Plane crash caught on video

rattlsnak · rattlsnak's Garage

Horrible plane crash caught on camera. She tried to land at Hobby three times and the controller was trying to help her but it was just over her exp level. I've heard the tapes. Sad tragedy... She apparently got too slow in the last tight turn and stalled/spun it into the ground.

Don't watch it if this sort of stuff bothers you..

Video deadly plane crash near Hobby Airport | abc13.com

Jeff Alton · 06-11-2016, 09:15 PM

Couldn't see the vids in the link. After controlling for 23 years saw enough of this. Sad story.

We lost a good friend and fellow Pelican member in a similar incident a few years ago.

porsche4life · porsche4life's Garage

Very sad story. Shame they couldn't get the chute out on it in time.

dewolf · 06-12-2016, 02:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jeff Alton

We lost a good friend and fellow Pelican member in a similar incident a few years ago.

I remember that. I think he also had a passenger who was scared of flying and it was his first flight, and sadly his last.

GH85Carrera · GH85Carrera's Garage

It is a shame a pilot get in so far over her head and just panics. Much like a teen age driver driving a car in conditions that are just too much for them to handle.

It is a sad loss for that family.

red-beard · red-beard's Garage

She should never have been landing at Hobby. It is a commercial airport. Ellington Field is only a few miles away. SR20 with parachute, but the chute must be deployed manually. NTSB says it was a flat spin.

The pilot was relatively new (licensed in 2014). Hobby is busy Airport (South West flies from there).

One of my buddies actually owns the Ace Hardware. The store manager's car was the one hit. She missed the propane tanks by only a few feet.

Seahawk · 06-12-2016, 05:29 AM

There is a lot of contradictory statements in the article, but this early in an investigation there always is.

Having been the president of a few aircraft accident boards, I can say with assurance that they did not suffer. My heart goes out to the family.

Paul K · Paul K's Garage

RIP.

Anyone else offended by the fact that you have to watch an ad before the video will start? I'm seeing more & more of this on news websites. Not good etiquette in my book.

Gogar · 06-12-2016, 09:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Paul K

Anyone else offended by the fact that you have to watch an ad before the video will start? I'm seeing more & more of this on news websites. Not good etiquette in my book.

No more offended than someone would have been many many years ago when reading tragic news in the newspaper, with a liquor store ad, Sears ad, or Depends ad on the facing page. But yes, of course it's annoying. And you waited and watched through. That's advertising for ya.

RIP. Very sad story.

widebody911 · widebody911's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gogar

No more offended than someone would have been many many years ago when reading tragic news in the newspaper,

But you didn't have to read the ad before you read the main story.

FWIW, I'm using FireFox with uBlock Origin and didn't see any ads

Eric Coffey · 06-12-2016, 12:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GH85Carrera

It is a shame a pilot get in so far over her head and just panics. Much like a teen age driver driving a car in conditions that are just too much for them to handle.

Yep, sad.

I don't know all of the details, but IMO most low-time pilots don't have any business flying high-performance A/C right out of the gate, especially with other souls on board.

To expand on your analogy above, I'd say it's more akin to a new teen-age driver being given the keys to a Carrera GT, then negotiating busy freeway traffic at high speeds, while texting, talking on a blu-tooth, and fiddling with the radio all at the same time. Bad things are bound to happen, or are least much more likely.

I don't know if it's a matter of ego, excitement, impatience (to gain the needed experience), or a combo platter of everything, but new-ish pilots flying high-performance A/C is too-often a recipe for disaster. As a new pilot, it takes all of your attention/focus to not get overwhelmed and not "get behind the A/C" even in something like a 172 (especially when your CFI isn't in the right seat to bail you out). In something like the SR20, things happen much faster, basically leaving zero margin for error with a low-time pilot. It's a scenario that is the cause of many tragic incidents, and also why that particular A/C and it's bigger brother (SR22) are known as the new "doctor killers".

SpyderMike · 02:06 PM

I think you are making a bad generalization Eric. Too little is known at this time.

Where do you get your "facts" regarding the safety of Cirrus products and the individuals that fly them?

