Archer crashes into (empty) daycare

[N659HB]

Don't know if this has been posted. Happened Saturday. Pilot got out. Pax died. RIP.

http://www.kathrynsreport.com/2017/06/piper-pa-28-181-fatal-accident-occurred.html

 

[arnoha]

Not a great place to aim if you're in trouble. It'll be interesting to see what really happened. I can't see a pilot intentionally choosing that for a forced-landing spot.

This, however, made me :

“Planes are a lot safer than cars, and pilots are very well trained,” said Dan Boggs, a National Transportation Safety Board Investigator. I’ve been a pilot for 22 years and you go through a lot of training.”

I love me my planes, but that statement is just not true for small GA. To hear an NTSB investigator say that is a bit weird.

 

[N659HB]

I thought that was odd as well.

 

[RyanB]

My condolences!

“Planes are a lot safer than cars, and pilots are very well trained,” said Dan Boggs, a National Transportation Safety Board Investigator. I’ve been a pilot for 22 years and you go through a lot of training.”

It's no secret that pilots at any level, undergo far more training than a 16 year old who goes to apply for a drivers license. That part doesn't surprise me, but I can't exactly say that most GA aircraft themselves are safer than modern day vehicles.

 

[arnoha]

My condolences!


It's no secret that pilots at any level, undergo far more training than a 16 year old who goes to apply for a drivers license. That part doesn't surprise me, but I can't exactly say that most GA aircraft themselves are safer than modern day vehicles.

Oh, right, not disagreeing about the training part. Just the safety part. If it were a run-of-the-mill pilot, I'd just chalk it up to the self-delusion we all participate in sometimes. But an NTSB investigator? You'd hope they were the sort to really understand risk.

 

[RyanB]

Oh, right, not disagreeing about the training part. Just the safety part. If it were a run-of-the-mill pilot, I'd just chalk it up to the self-delusion we all participate in sometimes. But an NTSB investigator? You'd hope they were the sort to really understand risk.

Yeah I agree.

 

[3393RP]

Not a great place to aim if you're in trouble. It'll be interesting to see what really happened. I can't see a pilot intentionally choosing that for a forced-landing spot.

Pilots dealing with emergencies don't always get a chance to "aim" or "choose". The area of the crash was nothing but row upon row of tilt up warehouse buildings. It impacted the top of the building hard enough to break the concrete wall panel (look at the top of the wall in the second photo), fell over the edge and to the ground.

Given that where would you have chosen?