Seaplane went down in Miami

[n57flyguy]

Any info on that seaplane that went down in Miami? Thanks.

[nfredrich]

All 19 on board killed - CNN

And this is how dumb newscasters are getting...

Wolf Blitzer (to an NTSB investigator) - "Some witnesses reported an explosion prior to the crash, what does that say to you"

NTSB Investigator - "It means that witnesses may have heard an explosion"

[Neil]

Just saw the video on the news. Terrible. This plane is from Chalks..I took a picture of on of their fleet of mallards when I was in Key West. going to have to see of its the same one. Video makes it look like some catastrophic occured in the right engine which resulted in the seperation of the right wing. Either that or just a failure of the right wing.  just my own speculation from watching the video....

Terrible.  

[n57flyguy]

my spec after wachting the news was that the wing caught fire (how in the heck?) blew it off because of the fuel and it went down killing all on board. Arn't mallards really old, from the 60s?

[Biff]

From the 40's.  Only 61 were built.

I'm guessing it started as an engine fire that burned through the wing.  Could also have been an electrical fire in the wing.

[n57flyguy]

Thats what I thought to. Mallards are that old? why do they still use them? Its a horrible outcome though.

[n57flyguy]

I just looked up Calls airline and were Those Mallards (grumman C-37) allways turbo prop?

[Jason]

I just looked up Calls airline and were Those Mallards (grumman C-37) allways turbo prop?

I believe you mean a Grumman G73.  The G73 is a piston, while the G73T is a turbo Mallard.  This Mallard had the STC which converted the engines to P&W PT6 Engines which are turbos.

Jason

[digger]

Information I've seen says there were 59 manufactured, between 1946 and 1951. 31 are still registered.

Beginning around 1969-70 some were converted to turboprops under a Supplemental Type Certificate, and those were designated G-73Ts.

[Biff]

There are a LOT of old airplanes flying around.  One of these days (right after I win the lottery), I'm gonna get myself a Navion - a 1946-47 model.

We have a guy in the area here that teaches MES in a 1945 Grumman Widgeon.  

[n57flyguy]

I know the DC-3 still flies around in alaska, Its like 70 years old I think. I know there are alot of old aircraft out there but I didn't know they were still used for arlines though. Do you think corrosion of saly water with wireing could have been a problem? Oh and good luck on the lottery!

[Sky King]

Speculating, from looking at the smoke, it looks as if there may have been two seperate explosive events: the first, perhaps, a catastrophic engine failure starting a fire and perhaps ejecting engine parts, followed within a second or so by a secondary explosion in the right wing fuel tank as a result of the engine problem, resulting in wing failure and seperation from the fuselage.

[Jason]

Speculating, from looking at the smoke, it looks as if there may have been two seperate explosive events: the first, perhaps, a catastrophic engine failure starting a fire and perhaps ejecting engine parts, followed within a second or so by a secondary explosion in the right wing fuel tank as a result of the engine problem, resulting in wing failure and seperation from the fuselage.

The PT6 engines have a very good reputation, but we'll see.  I heard that the NTSB found cracks in the right wing spar/cross-section that would not have ever been found on any annual/100 hour inspection.

Time to sit, wait, and let the NTSB write the report.  It will be an interesting read...

Jason

[n57flyguy]

It should be and they just found the voice recorder but its not readible they say. If I can find it, I'll try to post it. But thanks alot for all your help that you guys have given me and anymore would help. Thanks.

[A380-800]

R.I.P. to all the people that were killed!!

Very old plane! Wasn't it almost not airworthy anymore?