Micron CEO dies in crash

Not enough left of it to tell from the photos, that's for sure... :(
 
Inverted said:
You say that like the IV is a more problematic Lancair than the others. I actually wasn't aware of him owning a Lancair. RIP and blue skies Steve.
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I am under the impression that they tend to wind up in fatals more often.
 
Impression and factual evidence are largely separated. What do you base that impression on?
 
Inverted said:
Impression and factual evidence are largely separated. What do you base that impression on?
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Very good question. I have read in aviation magazines that the IVs have the highest fatal rate of any aircraft. I am not in any saying that they are bad or dangerous airplanes. But I have no doubt that they are a handful when things take a left turn.

They are also the sort of high dollar fast moving transportation machine I would expect the CEO of a major company to fly. Do you have some evidence to suggest I am mistaken?
 
This guy appears to be a high time pilot with a lot of aerobatic experience. Who may have stall/spun attempting the impossible turn?? Just throwing things out.

RIP, sad to hear.
 
steingar said:
Do you have some evidence to suggest I am mistaken?
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No, which is why I can't argue against the fact. Its why you won't hear me say whether that plane has a high fatality rate or not. It just sounds insensitive to make an assumption on the model number when there is no reason to suspect the airplane is at fault yet.
 
dell30rb said:
This guy appears to be a high time pilot with a lot of aerobatic experience. Who may have stall/spun attempting the impossible turn?? Just throwing things out.

RIP, sad to hear.
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Reports are saying the aircraft was on fire as it returned to the airport. That is the only thing I have heard and it is second hand information.
 
Inverted said:
No, which is why I can't argue against the fact. Its why you won't hear me say whether that plane has a high fatality rate or not. It just sounds insensitive to make an assumption on the model number when there is no reason to suspect the airplane is at fault yet.
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Very hard to believe this pilot would suffer such a calamity in a docile airframe in good order.

In any event, I have been a bit insensitive. RIP to the pilot, and the best hopes for his family.
 
dell30rb said:
This guy appears to be a high time pilot with a lot of aerobatic experience. Who may have stall/spun attempting the impossible turn?? Just throwing things out.

RIP, sad to hear.
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Actually online article I just read said that witnesses reported the plane on fire before it crashed between to runways. Very said indeed. Young guy with a family:(
 
Inverted said:
Reports are saying the aircraft was on fire as it returned to the airport. That is the only thing I have heard and it is second hand information.
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Okay, a flaming impossible turn. If you thought it was impossible before, try it now!

Very sad indeed.
 
dell30rb said:
Okay, a flaming impossible turn. If you thought it was impossible before, try it now!

Very sad indeed.
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How do you know he tried to make an "impossible turn" as you call it? We don't know that yet. And the impossible turn isn't that impossible given a lot of situations....
 
LiveATC.net caught the incident on the 1530Z KBOI recording; there's less than 6 seconds between when he says he wants to come back in and land and the tower personnel saying "pull up" and "oh my god". Sad day... if you have to go that way, though, I'd be glad it was over quickly.
 
Inverted said:
How do you know he tried to make an "impossible turn" as you call it? We don't know that yet. And the impossible turn isn't that impossible given a lot of situations....
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I never reported this as fact. It sounds like he turned back to the airport shortly after takeoff.

And I know its not impossible in every scenario. That's just the term for making a turn back to the airport shortly after takeoff.
 
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dell30rb said:
I never reported this as fact. It sounds like he turned back to the airport shortly after takeoff.

And I know its not impossible in every scenario. That's just the term for making a turn back to the airport shortly after takeoff.
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On tower's clearance for takeoff from 10R, he was told to make right traffic. NTSB briefing (live, right now) says witness statements and video shows the plane climbed to just a few hundred feet, entered a steep bank and stalled, then descended into the ground.
 
NTSB investigator just said the he actually started to takeoff earlier in the day, before the crash, climbed to about 5' above the runway, then stated he wanted to cancel takeoff and return to his hangar. He later tried again...
 
TangoWhiskey said:
NTSB investigator just said the he actually started to takeoff earlier in the day, before the crash, climbed to about 5' above the runway, then stated he wanted to cancel takeoff and return to his hangar. He later tried again...
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Ouch. Is this on TV now or something?
 
Inverted said:
Reports are saying the aircraft was on fire as it returned to the airport. That is the only thing I have heard and it is second hand information.
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NTSB briefing (live) said that wasn't the case; all evidence seems to point to a post-crash fire.
 
TangoWhiskey said:
NTSB investigator just said the he actually started to takeoff earlier in the day, before the crash, climbed to about 5' above the runway, then stated he wanted to cancel takeoff and return to his hangar. He later tried again...
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I just listened to the tape... "earlier in the day" was at 8:46 AM (also on the same 15:30 recording, 16:46 in), he is cleared to depart 10R, right downwind, proceed on course. He cancels his takeoff and says "Uh 1LC is going to land here and stop; we have a problem to fix." Tower asks if he needs assistance, he says "Negative, I'm going to taxi back and see if I can figure it out." He's told to contact Ground at 8:47. Ground isn't covered by LiveATC.

