Buzzed?

"Sam Spade" wrote in message
news:JX51g.75088$bm6.40044@fed1read04...
Ross Richardson wrote:

We used to have a pilot come buzz our airport is a small aerobatic plane.
Not sure the brand. He had total disregard to any traffic in the area. He
would get down to 20' and run the runway. He would fly over the top of
folks, run head-on to departing aircraft then abruptly turn away, etc.
Our airport enacted an ordinance against high speed flight below pattern
altitude. Well, his antics finally caught up with him. He was doing low
level aerobatics over a marina on a near by lake and he crashed and
killed himself. Luckily he missed anyone on the water or in the marina.

A death well deserved.

We had a AH from around here pull some low-flying crap a month, or so, ago
in Roseville, CA (near Sacramento). Unfortunately, he had a passenger
(who may have been an enabler). They died when they crashed their
"hottie" homebuilt into a home and also killed a totally innocent 19 year
old young man asleep in his bedroom.

http://www.ntsb.gov/ntsb/brief.asp?e...17X00210&key=1

Lucky break school was out. Imagine, a "strong wind" caused this crash.
Unbelievable.



A day earlier, plane incident could have been a tragedy
By LORNA COLQUHOUN
Union Leader Correspondent



HAVERHILL – Even if there had been a baseball game in progress late
Saturday morning, what came over the outfield could not have been more
surprising.

"There were about a dozen members of the baseball team who were prepping
the infield when a plane came low over the outfield," said school
principal Brent Walker, who got to the field at about the same time as
local emergency squads.

The plane, a 1946 Aeronca that had taken off a few moments before at the
Dean Memorial Airport, eventually came to rest near the playground. The
pilot, Keith Merrick, 60, of Post Mills, Vt., and his passenger, Randall
Trask, 58, of Randolph, Vt., were not injured, nor was anyone on the
ground.

Saturday was the first day of the April vacation for local students. Had
it happened at the same time the previous day, Walker said, there would
have been children playing on the swings.

"We're just glad no one was injured," he said.

Haverhill police Chief Jeff Williams said the boys were working on the
infield, getting it ready for the season, when the plane came over the
outfield, clipping a stop sign at the intersection of Airport Drive.

"It caught the left wing and came to rest on the playground," he said.
"Fortunately, no one was on the playground."

According to police reports, the two-seat plane, owned by the Upper Valley
Flying Club in Meriden, took off at about 11:40 a.m. from the airport,
which is located less than a mile from the middle school.

Initial indications are that a strong wind prevented the plane from
gaining altitude; the Federal Aviation Administration is investigating.

"Skylune" wrote in message
lkaboutaviation.com...
Lucky break school was out. Imagine, a "strong wind" caused this crash.
Unbelievable.
...
By LORNA COLQUHOUN
Union Leader Correspondent
snip.

Initial indications are that a strong wind prevented the plane from
gaining altitude; the Federal Aviation Administration is investigating.



I'm with ya Skylune.
I find Ms. Colquhoun's claim that "the wind prevented the plane from gaining
altitude" pretty hard to believe too.

--
Geoff
The Sea Hawk at Wow Way d0t Com
remove spaces and make the obvious substitutions to reply by mail
When immigration is outlawed, only outlaws will immigrate.

"Capt. Geoffrey Thorpe" The Sea Hawk at wow way d0t com wrote

I'm with ya Skylune.

Capt! You don't need to be agreeing with this nutjob, even if he does say
something right, once every 2 months. (or six)

Jerks like him do nothing to make our flying any easier, or better.

Next time, wait for someone else to say it, or say it yourself,without
referencing him or his post, please. ;-)

In other works, please don't feed the trolls! g
--
Jim in NC

What amazes me is that people never tire of lamenting how bad it "could have
been". Small planes crash every day, and by now we know what the result is.
And it's bad enough too - we have to keep working to maintain the improvement
we've already registered. But - "if everything had been different from what
it really was" if for some reason this particular one had been unlike the
last thousand or so, then just think of how bad it could have been...

"If the playing field had been swarming with kids that day..." Of course no
one stops to think that in the mind of a pilot, looking for a spot to put it,
"a field swarming with kids" does not have the same value as " a large, empty
field". There may be an element of luck in that there were no injuries, but
it's also because the pilot did what we are all trained to do. A majority
(yes, over 50%) of light aircraft accidents produce no significant injuries,
and minimal property damage. The number of innocents on the ground injured by
these accidents is so small it is statistically inexistent.

Trees fall on moving cars every day, usually with dramatic results. People
are struck by lightning every day, and hundreds are slaughtered daily on the
nation's roads, yet Skylunes and journalists spend their waking hours
dreaming about how bad a GA accident "could be" someday, somewhere - reverie
completely unsupported by a massive and comprehensive statistical record.

GF

"Greg Farris" wrote in message
...
What amazes me is that people never tire of lamenting how bad it "could
have
been".
....
No kidding

"If the playing field had been swarming with kids that day..." Of course
no
one stops to think that in the mind of a pilot, looking for a spot to put
it,
"a field swarming with kids" does not have the same value as " a large,
empty
field".

See below for a first hand narration covering exactly that situation (It
wasn't me, BTW)

Another really funny (as in funny stupid) about the article that Mr. Loone
quoted was the claim that the wind had prevented the aircraft from
climbing - WTF, Over? Was the reporter on drugs or just plain stupid? fwiw,
per the FAA accident report:

WEATHER: HIE 1552Z AUTO 23008KT 200V270 10SM BKN029 BKN044 17/08 A2937

That's not even enough wind to fly a kite.

