Saratoga down in upstate SC Oct 2, 4 dead

D

dBrad

Pre-Flight
Joined
Jan 3, 2015
Messages
66
Display Name
Display name:
dBrad
Saratoga down in South Carolina, 4 dead

http://wspa.com/2015/10/02/oconee-co-deputies-search-for-possible-plane-crash/

Looks like a group of guys from Indiana trying to get to the Clemson-NotreDame football game over the weekend. We had plenty of wind and rain on Friday night when they went down, so that likely played a part. No mention of post crash fire, but also it appears to have broken apart in flight, so that might explain where the fuel went if there was plenty of it.

Father, son, and presumably a couple of their friends. Pray for the families involved.
 
Last edited:
WESTMINSTER — A single-engine*plane crash in dismal conditions*Friday afternoon killed four Notre Dame fans who were traveling to watch the football game against Clemson University and left a close-knit Indiana city reeling from the loss of four prominent community members.

The crash killed a championship-winning sprint car driver, two former high school football coaches, one of which was a current city councilman, and a son of one of the coaches who was an attorney.

All four lived in Warsaw, Indiana, about 45 minutes outside South Bend.

Oconee County Coroner Karl Addis identified the men as: Charles D. Smith, 71; his son, Scott A. Smith, 44; Tony L. Elliott, 54; and Scott D. Bibler, 51.

There were no survivors.

The National Transportation Safety Board has opened an investigation into the crash, which happened on the shores of Lake Hartwell near Westminster at about 3:15 p.m. Friday.

An investigator arrived on scene Saturday to begin documenting evidence and a preliminary report could be released in about a week to 10 days, said Peter Knudson, a NTSB spokesman.

A call to Oconee 911 at 3:13 p.m. Friday reported a plan spiraling downward near the lake, said Karl Addis, Oconee County coroner.

An official at Oconee County Regional Airport said the plane was flying from Warsaw to the Oconee airport and the pilot had filed a flight plan. Conditions around the Oconee airport were “dismal” Friday afternoon, the official said.

Some details about the flight environment may be listed in the preliminary NTSB report, but officials hadn’t pieced together complete information about the weather conditions and the storm’s role in the crash yet, Knudson said.

The bulk of the wreckage was located in the Tabor community of Oconee County near the South Carolina/Georgia state line, Addis said.

http://www.greenvilleonline.com/story/news/2015/10/03/four-men-idd-plane-crash-victims/73278868/

Here's a better article.
 
Last edited:
'Distress call', ended up spread out 1 mile from intended destination, KCEU.

The weather at the field didn't look bad.


KCEU 022054Z AUTO 05008KT 10SM OVC020 17/14 A2980 RMK AO2 SLP084 60000
T01720139 56014
 
:no: Good GOD! who the heck would be crazy enough to be flying a light GA airplane in SC last Saturday???? Sometimes I just can't do anything but shake my head in disbelief!!!
 
Well in their defense they were planning to arrive Friday afternoon before the real bad stuff started. At first glance I agree it doesn't seem like the right weekend to arrive here, but as mentioned above the wx wasn't all that bad at the time.
 
FlySince9 said:
:no: Good GOD! who the heck would be crazy enough to be flying a light GA airplane in SC last Saturday???? Sometimes I just can't do anything but shake my head in disbelief!!!
Click to expand...

Who knows, but these guys were flying a light GA airplane in SC last Friday afternoon. So I hope you're not shaking it in disbelief at them.

https://flightaware.com/live/flight/N782TM

sourdough44 said:
KCEU 022054Z AUTO 05008KT 10SM OVC020 17/14 A2980 RMK AO2 SLP084 60000
T01720139 56014
Click to expand...
 
my wild uninformed speculation:
perhaps encountered turbulence above VA(maneuvering speed) leading to break up?
 
FlySince9 said:
:no: Good GOD! who the heck would be crazy enough to be flying a light GA airplane in SC last Saturday???? Sometimes I just can't do anything but shake my head in disbelief!!!
Click to expand...

Why? I wasn't far from SC. It wasn't bad if you're comfortable with 800-1000' ceilings and rain.
 
jimbilly said:
my wild uninformed speculation:
perhaps encountered turbulence above VA(maneuvering speed) leading to break up?
Click to expand...

It would have had to be severe turbulence. Va on a Saratoga is like 105-110, and cruising speed is like 155. Yellow arc doesn't even start until 165, so I would think there is more to the story.

Saratogas and the like do have a wing spar inspection AD. Perhaps there was some corrosion on the spar at the fuselage?
 
ahkahn said:
It would have had to be severe turbulence. Va on a Saratoga is like 105-110, and cruising speed is like 155. Yellow arc doesn't even start until 165, so I would think there is more to the story.

Saratogas and the like do have a wing spar inspection AD. Perhaps there was some corrosion on the spar at the fuselage?
Click to expand...

Actually, Va on a Saratoga SP is 134k at gross, I flew one today. Yellow starts at 158k, and Vne is about 200 (I do not remember this one 100%). I wonder if the pilot got disoriented in IMC, got nose down and exceeded Vne. You would not need the turbulence aspect of the equation then.
 
I commented in the other thread here about this one. After thinking some more, I wonder if he might have had a partial panel failure?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top