Too much money, too little sense

Dan Smith

Pre-takeoff checklist
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Dan
This goes beyond stupid:

http://www.ntsb.gov/NTSB/brief.asp?ev_id=20060727X01040&key=1

(Text below for click-savers)

NTSB Identification: LAX06FA243
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Sunday, July 23, 2006 in Bullhead City, AZ
Aircraft: Raytheon Aircraft Company G36, registration: N241JL
Injuries: 2 Fatal, 1 Serious.

This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed.

On July 23, 2006, about 1600 mountain standard time, a Raytheon Aircraft Company G36, N241JL, overshot the runway and collided with a dirt berm during an attempted landing at Eagle Airpark, Bullhead City, Arizona. The pilot was operating the airplane under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91. The private pilot and one of the passengers sustained fatal injuries. The remaining passenger sustained serious injuries. The airplane was destroyed in the impact sequence and the post crash fire. The local personal flight originated from Eagle Airpark about 5 minutes prior to the accident. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a flight plan had not been filed.

A National Transportation Safety Board investigator interviewed a witness, who was also a pilot. He stated that the afternoon of the accident, he heard an airplane engine start and stepped outside of his hangar to identify which airplane it was. He observed the accident airplane near the end of the taxiway, on the south end of the airpark. He kept his eyes affixed to the airplane as it began to taxi in his direction to runway 17. He noted that the pilot appeared to be preoccupied, as the airplane made erratic s-turns up the taxiway. The airplane veered from side to side varying in power settings, as it would increase and then decrease in speed. From observing the airplane taxi, he assumed that the pilot was a student.

The airplane began the takeoff roll and remained relatively straight on the runway centerline. When reaching about 5/8 of the way down the runway the airplane became airborne. It made a step-like climb out, where it would momentarily gain altitude and then level out. The pilot made a left crosswind departure and it appeared as if the flight was headed to the Needles very high frequency omni-directional range (VOR) navigation system. The witness noted that the pilot retracted the landing gear about 700 feet above ground level (agl).

The witness further stated that while he was inside his hangar, about 5 to 7 minutes after seeing the airplane depart, he heard the airplane approach the airpark. He heard the airplane at a high power setting maneuvering over the runway, as if they were buzzing the field or performing a flyby. He subsequently heard the engine noise stop and he ran outside the hangar. He observed a big plume of dust just south of the irrigation ditch at the end of runway 17.

A Safety Board investigator interviewed a bartender who was employed at the Red Dog’s Saloon, an establishment recently purchased by the pilot. She stated that pilot and rear-seat passenger had celebrated their birthdays together the day prior to the accident, by having a party at the Red Dog’s Saloon. The night of the party it was decided that as a birthday present to the passenger, the pilot would take him for a flight to see the Colorado River the following day.

The bartender further reported that the day of the accident, the pilot arrived at the saloon about 1030. He appeared to be in a good mood and refreshed; there was no evidence that he was hung over. While he was at the bar, she served the pilot two shots and two mixed drinks, and he never appeared to be intoxicated; the rear-seat passenger had about five drinks and was showing the affects of alcohol consumption. The front-seat passenger arrived that the bar about 30 minutes before the three of them left for the flight; she served him one drink and one shot. They all left the bar together about 1400 to 1500 and were picked up by a designated driver. The pilot indicated that the flight would be about an hour long.

During a telephone conversation with a Safety Board investigator, the designated driver that transported the pilot and passengers to the airpark stated that the pilot did not appear to be intoxicated. After arriving at the hangar, the pilot started the engine and maneuvered the airplane onto the taxiway. He told the driver that he would call him after they landed to get a ride back to the saloon.

A paramedic for the Mohave Valley Fire Department recalled responding to the accident about 10 to 15 minutes after it occurred. He stated that when he arrived the front-seat passenger was outside of the airplane and appeared to have suffered second-degree burns. Before given Morphine, the patient was asked if he had consumed any alcohol that day. He replied that he had consumed "a couple of beers and a couple of shots." The paramedic stated that he could smell alcohol on the breath of the patient.