Gogar · 06-12-2016, 02:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by widebody911

But you didn't have to read the ad before you read the main story.

thats true. Cheers

Bob Kontak · Bob Kontak's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by Seahawk

I can say with assurance that they did not suffer. My heart goes out to the family.

Oh, Jesus. +1

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5R0lF7emnso

SpyderMike · 06-12-2016, 04:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by red-beard

She should never have been landing at Hobby. It is a commercial airport.

You are not a pilot I am gathering. Your statement makes little sense. Are you saying private pilots shouldn't use commercial airports? Really?

Eric Coffey · 04:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SpyderMike

I think you are making a bad generalization Eric. Too little is known at this time.

Agree to disagree I guess, but it think it's a fairly accurate assessment WRT to low-time pilots who are attracted to (and have the means to purchase/fly) higher-performance planes right after getting their licenses.

Regarding this particular incident: You are correct, too little is known at this time to make any final determinations. However, what we DO know is that she was fairly new pilot, with relatively low time (presumably less as PIC of that A/C). We also know that she was flying an SR20. That is a low-wing, higher-performance plane with much higher Vs, and Vmc than a the average GA Cessna or similar (not to mention longer landing distance). We also know that she made several attempts to land, without any distress call, and her ground track was all over the place. We know that during those aborted landings, she couldn't maintain a proper pattern/approach/glide-slope, and had to be "waived-off" by ATC. We also know that she topped off the tanks before departure, so fuel starvation should not have been a factor. Weather was clear, but winds may have contributed. On that last abort, she was making a left-hand cross, and winds were 090@13G18 (right quartering tailwind @ 13kts, gusting to 18kts.). If she was already "low and slow", that certainly wouldn't have helped matters.

I've listed to the ATC audio, and you could tell she was overwhelmed. That said, ATC made an effort to slow things down, and hold her hand a bit (kudos). Unfortunately and tragically, it wasn't enough.

As mentioned above, there were plenty of other smaller/less congested airports nearby.
It doesn't make a lot of sense to pick such a busy facility unless you are very familiar, and can get it down quick and easy, and have no problem being in front of, behind, or sandwiched in between heavy jets.

If you have another perspective, please share.

Quote:

Originally Posted by SpyderMike

Where do you get your "facts" regarding the safety of Cirrus products and the individuals that fly them?

I have no doubt they are great A/C, and I am not calling the "safety of Cirrus products" into question at all. In fact, I am sure there are plenty of pilots alive today solely due to their BRS deployments. I just question the judgement of many of their newbie owners/pilots, especially if/when they fly with other souls on board. The simple fact is that there are plenty out there that have no business behind the (side) stick of an SR20/22, and those pilots are ultimately the ones that affect a plane's reputation (bad new travels fast, etc.). The V-tail Bonanza shared the same stigma previously, and the Cirrus seems to be the next incarnation. I am not alone in the above sentiment, and the "facts" are out there if you choose to seek them out.

Just my $.02, YMMV...

red-beard · red-beard's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by SpyderMike

You are not a pilot I am gathering. Your statement makes little sense. Are you saying private pilots shouldn't use commercial airports? Really?

That is precisely what I'm saying. Do you think an inexperienced pilot should be using a major commercial airport. She made 3 attempts to land. She could not tell which runway was which. She caused commercial airliners to go around.

Ellington field is 5 miles away. Longer runways and no commercial traffic. Which would make more sense?

onewhippedpuppy · 06-12-2016, 07:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SpyderMike

You are not a pilot I am gathering. Your statement makes little sense. Are you saying private pilots shouldn't use commercial airports? Really?

Inexperienced private pilots should not be utilizing large commercial airports without at a minimum the supervision of an instructor. Heavy traffic with higher approach speeds and tighter overall spacing do no favors for someone that is struggling with basic airmanship.

pcardude · 06-12-2016, 07:48 PM

The plane had a parachute?

Pazuzu · 06-12-2016, 07:49 PM

Can someone verify that she was actually an inexperienced pilot? The news this morning said that she had just RE-recieved her licence, which makes me think that she had experience, then let it lapse, then started back up again.

I have not kept up with the news since, so maybe that was clarified since then.