Deadly Weekend : Two Plane Crashes - Two Fatalities

[aviator_06]

Plane Crash 1
May 30, 2008 around 12:00pm

Two people aboard a Cherokee 235 were killed Friday after the plane crashed shortly after takeoff. Some witnesses said they saw the plane starting to circle back towards airport when the engine started to smoke and then it hit some treetops and crashed. No distress calls were heard. The plane was full of fuel as it left the highland county airport in Ohio. The cause of the crash is still under investigation but it is presummed that the plane had an engine failure right after takeoff. For more information and video, check out the link below.
News Story http://www.wcpo.com/content/news/fresh/story.aspx?content_id=08AD0332-9846-4F47-A11C-7037CA11AD1B&gsa=true
Video: http://www.wlwt.com/video/16440519/index.html

Plane Crash 2
Friday, May 30

The pilot of a Cessna 150M survived after he made a crash landing on the 18th hole of New Berlin Hills Golf Course in Waukesha County, Wisconsin. The aircraft's registartion number is N3130V. Find video and more information on the crash by clicking the link below.
News/Video: http://www.todaystmj4.com/news/local/19400259.html

[KSYR-pjr]

Deadly weekend:  ATVs, motorcycles, and bicycles (not to mention cars and boats) -

Man seriously injured in ATV accident

Man involved in motorcycle accident dies of injuries

One dead in wrong-way crash on I-81

Bicyclist critically injured in crash

Save the sensational subject lines for the AOL forums, please.   Aren't you a pilot?

[RV1]

"Thousands of unfertilized chickens die in scrambled egg eating contest"
"Sturgeon young on death ROE at caviar sampling"
"K-9 catastrophy at hot dog cookout"
"Tons of hopps fermenting at beer bazaar"


Humor, some people get it, some don't.

[WhatAirspace]

Humor, some people get it, some don't

Yeah, I'll admit I had to laugh at those.

Some witnesses said they saw the plane starting to circle back towards airport when the engine started to smoke and then it hit some treetops and crashed

As for this, sigh.  I don't know any details beyond this report yet, but it sounds like they were trying to make the "impossible turn."  Never experiencing any serious engine problems myself, I can't say for sure what I would do, but to any pilots on here:  If you lose an engine below 1000ft AGL, land with 30 degrees of the windscreen.   It doesn't matter how good the turn is, you're not gaining any energy and if there isn't enough there to begin with you're not making it. 

Ok sorry, rant over.  As I said, I don't know if this was the case here,  but too many pilots die trying to save the landing gear instead of going for the nice open field straight ahead.

[KSYR-pjr]

Ok sorry, rant over.  As I said, I don't know if this was the case here,  but too many pilots die trying to save the landing gear instead of going for the nice open field straight ahead.

I agree, except for one point:  The above presumes there actually is a nice, open field straight ahead.  Often times there isn't that clear of an option available.   

Airports in the city and those in remote, forested locations offer the unenviable choice of landing straight ahead to take your chances hitting buildings, fences, light poles or unmovable trees, or to attempt the 270 degree course reversal (nope, it's not a 180 degree turn - think about where a 180 degree turn puts the aircraft) to go back to the runway. 

Of course, the correct answer when a single engine fails below x number of feet (this actually depends on the aircraft type) is to take your chances hitting the buildings, fences, or unmovable trees, since this is much more survivable than stalling and falling from 500 feet.

[Hollis]

As my brother used to put it:
"All that runway behind you ain't gonna do you one damn bit of good!"

[dljone3]

Ok sorry, rant over.  As I said, I don't know if this was the case here,  but too many pilots die trying to save the landing gear instead of going for the nice open field straight ahead.

Great point! Can't tell you how many times my CFI drilled that into my head!!!

[moto400ex]

Ok sorry, rant over.  As I said, I don't know if this was the case here,  but too many pilots die trying to save the landing gear instead of going for the nice open field straight ahead.

I agree, except for one point:  The above presumes there actually is a nice, open field straight ahead.  Often times there isn't that clear of an option available.   

Come to North Dakota and you will find a flat nicely groomed open field any where you look, and if you dont like the field, there are roads about each mile between the fields.