work on the plane. Drove by the power lines they hit north of I-84, they are high, but any plane hitting them was in deep trouble already. https://www.flyingmag.com/news/ntsb-launches-probe-after-cessna-crashes-into-townhomes/
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The CFI flew that plane up until 4 years ago with the previous owner apparently quite frequently.

“He wasn’t familiar with the airplane but she was,” said Whitford’s daughter, Michelle Whitford Raynes. “She’d been flying that plane for years, but hadn’t flown it for about three years. It was sitting for that time.”
 
That makes her presence in the cockpit even more tragic as she did her job.
 
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