N6399A
Pre-takeoff checklist
Well……………… it started out a beautiful 4 day weekend of flying. My A&P/AI/friend (for the purpose of this post I’ll call him Kevin, and because that’s his name) and I left DVT in my 182 Thursday at 5 am for a quick flight to Flagstaff to pick up a Turbo Commander to fly to Houston International. In Houston we picked up his pax and took them to Andrews U. in MI. We stayed the night in Berrien Springs, went exploring a little in the morning, and left for McCall Idaho Friday afternoon. The flight to McCall was great and I was having a blast, after all, what could be better than studying the Instrument Procedures Handbook while right seat IFR in a Commander? 
Saturday morning we were back in the Commander and off to Missoula to visit a friend of Kevin’s for a few hours. Kev’s friend has a really nice Stinson with an O-470 that he hasn’t been able to fly for awhile. So we pre flighted that and took off up to a grass strip at Sealy Lake MT and then for a quick flight through the Bob Marshall wilderness. I know the AK and CO guys might beg to differ, but that to me is some if the most beautiful country in the country. And especially this time of year with snow still up high and the valleys green, well, lets just say, I was in heaven. 
The reason for the trip to McCall is that one of Kevin’s clients (Steve), the guy that owns the Commander, was flying his Beaver from Flagstaff to McCall on Friday as he owns a ranch about 21 miles east of McCall. The ranch is only accessible by airplane and he wanted to take the Beaver in there as his 182 is in Phoenix getting, well, everything. So after leaving Missoula Saturday afternoon, Kevin and I were to fly over the ranch so Steve would know to fly out and pick us up in the Beaver. Because of some pretty good mountain turbulence we weren’t able to get as low over the ranch as we’d have liked and weren’t really sure we’d been spotted. Apparently they’d seen us just as we made the turn away from there. Let’s see, the trip into the ranch in the Beaver would be our 4th super fun flight of the day. WOOHOO.
And what a strip this place has. It’s 500 feet on a 25 degree hill. Not too forgiving, to say the very least. (pics of the Beaver and the strip attached) After a tour of the 240 acre ranch which is currently home to, 2 small travel trailers, a dozer, a backhoe, a saw mill, a Ford Excursion, and misc. other equipment all delivered via Columbia helicopter, it was back in the Beaver for the flight back to McCall. Well, not until after a cruise along the ridges looking for Mountains Goats. Sunday was another flight into the ranch and then back to Flagstaff in the Commander. Sounds like a great weekend doesn’t it? Except for the REST of the story.
We had arrived in Flagstaff on Thursday morning before the FBO was open and the line guys present. There are no tie downs on the ramp in Flag., and SOP is when you arrive there the line guys come out with their own straps and tie down your airplane. We were leaving at 6:45, the FBO opened at 7:00, the wilds were calm, so we chaulked my plane and left. Instructions were left that my plane was to be moved to Steve’s hanger ASAP once the line guys got there. At 7:00am Steve left for Prescott in the Beaver. When he returned at noon my plane was still on the ramp and two of the line guys next to it. Just as Steve landed he looked to the west to see a huge dust devil coming over the top of the maintenance hanger and heading for the ramp. And YEP, there sat my baby, untied, and waiting to be moved inside. The rest is almost too sad to type.
It hit my plane and lifted the tail and one wing with both line boys hanging from the strut. Flipped it all the way up till the other wing and prop hit the ground. Crumpled the tip and the first 18” of wing, chipped a 1/8” corner off a prop blade, crunched a wheel pant, and snapped the nose fork off. 
Steve said he wouldn’t have believed it had he not seen it happen. I still can’t believe it. I held up pretty well on the initial damage inspection, but once in the 195 that we then had to fly back to Phoenix, I pretty much cried all the way home. 
I know I’m a newbie pilot with almost no hours compared to most of you, but I still feel like my heart has been jerked out and my legs cut off. While it’s completely repairable, we’re still uncertain at this time who will pay for it and how long it will take. Well, just got the phone call and looks like it will be my insurance paying with Kevin doing the repairs. Guess I'll know by the end of the week if Gastons is still possible.