At 8:54:30, LC is back on frequency, saying he'd like to stay in the pattern. (remember, his earlier clearance was to "proceed on course", so presumably he's staying in the pattern to ensure he "fixed" whatever he thought was wrong the first time). He's cleared for takeoff 10R at 8:54:37, "make right traffic". At 8:54:50, Tower gives current altimeter, says that Information Romeo is current, and advises caution due to birds in the vicinity of the aircraft. At 8:55:32, there's a brief transmission, unidentifiable, then the tower clears somebody else to depart. Before the departing traffic replies, LC is back on with a hurried and distressed "321LC, I'd like to turn back in, and uh... land... coming back in..." (8:25:45 completes that exchange, though the mike stays open for two more seconds and you hear "uh, 32!") followed immediately by background voices in the tower on the open mike crying "pull up!" and "oh, sh**". Takeoff clearance is canceled to the other aircraft to a chorus of "oh my god oh my god oh my god" from a lady in the tower.

NTSB says he was thrown clear of the wreckage but not clear of the post-crash fire.
 
Looks like he just bought it (new plane to him?). Was listed in the November 2011 Barnstormers, and first flew from Raleigh Durham to Boise on 12/30/2011 per FlightAware.

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Here are some of the previous owner's pictures of the plane:

https://plus.google.com/photos/115511737791623451555/albums/5668248340594608753?banner=pwa
 

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It was a new plane to him, I wasn't aware that he had purchased the aircraft. Not that I know him well at all.
 
You being right doesn't make you educated in the matter. You took a wild stab and happened to be right.
 
I've already heard someone interviewed on the radio saying "I don't know why we allow people, especially company executives, to get into plane with a risk of crashing..." :confused:

And so it continues.....

A propjet Lancair IV moves. I was talking with a guy on a commercial flight one day who said his dad had one - and he (the guy I talked to - also a pilot) was almost afraid to fly it as it was too slick, too fast, and a handful.
 
Inverted said:
You being right doesn't make you educated in the matter. You took a wild stab and happened to be right.
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Wasn't a wild stab. When an ignoramus like me can correctly pick out an aircraft knowing as little as I did, there is something wrong.
 
Inverted said:
You being right doesn't make you educated in the matter. You took a wild stab and happened to be right.
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Every time a Beech goes down, I endure "I bet it was a V-Tail"

Your suffering isn't new. Crosses are over there, grab one and bear away. ;) It's not all bad.
 
Thats like any one hearing that a single engine Beech crashed and guessing its a Bonanza. Odds you are right are pretty darn good right? The IV is the most popular Lancair, simple math says you will probably right. But you didn't decipher the wreckage and conclude it was a IV from pure expertise on the matter. Your comment saying it is probably a IV implies they are unsafe aircraft that fall out of the sky, simply not true.
 
wsuffa said:
A propjet Lancair IV moves. I was talking with a guy on a commercial flight one day who said his dad had one - and he (the guy I talked to - also a pilot) was almost afraid to fly it as it was too slick, too fast, and a handful.
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Any IV moves. Even in their least expensive, most economical form. At Reno, They have broken the 400mph speed barrier and will go faster. That is SMOKING. Steve has a Hawker Hunter, as well as a Viper. He is no stranger to speed.
 
Inverted said:
The IV is the most popular Lancair, simple math says you will probably right. But you didn't decipher the wreckage and conclude it was a IV from pure expertise on the matter. Your comment saying it is probably a IV implies they are unsafe aircraft that fall out of the sky, simply not true.
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Do IV's make up the preponderance of the Lancair fleet?
 
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Inverted said:
Any IV moves. Even in their least expensive, most economical form. At Reno, They have broken the 400mph speed barrier and will go faster. That is SMOKING. Steve has a Hawker Hunter, as well as a Viper. He is no stranger to speed.
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He stopped here in Jackson Hole last fall in the Viperjet....http://www.pilotfriend.com/experimental/acft7/42.htm

Probably the KOOLEST homebuilt I have ever looked at up close...... We chatted while the line guy was literally stuffing it as full of Jet A as he could because Steve told me it will take about every drop to make it back to Boise with a small reserve.... Watching it take off was very impressive..... Like Inverted said, Steve was no stranger to Hi Perf aircrafts.....

Tailwinds fellow pilot. :sad::sad::sad::sad:

Ben.
 
TangoWhiskey said:
NTSB investigator just said the he actually started to takeoff earlier in the day, before the crash, climbed to about 5' above the runway, then stated he wanted to cancel takeoff and return to his hangar. He later tried again...
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Very interesting.....ATC tape is up at LiveATC:
http://www.liveatc.net/recordings.php

It is a compilation/edit, so not sure how much time elapsed between takeoff attempts, but he did indeed takeoff or attempt to takeoff and then abort to fix a problem and then tried again. Wondering if there was some flight control problem.
 
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