Cherokee down near Kansas City

Dean

Dean

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Dean
My Mom just called and said the news broke in with a report of a Cherokee down near Platte City, Mo. If anyone is near KC, let us know if you hear anything else. The report said it left the Lake of the Ozarks area.
 
This is a post from another forum:

PARKVILLE, Mo. -- Two people were killed when a single-engine plane crashed Monday evening in Platte County, officials said.

The plane crashed at about 7:30 p.m. in a field near Union Chapel Road and Northwest River Road near Parkville.

Airport officials said there were no survivors.

Authorities said the Piper Saratoga disappeared from radar on its way to Kansas City International Airport.

NewsChopper 9's Johnny Rowlands reported that several pieces of the plane were scattered several hundred feet across the field, making it appear that the plane came apart in flight.

The cause of the crash is under investigation.

**Now I hate to disagree with the great Johnny Rowlands, but just because parts of a plane are separated by several hundred feet does not mean the plane came apart in flight. Many times, when a plane comes apart in flight, debris is scattered for miles, not just a few hundred feet. Of course, this all depends on the altitude at the time of the break-up.
 
The local TV pictures show a debris field about 100yds across. I didn't notice any obvious marks in the ground that indicated it slid very far. The paper this morning said part of a wing was found farther away (I think it said somewhat less that a mile). Of course this was the same article that said a witness heard the aircraft 'shifting between low and high gears' before the crash. Apparently was heading from Lake of the Ozarks (not sure which field) to MCI.

edit - pictures/video http://www.kctv5.com/Global/story.asp?S=5022805
 
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That's very close to where I am.

The article mentions the right wing appeared to have detached. What would cause a metal fatigue like that under normal flying conditions?

I remember hearding how a Mentor broke up in flight some years ago but they were pulling Gs. There's also that video of a C130 firefighter snapping it's wings, but that plane was 50 years old and presumably no very well mantained. I don't know much about the subject, anyone care to shed some light?
 
The news reported this evening the probable cause was a bird strike or several birds.
 
Tomahawk674 said:
That's very close to where I am.

The article mentions the right wing appeared to have detached. What would cause a metal fatigue like that under normal flying conditions?
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Possible, but more likely the wing was stressed beyond the ultimate design limits.
 
that always sorta freaks me out epsecially when im in turbulence..i always have that thought that the turbulence could be too rough for the plane..i usually fly warriors or 182's ...should i even be worried...i know everyone says these planes can take ALOT more abuse then you think...but thats 2 planes in the last week that were said to have possibly broken up in flight...a piper crashed near me and they know it broke up because peices of it were scattered everywhere for at least a half mile and people saw it...
idk im probably crazy..:dunno: i always push up and down on the wings during pre flight to make sure they feel solid...

Ant
 
Usually the planes break up because the pilots overstress the airframe by flying into IMC and pulling too many G's during a graveyard spirial, or other loss of control. Every once in a while a plane will come apart after being recovered from some upset (such as wake turb.) or because of badly performed acro.

What is weird is the fact that the crash in Jersey occured in VMC, and I can't imagine that he was pulling G's with two middle age pax aboard.

I'm sure the NTSB will provide a full report: "The pilot in command's failure to keep the airframe together for unknown reasons." Sigh
 
infotango said:
.

What is weird is the fact that the crash in Jersey occured in VMC, and I can't imagine that he was pulling G's with two middle age pax aboard.

The Piper going into MCI was on a 5 mile final and was talking to the tower when it went down,and it was also in VMC. The only other thing mentioned was the possibility of exceeding the VNE on decend.
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here http://www.denverpost.com/search/ci_3932396 and here http://www.denverpost.com/search/ci_3933990

"...Capt. Frank Hunter of the Platte County Sheriff's Department said the pilot called the airport tower after crossing over the Missouri River and said he could see the runway and was ready to land, Hunter said. There were no distress calls, he said.

One of the plane's wings fell off in the air in clear weather and landed about a quarter-mile from the crash site, Hunter said..."

My sons and I are flying to South Dakota to honor my dad on Father's Day this weekend - my wife is cringing badly after reading those articles. "Don't tell me that those little planes don't just 'fall out of the sky'. It happened here!"

My condolences and prayers with the families for their losses.
 
Matthew said:
a witness heard the aircraft 'shifting between low and high gears' before the crash.
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Perhaps this means that the pilot was cycling the prop between low and high rpm? That noise would be noticable on the ground.

-Skip
 
Skip Miller said:
Perhaps this means that the pilot was cycling the prop between low and high rpm? That noise would be noticable on the ground.

-Skip
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Yeah, that's what I would make it out to be. I haven't heard much more about it the last few days. A couple of buddies of mine work at Kansas City Center, I'll have to ask them if they've heard anything lately.
 
Dean said:
infotango said:
.

What is weird is the fact that the crash in Jersey occured in VMC, and I can't imagine that he was pulling G's with two middle age pax aboard.

The Piper going into MCI was on a 5 mile final and was talking to the tower when it went down,and it was also in VMC. The only other thing mentioned was the possibility of exceeding the VNE on decend.
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actually the crash in jersey was said to be in IMC ...my mom was very close to the crash and she actually heard an airplane then a loud pop sound...other people said they heard the aircraft engine racing then a loud pop, then debris falling onto houses...
also on another forum someone posted about the jersey crash and they posted the METAR's for the areas in jersey during the crash...it was very low visibility and ceilings with heavy fog...thats usually how it is in the mornings along the jersey coast. then by noon its usually bright and sunny..usually inland more like the metars said it is more clear during morning....my mom even said it was very hazy and you couldnt see the sun around the time when it happend..
idk but people in my area said the pilot got into IMC and got disoriented and overstressed the airplane...
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SupraPilot said:
that always sorta freaks me out epsecially when im in turbulence..i always have that thought that the turbulence could be too rough for the plane..i usually fly warriors or 182's ...should i even be worried...
Ant
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No. Slow to maneuvering speed in rough air.
 
RogerT said:
No. Slow to maneuvering speed in rough air.
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haha i guess i dont have too much to worry about...im flying a warrior lol..id be lucky to even get into the yellow arc...so i guess i dont have to worry huh??
;)
 
SupraPilot said:
haha i guess i dont have too much to worry about...im flying a warrior lol..id be lucky to even get into the yellow arc...so i guess i dont have to worry huh??
;)
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Just in case you were thinking that maneuvering speed is at the top of the green arc, it isn't. If this is news you'd better bone up on Va (which is often significantly below Vno (top of green) and decreases with flying weight.
 
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