A routine aviation weather report (METAR) for Needles, California, 7.3 nautical miles from Eagle Airpark on a bearing of 183 degrees, reported that the temperature was about 117 degrees Fahrenheit at the time of the accident.
 
That is a shame. I go to eagle often. This crash has been in our local news for a few days now, nothing being said about them drinking though.
 
Good grief. That's a Darwin award candidate right there...
 
Ok....so they apparently knew enough to have a "designated driver" but then he thought he was good enough to fly?

Sorry....he got exactly what his actions warranted.
 
tdager said:
Ok....so they apparently knew enough to have a "designated driver" but then he thought he was good enough to fly?

Sorry....he got exactly what his actions warranted.

No love lost for the pilot that's for sure, but unfortunately he took someone with him and cause serious injury to another.
 
I'll beat Doc Chien to the punch:

"We have met the enemy, and they are us."

Sigh.
 
The part about them getting a designated driver, then actually going flying, really distresses me. What the heck were the thought processes?
 
What's the crude general rule?:
~one once per hour?
"Didn't appear to be intoxicated?" (after 4)
Non of the parties, including the bartender and designated driver, appear to have anything worthwhile to be missed.
 
Joe Williams said:
The part about them getting a designated driver, then actually going flying, really distresses me. What the heck were the thought processes?
Absent.
 
Having been to Eagle (thanks Michael), I can actually picture this whole thing happening.

I hate drunks. (current drunks, recovering drunks are ok)
 
Joe Williams said:
The part about them getting a designated driver, then actually going flying, really distresses me. What the heck were the thought processes?

I thought the designated driver thing made the story rather funny (except for the parts where people got killed or injured, a plane was wrecked and the reputation of GA pilots smeared - I mean you know, other then that it was funny).

Len
 
Len Lanetti said:
I thought the designated driver thing made the story rather funny (except for the parts where people got killed or injured,

and planning to get the DD to take them Back To The Saloon!! Simply amazing.
 
Let'sgoflying! said:
and planning to get the DD to take them Back To The Saloon!! Simply amazing.
Not really stupid if you think about it. (well, yes its still stupid but...) Whos gonna pull you over from a uncontrolled field flying over class G airspace? But you will get pulled over driving to and from the airport. I am not saying what they did was right of course, but obviously, he wasnt worried about the flying part.
 
Michael said:
Not really stupid if you think about it. (well, yes its still stupid but...) Whos gonna pull you over from a uncontrolled field flying over class G airspace? But you will get pulled over driving to and from the airport. I am not saying what they did was right of course, but obviously, he wasnt worried about the flying part.

Your avatar seems so apt for these guys.

Dan
 
From the local fish wrap:

MOHAVE VALLEY, AZ - A preliminary report released by the NTSB (National Transportation Safety Board) regarding last Sunday's plane crash at the Eagle Airfield in Mohave Valley said the pilot and his two passengers were intoxicated at the time the plane took off - after the three had a number of drinks at the Red Dog Saloon in Needles. The bar was owned by the pilot, John Lee, who was killed in the accident, along with his friend, Duane Cranney (the other passenger, Greg Swain suffered serious burns and was taken to a hospital in Las Vegas).
They all left the bar together sometime "between 2 and 3pm," and were driven by a designated driver. Finally, the report reveals that a paramedic "could smell alcohol on the breath of the patient," that being the front seat passenger Swain, who was treated for second-degree burns and found outside of the plane when paramedics arrived. The NTSB also said, "a flight plan had not been filed." The investigation is still ongoing and a further report is forthcoming.

Well there ya have it. Im not certain now what the cause of the accident was. Was it the alcohol or the fact they didnt file a flight plan?
 
Sort of odd... there have been those times when I looked up, saw a placid and beautiful sky, beckoning me to have a pleasant evening cruise, but *oh* - I had a cold Miller Lite two hours ago!

I know, really I do, that I am just fine. Really.

But then again, if I have to ask the question, I already know the answer. And that seals it.

I once watched a pilot who had had a few quite nearly do himself (and others) in; his stick-handling looked just fine, it was his judgment that was weak. The image will be with me for a Very Long Time; I thought I was going to see two friends die.

Oh, and by the way, lesson learned for them too.
 
