Lancair IV-P Accident Ohio

MyassisDragon

MyassisDragon

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Mr Fred
Any idea what might have happened here? The pilot seemed experienced in that particular plane, he was descending around 1500ft/m and took a turn to the east and continued descending directly into the ground, not even close to his home airport.

Weather didnt look bad, his decent profile matched his past flights and the site pictures looked like he took out a paved road at a high rate of speed .:dunno:

http://www.thekathrynreport.com/2014/07/lancair-iv-p-n40941-fatal-accident.html

http://flightaware.com/live/flight/N40941

I searched for a POA thread on this and could not find one, so my apologies if Im duplicating.
 
Generally speaking, 47 is too early to start having medical issues. However, it is possible. Let's say I know someone, Mr. Z, who was flying a much lower performance airplane after a very difficult day and possibly dehydrated a bit. He felt poor, but passed up an airport to divert. At about 20 miles out he's had a bad attack and possibly passed out for a second or two. He recovered and managed to land at his destination. When he drove home, he drifted from the right lane of a 3-lane freeway and almost clipped the concrete divider. Mr.Z is 45.
 
Looks fat enough to have issues at 47.
 
At 1am, fatigue and/or spatial disorientation could have been a factor as well.
 
So many possibilities it's hard to even make a reasoned guess.
 
I don't understand this... you don't "pass away" when you crash.

You die. Pretty quickly, at that.
 
1a.m. in the morning? Who flies a god awful glide ratio Lancair single at 1a.m.?

I'm going with horizon disorientation. But an aware pilot should pick that up on the instruments.

Sounds like he passed out if something didn't break off. :dunno:
 
Not that there couldn't be a reasonable explanation, but I'm curious what the relationship was between the pilot and the passenger.
 
txflyer said:
1a.m. in the morning? Who flies a god awful glide ratio Lancair single at 1a.m.?



I'm going with horizon disorientation. But an aware pilot should pick that up on the instruments.



Sounds like he passed out if something didn't break off. :dunno:
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The glide ratio of that plane was 13:1. That's actually a lot better than many other GA planes. Best Glide speed is likely quite high though.
 
dans2992 said:
The glide ratio of that plane was 13:1. That's actually a lot better than many other GA planes. Best Glide speed is likely quite high though.
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That's better than I thought it was.

But still ... a high performance pressurized single at night is not my cup of tea, but I'm also not 20 years old anymore.

I'll admit, when I was 20, I would probably be that guy at 1a.m. if I had a IV-P. Nothing scared me back then. :redface:
 
He was 47.

I fly a non-pressurized single at night all the time. It's what I can afford and I accept the risk.

If I had a IV-P, I'd want the BRS though...
 
dans2992 said:
Not that there couldn't be a reasonable explanation, but I'm curious what the relationship was between the pilot and the passenger.
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Why? Do you think it relates to the causing the crash?
 
txflyer said:
That's better than I thought it was.

But still ... a high performance pressurized single at night is not my cup of tea, but I'm also not 20 years old anymore.

I'll admit, when I was 20, I would probably be that guy at 1a.m. if I had a IV-P. Nothing scared me back then. :redface:
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Lots of PC12 working at night, the plane doesn't know what time it is.



dans2992 said:
If I had a IV-P, I'd want the BRS though...
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If it was a CFIT a BRS ain't going to help.
 
txflyer said:
That's better than I thought it was.

But still ... a high performance pressurized single at night is not my cup of tea, but I'm also not 20 years old anymore.

I'll admit, when I was 20, I would probably be that guy at 1a.m. if I had a IV-P. Nothing scared me back then. :redface:
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When i was 20 i was in a very tired king air every night at that time after working a day shift. No way could i do that now.
 
James331 said:
Lots of PC12 working at night, the plane doesn't know what time it is.
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Apples and Oranges to a 172 or a 180. I'd take the reliability of a turbine over a single anytime.

It's the same thing I guess, but then it isn't. Anyhow, I used to fly a turbo Stationair out to West Texas at night often when I was 20ish. Night flight is smooth with less T-boomers out there. I enjoy night flying, but with my eyes and bladder, I try to keep it local or short trips now.

That means keeping trips inside my own State for any Rhode Island or New Hampshire people. :lol:;)
 
JHW said:
When i was 20 i was in a very tired king air every night at that time after working a day shift. No way could i do that now.
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Me either.

You can burn the candle at both ends when you're young. But when you're in your fifties, the sandman can jack with my eyesight among other things.

It all boils down to a man's got to know his limitations as a pilot to steal a phrase. If you're young and can see 20/20 and feel good and love flying at night, there's not a thing wrong with it if you have the equipment and are putting the flight planning into it and being a good proficient pilot at it. It goes on every night above us. :yes:
 
Brad Z said:
Why? Do you think it relates to the causing the crash?
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Probably not, but they seem unlikely traveling companions, in a IV-P, at 1am on a Saturday night.
 
dans2992 said:
Probably not, but they seem unlikely traveling companions, in a IV-P, at 1am on a Saturday night.
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Um, yeah, no disrespect to anyone, but if you watch the video, Tiesha the passenger was one hot Nubian beauty.

Vivacious if I can say that. Big and Vivacious.

Get my point? :wink2:
 
dans2992 said:
Probably not, but they seem unlikely traveling companions, in a IV-P, at 1am on a Saturday night.
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txflyer said:
Um, yeah, no disrespect to anyone, but if you watch the video, Tiesha the passenger was one hot Nubian beauty.

Vivacious if I can say that. Big and Vivacious.

Get my point? :wink2:
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How scandalous! An older white man and a younger black woman! What is this, 1964?
 
Brad Z said:
How scandalous! An older white man and a younger black woman! What is this, 1964?
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Black, white, green, purple, makes no difference.

All I's saying was ANY woman that 'gifted' could be a distraction at 1a.m. alone in the cabin...

Maybe a mile high club thing but he didn't have the altitude .. :dunno:
 
txflyer said:
Black, white, green, purple, makes no difference.

All I's saying was ANY woman that 'gifted' could be a distraction at 1a.m. alone in the cabin...

Maybe a mile high club thing but he didn't have the altitude .. :dunno:
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theres already an ntsb docket describing an accident that happened due to the glorious 172 PIC getting a blowjob while exercising his aviator duties. so i wouldnt rule out the "distraction" as the cause of the accident.

I have flown hundreds of hours at night on a single and with an instrument rating and being proficient I just cant see how people can get disoriented and loose control a la kennedy jr.

a single engine is gonna quit when its gonna quit.
 
cirrusmx said:
theres already an ntsb docket describing an accident that happened due to the glorious 172 PIC getting a blowjob while exercising his aviator duties. so i wouldnt rule out the "distraction" as the cause of the accident.

I have flown hundreds of hours at night on a single and with an instrument rating and being proficient I just cant see how people can get disoriented and loose control a la kennedy jr.

a single engine is gonna quit when its gonna quit.
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BJ's and good pilotage don't co-exist very well. :redface:
 
Funny, if I'm flying at 1:00am with my wife, she's generally sacked out with the dog in her lap. Judging by all the assumptions here, I must be missing out on all the fun that apparently everyone else is having.
 
Brad Z said:
Funny, if I'm flying at 1:00am with my wife, she's generally sacked out with the dog in her lap. Judging by all the assumptions here, I must be missing out on all the fun that apparently everyone else is having.
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You said the magic word.

"Wife."

They don't do BJ's if they don't want to. :lol:
 
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