Fiery runway collision at Titusville, FL EAA fly-in

mikea

mikea

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It appears that one of the planes, attempting to land too fast, then veered off the runway and hit another plane that had just landed, Gaenicke said.

The plane then skid before it flipped, Gaenicke said.

Federal Aviation Administration officials are investigating the crash scene at the airport, which has been closed, Gaenicke said.

Both planes were most likely headed to the monthly breakfast fly-in at the airport, sponsored by the Titusville Experimental Aircraft Association, said chapter member Larry Gilbert.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/orl-bk-planecrash030108,0,2069803.story
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2 people dead.
 
Very sad.

This part just ticks me off (emphasis added by me):

The victims' identities have not been released.

According to federal records, a tail number from the survivors' plane shows it was registered to Ulrich Christen, of Sebastian.

It was unknown if Christen was involved in the crash.
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There is a REASON why the identities haven't been released! The family deserves to be told in a compassionate way that they've just lost a loved one...not READ it or HEAR it on the news as speculation!!! Grrrrrr... the press drives me nuts sometimes.
 
ausrere said:
Very sad.

This part just ticks me off (emphasis added by me):



There is a REASON why the identities haven't been released! The family deserves to be told in a compassionate way that they've just lost a loved one...not READ it or HEAR it on the news as speculation!!! Grrrrrr... the press drives me nuts sometimes.
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Along with "The cause of the crash is under investigation" Ya THINK?

Why can't they just say what caused it on the first report? THEN the TV live reports from the site every day for a week won't have anything to say, not that would stop them. They'll go with "the funeral will be/was held Tuesday/tomorrow/today/this afternoon.""

We've had that on every cast every day in the more than a week since the NIU shooting. The last was Friday night when Charlie Gibson did the ABC evening news from Chicago and went to DeKalb in person. *sigh*

Did the FAA tell them yet there was no flight plan?
 
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mikea said:
Along with "The cause of the crash is under investigation" Ya THINK?
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Maybe every reporter should have to personally deliver a few death notices before they are allowed to write these types of stories. A few times of having to console a loved one as they scream and cry at the unexpected news might give them a little compassion. Nah...probably not.
 
Do they ever ask or investigate or have someone that knows anything help them? Out in Portland KOIN Ch 6 had a report, two times that I heard, refer to a Columbia 400 airplane as being an experimental aircraft. They don't know and they don't check. Go figure.
 
I just sent a semi-nasty but respectful email to the author of the story (Gabrielle Finley gfinley@orlandosentinel.com according to the original story) asking her why she felt it necessary to identify a potential victim before the family had been notified. Either a family just found out the hard way a loved one died, or a family was just told that a loved one who may well be alive might be dead. Either way it's unforgivable. Not that the email will do any good, but it helps me vent. :mad:
 
TangoWhiskey said:
Lisa, I understand your frustration... did you notice that it was the tail number of the SURVIVOR'S plane that they used??
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I admit I missed that when skimming the post. Adds a slightly different twist to things.
 
Aircraft "considered experimental" are attending an Experimental Aircraft Association gathering... shocking! Do these journalists actually go to college to become this stupid or is it a trait acquired from life's experience?

It's a sad loss.
 
Uggghhh... terrible, just terrible.
And the media vultures, as usual, are as sickening as the accident itself.
All we can do is try to be more careful... a go-around is almost always a good idea.
 
KennyFlys said:
Aircraft "considered experimental" are attending an Experimental Aircraft Association gathering... shocking! Do these journalists actually go to college to become this stupid or is it a trait acquired from life's experience?

It's a sad loss.
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Yes it's sad. But the journalists are no more stupid that the pilot rushing to get down, refusing to go around, not giving enough margin to the guy in front of him. I see this often, and it's not limited to California, Corona, or Peoria. It happens in King Airs and RV7s alike.

Seriously, there are a good number of morons among us. They are being culled out by Aviation; but what distresses me is the guy who had just rolled out. He was innocent.
 
bbchien said:
Yes it's sad. But the journalists are no more stupid that the pilot rushing to get down, refusing to go around, not giving enough margin to the guy in front of him. I see this often, and it's not limited to California, Corona, or Peoria. It happens in King Airs and RV7s alike.

Seriously, there are a good number of morons among us. They are being culled out by Aviation; but what distresses me is the guy who had just rolled out. He was innocent.
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I had such thoughts as I wrote that but didn't state them. While I was practicing and readying myself for my 709 ride during the Summer of 2005, I attended my first EAA fly-in. I was a bit more than shocked at some of the actions I witnessed.

RV-7's, four of them in formation, breaking off as if they were a fighter detachment returning from a strafing run. All this directly over mid-field at about 800 feet while other traffic was in the pattern on downwind, base and final. One by one, they broke off and flew out and entered the downwind on a teardrop, below TPA.

Yeah, it looked cool. But, it was time for that line from Top Gun... "Negative Moron, the pattern is full!" :rolleyes:
 
She responded, and as expected she just doesn't get it:

Thanks for your e-mail. My job is to find all the info I can and sometimes when we do our jobs we deliver painful news, especially in stories like these. I'm writing to say I understand where you're coming from. I'll forward your letter to my editor...
Thanks,
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Doesn't appear to me that the RV was on the rwy but on the txwy when the collision occurred.
 
smigaldi said:
Video of the actual crash and aftermath
http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/us/2008/03/06/vo.florida.plane.crash.cnn
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I think this should serve as a reminder to ALL of us to make CERTAIN that we have our head in the game at all times! Especially this spring, as the weather improves and we all start heading out to polish off some skills that might have rusted a bit in the off-season.

I have absolutely no clue as to the cause of the crash (pilot error, mechanical problems, etc) but the fact still remains that things can go wrong VERY quickly, so allowing ourselves even fewer opportunities for error is never a bad thing.
 
One of the pilots killed in the RV was a long time glider pilot instructor from the upper midwest. He was know for aerobatic instruction at Stanton airport near Minneapolis. I had met him but can't say I knew him.

Attended a funeral today of another fellow glider pilot who was killed in a car crash last week. He was a great stick. 38 years old.

MM
 
wby0nder said:
One of the pilots killed in the RV was a long time glider pilot instructor from the upper midwest. He was know for aerobatic instruction at Stanton airport near Minneapolis. I had met him but can't say I knew him.

Attended a funeral today of another fellow glider pilot who was killed in a car crash last week. He was a great stick. 38 years old.

MM
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What's his name? (PM me if you don't want to post it). I heard a name that I'm hoping isn't true. I also learned that a co-worker is related to one of the deaths but I haven't asked him which one or which airplane.
 
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