Crash at Death Valley

[alaskaflyer]

This is about all I know about it. The way the article sounds, it appears that it might have been a fly in of some type. A check of my usual discussion forums didn't produce an announcement of a DV fly-in, thank goodness, so no one I know, but it doesn't reduce the tragedy.

I know that is a popular place to fly in for a "sunday brunch" at the nearby lodge.

Pilot Killed in Private Plane Crash

By Nancy Wizner, Chief Ranger
May 02, 2006

A private plane crashed about a half mile southeast of the Furnace Creek airstrip on Timbisha Shoshone tribal land around 1 p.m. on Sunday, April 30th. The 56-year-old pilot, a resident of Independence, Oregon, died at the scene; his wife was injured and airlifted to a hospital in Las Vegas. The accident occurred after the pilot had taken off from the airport – the fifth in a group to depart from the airstrip. The park’s structural fire truck was used to ensure that there would be no fire in the overturned plane while the pilot was being extricated. The NPS, the Inyo County Sheriff’s Office and coroner, and the California Highway Patrol all responded. The FAA and NTSB have been notified. The temperature during this incident was about 106 degrees. Inyo County is the lead agency in the investigation.

 

[judypilot]

It's always dangerous to speculate absent the facts, but with a temp of 106 degrees, there would have been a major issue of density altitude. Some airplanes are so underpowered (and some pilots and pax so overweight) that I could easily see this happening. Guy probably tried to force it to climb, seeing that the climb rate was only 100-200 fpm. See it all the time in the desert (in fact, I had to take control of an aircraft I was in when the pilot tried just that), and even though this isn't high desert, the DA still would have been extremely high. The sad thing about it is, if I remember correctly, there would have been a lot of space to set down again. But it's been forever since I was at Furnace Creek and I've never flown there.

Judy

 

[Areeda]

I agree with Judy, it was probably the climb rate that led to a stall/spin situation. However L06 has a field elevation of -206MSL so 106° F is a DA of 2670.

There are big salt flats all around, if I were to pick places for off airport landings this would be near the top of my list.

I'm scheduled to go there for Mother's day brunch. This will be part of the preflight brief.

Joe

 

[EdFred]

I've been in there. Absolutely NO reason to crash there. I was there when it was 115º. DA is a non issue. The valley is PLENTY wide to make 360º's to climb out. I was loaded up pretty good with my plane, and climbed pretty much straight out to the E. Not to sound insensitive, but it sounds like a culling of the herd.

 

[judypilot]

Boy, Ed. You sure sound insensitive.

Judy

P.S. You're probably right.

 

[Richard]

I was reading the NTSB reports the other night and came across two serious injury accidents which occured at Death Valley the same day. That piqued my interest and, yes, it was a Sunday in July.

A guy in his A-36 departs, mushes, steers left to avoid some bushes (!!!) and mushes in. Three seriously injured.

One hour later a C-172 does the same exact thing! Two hurt, one seriously.

Recorded winds were light but both planes took off with a tailwind.

This seems to support Ed's position.