On Sun, 25 Nov 2007 14:23:37 -0800, Ron Wanttaja
wrote:

On Sun, 25 Nov 2007 09:59:18 -0800, "Tri-Pacer" wrote:

I question the 182 pilot's decision to go on to Thun rather than Tacoma
Narrows which was close by. He said he didn't remember the freq and his
charts had been scattered. I would have yelled Mayday on 121.5 and landed at
TIW I think.

Might have been better, might not have been. No doubt any of us, right after a
major event like this, are going to be fairly rattled.

One way to handle this is sticking with routine, as well as you're able. While
I fly in the accident area all the time, I've landed at Tacoma Narrows airport
precisely once in twenty years. Given an emergency situation where the aircraft
was apparently still controllable and showing no distress, my preference would
be to land at an airport I'm more familiar with. It may have been the case with
the accident pilot.

More data garnered at EAA tonight: The 182 pilot indeed flew to Thun instead of
Tacoma Narrows because he wasn't familiar with the Tacoma Narrows airport.

Also, he stayed in the area as the Citabria went down, transmitting a Mayday on
121.5. He kept circling until the pilot and passenger had been rescued. By
then, you can figure he was pretty confident in the condition of the Cessna and
flying an extra five minutes to reach his preferred field wasn't a risk. I
don't disagree with his decision.

Ron Wanttaja