Air midwest crashes into hangar @ CLT??

[enigma]

My heart goes out to the friends and family. I put in a call to a friend who recently flew for Mesa (making sure it wasn't him) and learned that both pilots were good pilots and good people. I'm praying that it was the airplane that failed them.

It's been over ten years since I flew the mighty Beech, so my memory is a little dim; but my take on the engine out climb capabilities of the 1900 is that it may do 1000fpm dirty when it's empty on a training flight, but no way will it do it anywhere close to gross.

Someone speculated earlier that they could have been somehow out of CG. I remember reading about a UB1900 that crashed in AK in the middle 80's, they managed to fly an extremely aft CG 1900 for almost an entire flight after being overloaded with moose meat in the aft/aft. They were almost 1500#s overweight and the CG was somewhere around 48%MAC. (cg range is 4% to 40%) The aircraft was controllable right up to the point that landing flaps were selected. Only then did the horizontal tailsurface run out of ooph with the subsequent loss of control. So I doubt that CG was the cause.

Just in case some media type is reading this, if I had to pick one airplane to fly for the rest of my career, the 1900 would be tied for number one alongside an old Lear55. It's that good an airplane. It it only had a blue-lagoon, it'd be almost perfect.

regards,
8N

 

[Typhoon1244]

I watch Fox News a lot. Best out there on the cable networks in my opinion, and the ratings.

Shortly after September 11, Fox ran a story about psychological screening of pilots. The headline: "Is the guy flying your airplane a wacko?"

Fox is a news network the way the Enquirer is a newspaper. Their anchors wouldn't know dignity if it hit them in the face.

 

[Typhoon1244]

Originally posted by dogman
I was just wondering, the media almost always screws up the reporting with aviation related news. How acurate is the reporting with subjects that I know little about?

My wife used to work for Child Protective Services...she said she's never seen a child welfare issue accurately reported. (God lover 'er, she finally forced Fox-4 News Dallas to interview her so she could correct a story they'd botched.)

I've also heard that medicine often takes it on the chin in news reporting.

The inaccuracy is only half of what makes me sick, though...

I am, of course, too young to remember this personally, but I'm told that shortly after Eastern 401 went down in the Everglades, there were reporters at MIA sticking microphones in peoples' faces, asking questions like "can you tell us how it feels to lose your whole family this close to Christmas?"

Be warned, everyone, I'm about to reveal a blisteringly inhuman thought...all of our brains probably have a dark corner that enjoys indulging in such ideas: I'd like to see a mid-air collision between two widebodies loaded to the gills with the families of television news reporters. Let 'em report on that for a while! Let them tell us how it feels to lose a loved one in a tragic accident! Let them cover that story, then lightly turn to another issue...like interest rates or Japanese trade.

No, no, of course I wouldn't really want that to happen.

 

[mar]

Ryan Air Homer, Alaska

Enigma--I'm not sure, but I think you may be alluding to the Ryan Air crash in Homer, Alaska.

That airplane was indeed out of CG but they also *iced up* real bad on the approach. Things went south when they selected flaps--as you mentioned.

Fly safe. Train. Train. Train.

 

[Chas]

what I heard on news....

was an eyewitness said the plane had an unusually high nose up attitude on climbout before the crash then again when AA crashed in Queens people claimed that someone parachuted from the plane prior to it crashing ... Chas

 

[Huck]

HOLD THE PHONE!

Did that little pissant from the ATA actually say that the "One Level of Safety" rules change movement of the mid-nineties was sponsored by ALPA ... AND the ATA???? Yeah... that's it... the airlines were falling over themselves to spend money....

My kingdom for an intelligent aviation journalist!

 

[jobear]

Help the Families

Just a short note to ALL ALPA members you may contribute to the Pilots families via your respective MEC's.
Let us not forget our fallen friends.

Joe Hebert
BE FO

 

[greg20]

Jetstream/Philly Area

Av8trxx said:

As far as accidents go, this Jetstream crashed three years after Comair:

Date: 05/21/2000
Location: Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania
Airline: Executive Airlines
Aircraft: BAe Jetstream 3101
Registration: N16EJ
Fatalities/No. Aboard: 19:19
Details: The plane crashed into a heavily wood area as it was making a second approach to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport. Visibility was poor in wind, low clouds and light rain. While attempting the second approach, the pilot reported both engines had quit but restarted one of them before the plane crashed.

One of my best friends' grandfather was aboard that Jetstream. It was a charter returning from a day of gambling at ACY. It was (and still is) a very sad and difficult time.


Timebuilder said:

I had been worried that one of the pilots might have been John B., whose father and grandfather ran the little airport where I learned to fly outside of Philly.

Which airport was that, if you don't mind me asking? I moved a few times while working on my PP-ASEL and have moved since, but I finished it up at N99 - Brandywine Airport in West Chester, PA (Philly suburb).

We never know when our time is up, it's very important to be prepared while we can...

 

[canadflyau]

The Press

I also was watching NBC as they reported that the commuters crash 1 in every 100,000 takeoffs... What got my attention was what he said right after the stats were taken down. "The Commuter Catagory includes a/c with less than 10 seats"

HOLD ON!!! Wasn't that the meat and potatoes of the segment (which I saw air shortly on some other networks as well.) So I felt compelled to call them and ask questions.. To mislead the public and editorialize as facts should be criminal! Here is what I asked them:

If the Beech 1900D has 19 seats, and the commuter catagory of crashes is 10 or less seats, which catagory is the 1900 in? They said they would have to recheck.

Is this study of 121 only or 121&135 or 121&135&91? They said they were unclear of the differences (a crash was a crash) and would have to research where the data was pulled from.

Was the study of US Carriers only? Would have to check but they thought so..

Was the study of accidents or incidents and accidents or all fata accidents? Again, not sure. Could you define "crash"? They would have to look into exactly what the data reffered to when it said crash.

With these responses I say that report had NO business being reported.. THEY DIDN'T EVEN KNOW WHAT THEY WERE REPORTING!!! I think they (every Press that reported) should be held liable for slander... If so, you would see them hold their tounges if they new there was a consequence for mis-reporting.

The final thing that really inspired me to get on the phone was on CNBC after all the segments on the crash concluded he said "with all the tough times for airlines, this is a sign of the times." WE just finished 15 months of a 100% safety record in our industry!! That is what I call unintelligent, to make an assertive statement with no fact.. but he planted the seed nonetheless.

This is a tragedy not a commonplace. My hearts and prayers go out to the crew and passengers families. I hope we are all on our knees, and stay there in bad and good times.

 

[Timebuilder]

This is a tragedy not a commonplace. My hearts and prayers go out to the crew and passengers families. I hope we are all on our knees, and stay there in bad and good times.

Amen!

I remember the crash at AVP. If I recall, it was a case of the fuel load not being checked before takeoff, based on assumption or miscommunication. Sad, a truly unnecessary loss.

after Eastern 401 went down in the Everglades, there were reporters at MIA sticking microphones in peoples' faces, asking questions like "can you tell us how it feels to lose your whole family this close to Christmas?"

I remember. This kind of insensitive behavior inspired the hit song Dirty Laundry, done by Don Henley, if I am correct. Local news is by far the worst offender in this area.

As described by canadflyau, the national news outlets rely on interns to find their "less important" research, and there is little effort made to be clear about exactly what is being communicated.