SR22 Down - Gulf of Mexico

Just saw that posting on FB too, terrible situation


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any link to a news article? not that we'll learn much from that.....
 
I watched it fly out into the ocean on Flight Aware
 
This unfolded in real time...absolutely horrible event...
 
The last turn is sorta telling.
 
I question whether he actually had dogs onboard if he was flight planning an unpressurized aircraft in the flight levels.
 
I don't think that turn is real. Flightaware often shows flight path anomalies, particularly in places without good radar/ADSB coverage.
sure
 
I question whether he actually had dogs onboard if he was flight planning an unpressurized aircraft in the flight levels.
Negative.
He was coming to KGTU to pick up an elderly Husky for a transport north. Never made it.
Now, whether he had other people onboard, I do not know. He had a flight plan, of course (at FL190), so if anybody can find SOB, that would tell us.

Btw, this is a friend of a friend. I never met him but heard that he was a great guy.
R.I.P. :(
 
I was puttering in my RV-8 around 1630L this afternoon N of Houston, heard the fighters intercept and try to get his attention on Guard. They called him 3 times, no response... yikes. Evil, was that you calling him? Sounded like Darth Vader with the O2 mask...
 
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Looking at Flightaware, he climbed immediately to 20K...I don't understand why he would do that in an unpressurized airplane. Is it possible a medical event occurred shortly after takeoff and the airplane was on autopilot? The track looks like fairly constant 20k alt all the way.
 
We scrambled on him tonight. I think one guy is still out shadowing... RIP

I couldn't tell whether it was a Flightaware anomaly, since at one point it seemed to revert to a normal track. But, well, I guess that confirms it. Can't imagine it ended well.
 
Looking at Flightaware, he climbed immediately to 20K...I don't understand why he would do that in an unpressurized airplane. Is it possible a medical event occurred shortly after takeoff and the airplane was on autopilot? The track looks like fairly constant 20k alt all the way.
its called suicide.
 
If Clark is right it would make sense because he would have to have switched tanks in order to fly that long
 
so, schedule a PnP flight then decide to end it? I mean, maybe, but.....
 
wowzers

the usual "wait for actual information" is out the window on this one and it is an obvious suicide by aircraft?

I'm glad the dog survived.

sheesh
 
I don't believe a dog was on board. I believe he was flying to Texas to pick one up. Not sure why everyone is assuming suicide...
other than flying into the gulf without a course change...
 
Obviously just a WAG on my part, but I recall reading about an NTSB report (I think) where O2 was used but the regulator was leaking (unbeknownst to the pilot). The net result was that he used up his O2 much faster than planned, failed to catch the symptoms, and the predictable happened. Just a possibility.

Sad no matter what happened.
 
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