PS The plane never did get tied down that morning.
Also a pic of my plane a few days before going to Flagstaff. Doesn't look like that now, but it will again. Will get some pictures when we go up to meet the adjuster. Well, if I can, or should say want to at that point.
Saturday morning we were back in the Commander and off to Missoula to visit a friend of Kevin’s for a few hours. Kev’s friend has a really nice Stinson with an O-470 that he hasn’t been able to fly for awhile. So we pre flighted that and took off up to a grass strip at Sealy Lake MT and then for a quick flight through the Bob Marshall wilderness. I know the AK and CO guys might beg to differ, but that to me is some if the most beautiful country in the country. And especially this time of year with snow still up high and the valleys green, well, lets just say, I was in heaven. The reason for the trip to McCall is that one of Kevin’s clients (Steve), the guy that owns the Commander, was flying his Beaver from Flagstaff to McCall on Friday as he owns a ranch about 21 miles east of McCall. The ranch is only accessible by airplane and he wanted to take the Beaver in there as his 182 is in Phoenix getting, well, everything. So after leaving Missoula Saturday afternoon, Kevin and I were to fly over the ranch so Steve would know to fly out and pick us up in the Beaver. Because of some pretty good mountain turbulence we weren’t able to get as low over the ranch as we’d have liked and weren’t really sure we’d been spotted. Apparently they’d seen us just as we made the turn away from there. Let’s see, the trip into the ranch in the Beaver would be our 4th super fun flight of the day. WOOHOO.
And what a strip this place has. It’s 500 feet on a 25 degree hill. Not too forgiving, to say the very least. (pics of the Beaver and the strip attached) After a tour of the 240 acre ranch which is currently home to, 2 small travel trailers, a dozer, a backhoe, a saw mill, a Ford Excursion, and misc. other equipment all delivered via Columbia helicopter, it was back in the Beaver for the flight back to McCall. Well, not until after a cruise along the ridges looking for Mountains Goats. Sunday was another flight into the ranch and then back to Flagstaff in the Commander. Sounds like a great weekend doesn’t it? Except for the REST of the story. We had arrived in Flagstaff on Thursday morning before the FBO was open and the line guys present. There are no tie downs on the ramp in Flag., and SOP is when you arrive there the line guys come out with their own straps and tie down your airplane. We were leaving at 6:45, the FBO opened at 7:00, the wilds were calm, so we chaulked my plane and left. Instructions were left that my plane was to be moved to Steve’s hanger ASAP once the line guys got there. At 7:00am Steve left for Prescott in the Beaver. When he returned at noon my plane was still on the ramp and two of the line guys next to it. Just as Steve landed he looked to the west to see a huge dust devil coming over the top of the maintenance hanger and heading for the ramp. And YEP, there sat my baby, untied, and waiting to be moved inside. The rest is almost too sad to type.
It hit my plane and lifted the tail and one wing with both line boys hanging from the strut. Flipped it all the way up till the other wing and prop hit the ground. Crumpled the tip and the first 18” of wing, chipped a 1/8” corner off a prop blade, crunched a wheel pant, and snapped the nose fork off. Steve said he wouldn’t have believed it had he not seen it happen. I still can’t believe it. I held up pretty well on the initial damage inspection, but once in the 195 that we then had to fly back to Phoenix, I pretty much cried all the way home. I know I’m a newbie pilot with almost no hours compared to most of you, but I still feel like my heart has been jerked out and my legs cut off. While it’s completely repairable, we’re still uncertain at this time who will pay for it and how long it will take. Well, just got the phone call and looks like it will be my insurance paying with Kevin doing the repairs. Guess I'll know by the end of the week if Gastons is still possible. PS The plane never did get tied down that morning.
Also a pic of my plane a few days before going to Flagstaff. Doesn't look like that now, but it will again. Will get some pictures when we go up to meet the adjuster. Well, if I can, or should say want to at that point.
But I'm not sure they would have saved me anyway. The line guys were at the plane to move it and had I tied it down myself they might have had it untied by then anyway. Who knows? 
