Cessna 172 down in ORL, caught on tape

[Vavso]

monday morning Qb'ers

The pilot/pilots did not do harm to any non participants . That in itself shows they sacrificed to prevent harm to others . Like was already pointed out a 172 "glider" and a Florida golf course iin January could have been a recipe for disaster . The relatives of these victims should be proud . Some good may come out of this tragedy . God bless them all Vavso

 

[METARMan]

I'm not sure I understand the "leave this guy alone" or "who are you to judge" point of view. Shun political correctness when there are things to be learned.

Yes, someone died and that is very sad. However, what better than a bunch of pilots reviewing a tape and suggest what may have been done better? What a great learning tool.

Even the most perfect sim ride or crash landing can be improved. Hopefully, by reviewing this tape a potential mistake that could have been made would be discovered...maybe it will prevent a death in the future.

I'm not familiar with the geography of the crash site so I can't comment on if there was a better landing site available...however, to me the plane seems like it has an excessive amount of speed. I'd guess 65-75 knots, which is about 20 to 30 knots above stall speed.

Ideally, wouldn't it be better to hit something as slow as possible?

 

[Publishers]

I think that sometimes we are trying to save the aircraft and not thinking in terms of saving the occupants. I know that was the case when I owned an aircraft.

He may have thought he could pull off a street landing with less problems than the golf course. We will never know his thinking. Trying to judge the speed of the aircraft when the pictures are from a moving helicopter is not good science.

Between them, they had 5000 hours, enough to know what they were doing. I have had friends killed before doing what was basically the right thing not pulled off quite right.

 

[C210drvr]

I instructed with Dan in Atlanta. I spoke with him not along ago as all of us that taught together have remained very much in touch. I spent many hours flying with Dan and I am extremely saddened by his early departure. He will be missed.


C210

 

[qmaster3]

I just walked into my hotel room, turned onto CNN, and saw this accident. I feel so bad for the pilot and his family. The thing that really got under my skin was the way the blond byatch newscaster ended the story. After showing the video, it cuts back to her and she says "Not bad for an amateur, I guess." with some sort of smugness. These newscasters need to take a sensitivity training course ASAP! Not to mention, I would like to think ALL pilots are professionals!


RCHCFI

Wonder how she's feeling today? I hope her boss chewed a few lbs off.






Godspeed Dan.

 

[JonJohn82]

Does anyone have a link to a better version of the video? I can't seem to get it to work.

 

[Slye]

I, too, knew Dan via our fraternity. He had graduated by the time I came through, but good alumni are never forgotten. Godspeed, Dan. My prayers go out to you and your family.

Blue skies forever!

 

[FN FAL]

The pilot/pilots did not do harm to any non participants . That in itself shows they sacrificed to prevent harm to others . Like was already pointed out a 172 "glider" and a Florida golf course iin January could have been a recipe for disaster . The relatives of these victims should be proud . Some good may come out of this tragedy . God bless them all Vavso

Yea, he impailed himself on concrete so that others may live. Sure he did.

 

[RideTheWind]

In the right seat, http://images.ibsys.com/2005/0111/4073035.jpg can't imagine he did not see all of that green, it's everywhere, all he had to do is kick the right rudder hard to the floor and land.

 

[Jon-Kyle Mohr]

I saw the video a couple days ago, this really is a horrible thing to read and view. I have more then likely watched it more then 100 times now thinking about what I would have done in a situation like that, and how hard it must have been to make a life changing decision.

I think he did the best thing he could under the circumstances I saw in the video. If he would have continued down the road many more people could have been injured or killed.

 

[fastandlow]

In the right seat, http://images.ibsys.com/2005/0111/4073035.jpg can't imagine he did not see all of that green, it's everywhere, all he had to do is kick the right rudder hard to the floor and land.

When I saw the video, there was someone right in the middle of the fairway to his right. About that time, he veered left and began contacting the wires and light pole. Also, he didn't hit *anyone* on the ground. Something to be said for this.

As for the morality (?) of discussing this type of thing, I believe there's a subtle difference between judging someone unfairly and learning from an accident. The only thing I learned from this is that the hitting trees are better than trying to weave down a street and catching a light pole right in the windscreen. Trying to save the plane may have come into this decision - maybe.

 

[RideTheWind]

Yes, it would be difficult to steer around 1 person. There is a lot of green in that picture, it is a shame he didn't look that way, could still be alive.

 

[SlamClicker]

Another question that comes to mind is who was on the controls? The pilot in the left seat? The pilot with the most hours? The pilot with the most ratings? Both pilots? I'm sure this will come out in the NTSB investigation.

If you were the non-flying pilot and an accident was imminent, a concrete power pole headed right for you, would you grab the controls? I'm thinking I would.

I once had a pilot in the right seat offer to take the controls while his hands were in motion. This was'nt an instructional flight and we were equal in flight time and ratings. We were in moderate turbulence at ~3000 ft cruise in a C172 and no immeadiate danger. Strangely, as I was turning away from the nearby thunderstorm he suggested we might try to fly thru a hole in the cells.

 

[Tinstaafl]

I live in College Park, where the golf course is. There isn't any more golf course beyond where he hit the power pole. Continuing in the direction they were going is a small-ish carpark, then a street then houses. The carpark lies between crash site road & the club house.

They didn't seem to be aligned with the fairway associated with the green next to the crash site, more like they were paralleling the road. It's difficult to judge due to the short duration of the broadcast film clip.

Many of us have lost friends & colleagues. My sympathies to his family & workmates.

 

[B6Busdriver]

Watch the video, it's not Armchair quarterbacking nothing, he passes a huge golfcourse, ever heard of a slip to get down?

Well Chuck Yeager I hope you are on your A game when the big day comes.