C172 crash at Coney Island

"Gary Drescher" wrote in message
...
Four people died aboard a 172 that crashed at Coney Island today
(http://www.nytimes.com/2005/05/22/ny...2crash.html?hp).

According to witness descriptions, the plane approached the shore at
low altitude, turned sharply, and then plummeted vertically. The
witnesses had the usual confusion about "stalling" and interpreted the
crash as a loss of power, but it sounds like it may have been a
classic stall resulting from inadequate airspeed during a steep turn.
Coney Island is close to a section of airspace where the Class B has a
floor just above 500', so it may be that the plane hadn't climbed much
above that altitude, and tried to turn abruptly away from the shore in
order to avoid overflying a built-up area too low.

--Gary


My Off-the-Wall Guess:

1. Engine quit (fuel exhaustion?)
2. Pilot lowered nose to maintain airspeed, glide to beach landing
3. Male passenger in right front seat panicked, grabbed controls and
pulled back.
4. In ensuing struggle, airspeed bled off, aerodynamic stall.
5. Crash.

John Lowry
Flight Physics

John T Lowry wrote:

"Gary Drescher" wrote in message
...

Four people died aboard a 172 that crashed at Coney Island today
(http://www.nytimes.com/2005/05/22/ny...2crash.html?hp).

According to witness descriptions, the plane approached the shore at
low altitude, turned sharply, and then plummeted vertically. The
witnesses had the usual confusion about "stalling" and interpreted the
crash as a loss of power, but it sounds like it may have been a
classic stall resulting from inadequate airspeed during a steep turn.
Coney Island is close to a section of airspace where the Class B has a
floor just above 500', so it may be that the plane hadn't climbed much
above that altitude, and tried to turn abruptly away from the shore in
order to avoid overflying a built-up area too low.

--Gary



My Off-the-Wall Guess:

1. Engine quit (fuel exhaustion?)
2. Pilot lowered nose to maintain airspeed, glide to beach landing
3. Male passenger in right front seat panicked, grabbed controls and
pulled back.
4. In ensuing struggle, airspeed bled off, aerodynamic stall.
5. Crash.

John Lowry
Flight Physics


What about and accelerated stall. No fuel exhaustion, but just an un
coordinated tight turn?

--
Regards, Ross
C-172F 180HP
KSWI

"Ross Richardson" wrote in message
...
John T Lowry wrote:

"Gary Drescher" wrote in message
...

Four people died aboard a 172 that crashed at Coney Island today
(http://www.nytimes.com/2005/05/22/ny...2crash.html?hp).

According to witness descriptions, the plane approached the shore at
low altitude, turned sharply, and then plummeted vertically. The
witnesses had the usual confusion about "stalling" and interpreted
the crash as a loss of power, but it sounds like it may have been a
classic stall resulting from inadequate airspeed during a steep turn.
Coney Island is close to a section of airspace where the Class B has
a floor just above 500', so it may be that the plane hadn't climbed
much above that altitude, and tried to turn abruptly away from the
shore in order to avoid overflying a built-up area too low.

--Gary



My Off-the-Wall Guess:

1. Engine quit (fuel exhaustion?)
2. Pilot lowered nose to maintain airspeed, glide to beach landing
3. Male passenger in right front seat panicked, grabbed controls and
pulled back.
4. In ensuing struggle, airspeed bled off, aerodynamic stall.
5. Crash.

John Lowry
Flight Physics


What about and accelerated stall. No fuel exhaustion, but just an un
coordinated tight turn?

--
Regards, Ross
C-172F 180HP
KSWI

Your guess is as good, or as poor, as mine. But one report I read
mentioned the nose coming up once or twice just before the airplane took
that final dive.

John Lowry
Flight Physics