Lessons learned from the Oregon tragedy

I have taught my kids how to use the VHF handheld and a high chart to call
airliners. I actually used this once when camped out in my seaplane. The
weather came in and we couldn't get out for two extra days.

It was no big deal because we were VERY well equipped and I needed to use up
the survival food anyway. But I called a passing airliner I heard on
frequency. I asked the pilot to please give my wife a call and tell her we
were OK and that there would be a delay. He did and we flew out two days
later.

Karl
"Curator" N185KG
Lake Isabelle

john smith wrote:
Mr Kim's death resulting from his decision to attempt to walk out of an
area he was unfamiliar with after becoming stranded, raises some thought
provoking questions for aviators.
In years past, this forum has carried several threads on surviving a
crash in a remote area. I behooves us all to review our personal
preparations for off airport landings in areas over which we will be
flying.

I snowmobile as well as fly, and I think in general, adventurous people
like myself that do a lot of outdoor activities like flying and
snowmobiling just know about and take basic survival with them and know
the dangers of the mountains or even the outdoors.

But you get a typical person who isn't much of an outdoorsman, who for
the most part lives in the city where there is no shortage of resources
and most don't even give basis survival equipment a second (let alone
first) thought when traveling. They get in their car and go.

It is a very tragic story. I was following it on the news hoping that
they would find him alive.

I feel so sad for him family

Dan writes:

I'm thinking of getting a PLB, although I haven't been able to convince
myself to spend the money yet. Right now I carry a handheld that I hope
to be able to raise someone on should I go down.

The range of the handheld on the ground might be far more limited than
its range aloft. If the aircraft has an ELT and you stay with it,
you'll be found quickly enough, handheld or not. A handheld GPS can
be handy, too, just to let you know where you are (and it will work
fine on the ground).

--
Transpose mxsmanic and gmail to reach me by e-mail.

Montblack writes:

One of his problems was thinking he was 'here,' when in fact he was
...there.

Many of his subsequent decisions were based on that first wrong premise.

Nevertheless, his decisions were basically sound. He stayed with the
vehicle for days, waiting for rescue, which is exactly what he should
have done (and that saved his family). After a week, he quite
logically assumed that maybe nobody was coming, and in desperation he
decided to try to find help. He pretty much did things right, but he
was unlucky (and also somewhat unprepared, although he presumably had
no plans to go somewhere where he might get stranded).

The question that lingers in my mind is: Was the lock on the gate
already broken before the Kims passed through, or did they cut it so
that they could go through?

--
Transpose mxsmanic and gmail to reach me by e-mail.

Jay Honeck writes:

I know he wasn't expecting to take a wrong turn, and I know he wasn't
expecting to get stuck in the snow, and I know he wasn't from that part
of the country -- but the unfortunate Mr. Kim apparently did not take
even the most basic precautions.

Granted ... but how many people _do_ take these precautions? How many
people driving through the wilderness really do carry survival gear
and supplies, just in case?

We keep a giant Tupperware container of survival gear in each of our
vehicles. In that kit is warm clothing, some food, chemical hand/feet
warmers jumper cables, flash lights, tools -- the basic survival stuff.

Sounds sensible. Is there anything that you have to replace or renew
periodically?

We have an even more extensive kit in our airplane, knowing that the
*average* time from crash to rescue is 18 hours in the United States --
plenty long to die of exposure in the Midwest.

Seems to me that survival gear would be an ideal form of ballast when
you need to adjust the aircraft's center of gravity. A few pounds can
go a long way (except for water, which is extremely heavy).

--
Transpose mxsmanic and gmail to reach me by e-mail.

Richard Riley writes:

And the dirt road is listed as a primary on automotive GPS systems.

Hmm ... does this mean that the maker of the map for the GPS systems
may be liable?

--
Transpose mxsmanic and gmail to reach me by e-mail.

("Jim Macklin" wrote)
Have flares and smoke.


They set all five tires one fire - one at a time.

How many average people, finding themselves stuck out there, would have
thought to do that?


Montblack

Tennis shoes, no hat or gloves. There could have been no other outcome.





john smith wrote:

Mr Kim's death resulting from his decision to attempt to walk out of an
area he was unfamiliar with after becoming stranded, raises some thought
provoking questions for aviators.
In years past, this forum has carried several threads on surviving a
crash in a remote area. I behooves us all to review our personal
preparations for off airport landings in areas over which we will be
flying.

That was the smartest thing they did. Tire smoke is very
dark and easy to see in the day time with high clouds, not
much good at night or in snow. Neither are flares, but like
having extra keys, planning for the emergency may make it
not happen.

His worst decision was to try to walk out. On any road, the
searchers would have a better chance to see the car. The
car was some shelter and that applies to an airplane too.
Stay with the crash/landing site. Lay out markers.



"Montblack" wrote
in message ...
| ("Jim Macklin" wrote)
| Have flares and smoke.
|
|
| They set all five tires one fire - one at a time.
|
| How many average people, finding themselves stuck out
there, would have
| thought to do that?
|
|
| Montblack
|
|

In article ,
Newps wrote:

Tennis shoes, no hat or gloves. There could have been no other outcome.

Sure there could have!
He walked the wrong way.
One mile in the opposite direction was a stocked fishing lodge,
according to the reports I have been reading.
It sounds as though he didn't scout the area in the week he stayed with
the car. (Hindsight, I know.)