Getting anywhere near an airplane with alcohol in you is about the most stupid thing that you can do. From what I have observed your airplane handling abilities will usually be decent. The problem arises with your judgement.

I really do not understand the thought process of individuals that do things like this. Maybe they don't appreciate their pilot certificate. Maybe they didn't really have to work very hard for it.

I'm not sure about you guys..but I had to work thousands of hours working a pretty ****ty job to get my private license...To hell if I'm going to let myself lose it.

I made a promise to myself years ago that I would never let alcohol have any say in my life. 12 years later and I have never touched the stuff. I don't trust myself.
 
jangell said:
From what I have observed your airplane handling abilities will usually be decent. The problem arises with your judgement.

I really do not understand the thought process of individuals that do things like this.

Jesse, these two statements answer your question. A few drinks, and their judgment goes to pieces. There was no adequate thought process when they left the bar.

I applaud your setting your own limits and sticking to them! :yes: In today's society peer pressure makes that hard. Good on ya!

-Skip
 
While I don't drink and fly... I would imagine it isn't the guy who had 1 beer 7 hours before that causes any problems. Its the rule so the guy who drinks 7 beers has to wait more than 1 hour to go fly.

Most pilots are going to say "Wow, thats one strict rule. I better not even risk going after having one sip." Then these guys come along and just ignore the rules completely.

You go up and have one little oops while taxi'ing your plane back to its tie down, that's it man. Like Spike said, it just isn't worth the risk.
 
I was talking to a pilot at Oshkosh Saturday who said that he once went flying after a beer. He said he was fine on the ground, but as soon as he got up to altitude he started really feeling the effects. He got it down on the ground as soon as he could, and says he's learned his lesson.

Me, I once started a drink with lunch one afternoon, totally forgetting at the time that I had a flight with my instructor (I didn't have my PPL at the time). Even though he would have been PIC, I wasn't going near that with a 10' pole, and called and canceled the lesson.

In retrospect, I wonder if it might not have been a good learning lesson to have gone up with him (with full disclosure, of course) to see just how bad the effects would have been. OTOH, since I already have my hard-and-fast rule, I guess I really don't need that reinforcement, and it could potentially backfire to weaken my resolve.
 
Skip Miller said:
Jesse, these two statements answer your question. A few drinks, and their judgment goes to pieces. There was no adequate thought process when they left the bar.

I applaud your setting your own limits and sticking to them! :yes: In today's society peer pressure makes that hard. Good on ya!

-Skip

I often find myself passing on offered drinks because I don't want to give up the possibility of flying should the opportunity arise. Of course since I'm not much of a drinker (haven't been drunk since college days, and that's like 35 years ago) it's not all that difficult to abstain.
 
gprellwitz said:
I was talking to a pilot at Oshkosh Saturday who said that he once went flying after a beer. He said he was fine on the ground, but as soon as he got up to altitude he started really feeling the effects. He got it down on the ground as soon as he could, and says he's learned his lesson.

One time I had a few drinks the night before I went sky diving. Maybe more than a few, I was young, but I still got a good nights sleep before I went out to the DZ. I felt fine on the ground but by the time we got to altitude I was definately drunk again. That was an eye opener.

I think that altitude greatly multiplies the effect of any alcohol(sp) you have in your system.
 
Drinking and flying certianly do not mix, however I just cannot see myself giving up a good glass of wine or a rum and coke. So if I drink I just make sure I have no intentions of being PIC, though I have gone up as a passenger (with a sober pilot) a wee bit intoxicated, it was fun actually! :D
 
When I was a flying crew chief in the Air Force, we had a saying:

"12-hours, bottle to throttle"

That was applicable to pilots and maintainers alike. Seemed to work out extremely well (for those who stuck to the rule). Believe me, watching a copilot hop into the bunk on climb-out because "he doesn't belong at the wheel" (his words) is pretty pathetic. Also, seeing hung-over crew chiefs vomit on a combat descent was a tell-tale sign that they were definitely shy of the 12-hour rule. Plain and simple, alcohol and aviation don't mix.
 
12 hours!!!Man I always thought it was inches!!! Doh!!! :D
Just kidding - I agree with you completely!

Cheers! :cheerswine:
 
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