Spanaway crash

http://www.kgw.com/news-local/storie...ash.17360595.h
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This from KGW, the site requires registration.

SCAPPOOSE, Ore. -- A preliminary report from the National Transportation
Safety Board says investigators don't know why a small plane crashed in
Scappoose last weekend, killing everyone on board.

The Cessna 340 crashed near the Scappoose Airport late Saturday afternoon
and burst into flames.

Columbia County authorities Monday identified the victims as James
Gillespie, 72, and Jessie Gillespie, 73, of the Steilacom, Wash. area. The
relationship of the victims was not immediately clear.

Federal aviation records indicate that James Gillespie, an accomplished
pilot registered as a flight instructor, owned the plane.

NTSB investigators spent much of Sunday sifting through the plane's charred
wreckage. They said witnesses are providing clues to what may have happened.

Witnesses said that as the Cessna was about to land, another plane took off
from the same runway. The Cessna's pilot then decided to go back around to
again attempt landing.

The plane crashed in a field near the intersection of Moore and Ring-a-ring
Road, northeast of the airport.

NTSB investigator Debra Eckrote said everything appeared normal until the
Cessna's pilot turned back toward the airport.

"It then started to lose altitude as it completed not quite a 180-degree
turn and then the witness saw that the nose dropped, the left wing
dropped.it started an inverted altitude," said Eckrote.

It is not known whether the two pilots were communicating. Scappoose Airport
is uncontrolled, meaning pilots are not required to communicate with one
another in the airfield.

--
Chris Hoffmann
Student Pilot @ UES
40 hours

On Tue, 21 Oct 2003 16:45:57 GMT, "Chris Hoffmann"
wrote:

(from the KGW report)
It is not known whether the two pilots were communicating. Scappoose Airport
is uncontrolled, meaning pilots are not required to communicate with one
another in the airfield.

News to me. I thought the regs stated that if you had a radio, you had
to use it.

The KEX radio report I heard the following Monday reported "The pilot
was under 'visual flight rules' which means he was flying by reference
to what he could see, rather than using the onboard instruments."

(And to think, I spend time in every pattern looking at that
altimeter...)

Clearly most reporters need to get the *&^&*%^%^& out of aviation
reporting.

Rob

--
[You] don't make your kids P.C.-proof by keeping them
ignorant, you do it by helping them learn how to
educate themselves.

-- Orson Scott Card

On Mon, 20 Oct 2003 02:04:39 GMT, (Dave Burton)
wrote:

Luscombe.

Word has it it over-ran the runway and flipped over.

Bela P. Havasreti

Someone got upside down at Spanaway (WA) on Saturday. 1946 red
something, looked a little like a Stinson but I don't think so.
Anybody know more? I have a friend who owns a similar plane. Pilot
injured, pass. OK. Looked like a lovely plane. Shame. Hope the
pilot gets back on their feet soon.
Dave
C172 RNT,
RV6, wings

It was incorrectly identified as a Cessna by the local TV news.

It sure looked like a Luscombe to me (even upside down and bent).

David H
Boeing Field (BFI), Seattle, WA
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Visit the Pacific Northwest Flying forum:
http://www.smartgroups.com/groups/pnwflying


Dave Burton wrote:

Someone got upside down at Spanaway (WA) on Saturday. 1946 red
something, looked a little like a Stinson but I don't think so.
Anybody know more? I have a friend who owns a similar plane. Pilot
injured, pass. OK. Looked like a lovely plane. Shame. Hope the
pilot gets back on their feet soon.
Dave
C172 RNT,
RV6, wings