Anyhow, as promised, what another pilot did when faced with an engine
failure on a school day (when all else fails, merge):

Begin Quote:

I was talking to Detroit Metro tower, circling over a densely populated site
8 miles east of Detroit Metro (DTW) airport in a borrowed airplane when the
engine started to run rough. After application of carburetor heat, the
engine ran slightly better, then rough again. Full throttle and mixture
were applied to no effect. It was at that time that I announced to the
Metro tower cab that I was not able to maintain altitude and was going to
have to "set it down". They gave me the wind data and said they would
inform emergency services about the situation. I was only 1500 feet above
the ground and because the Cessna 152 has at a glide ratio of 7:1 which
yields 2 miles in range and 90 seconds to touchdown although the engine was
intermittently producing some power which helped to extend my glide
somewhat. In my view to the South West were several options: 1st a school
yard, too small and what about the kids? 2nd and further away was an
industrial area with a snow covered field. Snow covered fields may look good
from afar but what lurks beneath? Nonetheless that was my goal with I-75
below me along the way i traveled Southwest bound with the vehicular
traffic, and into the wind. Aware that I wouldn't make the 2nd option I
concentrated on I-75. Over the freeway I settled earthward, lower and lower
until I became aware of huge power transmission lines paralleling my flight
path, the tops of which were now at my altitude, and 50 yards to my right.
Also prominent in view were the tops of cars and trucks but more
importantly, open areas of concrete looming closer below. Since my airspeed
was roughly equal to the speed of the moving traffic I was able to adjust my
relative position for and aft pushing and pulling on the yoke to drop into
an opening between the vehicles and eventually settled down onto the
pavement in the flair between the cars. I was careful to let the Cessna
roll as far as I could so that the traffic behind could avoid hitting me.
The Engine had stopped some time ago.

I got lucky because there was not a scratch on the aircraft, nor any fender
benders in any of the 6 miles of traffic which had eventually accumulated
behind me.

After getting out of the aircraft the first eye contact I made with and
individual was a woman passing by in a sport utility vehicle flipping me
off! To her I say, in the words of Steve Martin, "Well Excuse Me!!!"

End Quote


--
Geoff
The Sea Hawk at Wow Way d0t Com
remove spaces and make the obvious substitutions to reply by mail
When immigration is outlawed, only outlaws will immigrate.

by "Capt. Geoffrey Thorpe" The Sea Hawk at wow way d0t com Apr 19, 2006
at 06:24 PM


"Greg Farris" farris@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
wrote in message
news:e24pib$2et4$1@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
What amazes me is that people never tire of lamenting how bad it "could

have
been".
....
No kidding

"If the playing field had been swarming with kids that day..." Of
course

no
one stops to think that in the mind of a pilot, looking for a spot to
put
it,
"a field swarming with kids" does not have the same value as " a large,

empty
field".

See below for a first hand narration covering exactly that situation (It
wasn't me, BTW)

Another really funny (as in funny stupid) about the article that Mr.
Loone

quoted was the claim that the wind had prevented the aircraft from
climbing - WTF, Over? Was the reporter on drugs or just plain stupid?
fwiw,
...



Actually, the reporter was quoting the pilot who claimed the little plane
was just overcome by the wind. Therefore, the pilot would be the stupid
one.

by Greg Farris farris@[EMAIL PROTECTED] Apr 19, 2006 at 09:40 AM


What amazes me is that people never tire of lamenting how bad it "could
have
been". Small planes crash every day, and by now we know what the result
is.
And it's bad enough too - we have to keep working to maintain the
improvement
we've already registered. But - "if everything had been different from
what
it really was" if for some reason this particular one had been unlike the

last thousand or so, then just think of how bad it could have been...

"If the playing field had been swarming with kids that day..." Of course
no
one stops to think that in the mind of a pilot, looking for a spot to put
it,
"a field swarming with kids" does not have the same value as " a large,
empty
field". There may be an element of luck in that there were no injuries,
but....

GF




And how is this different from the "what could have been" statements made
by the reporters concerning the plane that crashed into an empty school
field?

AOPA, on the UAV crash:

"This crash highlights the safety concerns we've voiced all along," said
Andy Cebula, AOPA executive vice president of government affairs. "The FAA
should not permit UAV operations until they are certified to the same level
of safety as manned aircraft.

"Thankfully, in this accident no one in the air or on the ground was hurt.
But just think that if a pilot had been flying legally under the TFR and
the UAV hit the aircraft from behind and above — the pilot would have had
no chance to see and avoid the uncontrolled UAV."

by "Morgans" Apr 18, 2006 at 10:23 PM


"Capt. Geoffrey Thorpe" The Sea Hawk at wow way d0t com wrote

I'm with ya Skylune.

Capt! You don't need to be agreeing with this nutjob, even if he does
say

something right, once every 2 months. (or six)




Well, the AOPA Truth Squad may be difficult for you to hear, but the truth
about
the subsidies to GA and the political nonaccountability of the FAA are
well known to many people out there,
even if you dismiss them under the kool-aid influence of the AOPA.

I assume you think all "civilians" with complaints about GA are "nut
jobs."

In a previous article, "Matt Barrow" said:
http://www.ntsb.gov/ntsb/brief.asp?e...17X00210&key=1

"One witness, located at the golf course indicated that he saw the
airplane make a 65-degree bank"

Not 60 degrees, not 70 degrees, but 65. Did he have a protractor with
him?



--
Paul Tomblin http://xcski.com/blogs/pt/
"All this news about Terri Schiavo, and i JUST realized that when they
talk about her living in a persistent vegetative state, they don't mean
Florida." - Rone