Alert CubCrafters Carbon Cub EX crash - 2 fatal (N126C)

[Neal]

YouTuber/TV Weatherman, One Other Killed in Loaner Carbon Cub Crash - AvBrief.com

Plane hit power line in canyon north of Boise.

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From Facebook:

Plane crashes into Payette River east of Emmett, killing two male passengers

A plane crashed into the Payette River in the Black Canyon area east of Emmett on Tuesday morning, killing two male passengers, the Gem County Sheriff's Office confirmed.

www.kivitv.com

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[Cactus Charlie]

Looks like an early EX (CCX-1865-0016). ADS-B Exchange shows a single data point over the river but an approach that suggests to me that a low level run may have been planned.

I have become even more concerned about low level obstacles since 4 were killed in a local helicopter collision with a "slack line" erected across a canyon. I did some canyon runs when I was younger but not recently.

 

[Meconiates]

Any idea what the AGL of the obstacle was? I wonder if they had a BRS and immediately pulled would it have saved them?

 

[ve6yeq]

If that last ADS-B position was correct, there is a power line crossing the river/lake at that location:

With no markings as far as Google Street View:

 

[ve6yeq]

Any idea what the AGL of the obstacle was? I wonder if they had a BRS and immediately pulled would it have saved them?

The news reports mention that the plane "clipped" the power lines, so I would guess there was very little time to react. The CubCrafters docs mention as little as 100 ft AGL, but Cirrus says 580 ft AGL...

 

[Cactus Charlie]

ADS-B Exchange data shows the aircraft came down from Yakima Dec 13 and was flown locally several times. The data for Jan 10 appear to show the aircraft following the river and passing the last data point of the accident flight.

 

[Cactus Charlie]

This image which compares the Jan 10 (green) and Jan 27 (red) flights is quite disturbing.

 

[ve6yeq]

The power line is approximately marked on the US VFR sectional. I am not sure if the current G3X Touch US databases support the "Garmin WireAware™ wire-strike avoidance technology," as I know that for me, it is alerting on towers, but I am not sure that I have ever had it alert for a power line.

 

[Cactus Charlie]

I am not sure if the current G3X Touch US databases support the "Garmin WireAware™ wire-strike avoidance technology," as I know that for me, it is alerting on towers, but I am not sure that I have ever had it alert for a power line.

The latest revision of the G3X Touch Pilot Guide that I can find is 190-01754-00 Rev. V.

It does not mention WireAware, appears to have no symbol to depict a power line, and I found no mention of power lines.

I am alerted for towers but have never seen a power line alert.

AI search does say WireAware is included in G3X Touch but provides no traceable references. Interestingly Garmin does say some portables do have WireAware -

"Other aera 660 and aera 760 technology highlights include vertical navigation guidance, Smart Airspace™ display, WireAware™ wire-strike avoidance technology, Wi-Fi® database downloading, TargetTrend™ and TerminalTraffic™. And both devices are compatible with the cost-effective Garmin navigation database. For the money — and for the performance — the aera series is truly in a class by itself."

 

[ve6yeq]

I remember reading somewhere that someone had tried talking to Garmin about getting the "helicopter" functionality enabled in the G3X Touch, as it is not only helicopters that can fly "low". Maybe I should try calling Garmin support?

 

[Waldom]

When I was a kid cropdusting 50 years ago, I learned about flying at low level under and over wires and around obstacles. It's a shame pilots new to low level flying have to learn that lesson again. Until you have hit some, it is impossible to conceive of just how invisible wires are while in flight. There are several wire strike accidents reported every month. There frequency seems to have increased with the popularity of backcountry flying and the use of GoPro cameras.

Ladies and gentlemen, the tech gadgets for obstacle avoidance may be an adjunct for preflight planning, but they will never depict all the obstacles out there. If you are foolish enough to be relying on their alert or worse, looking at them while you're on the deck, it will be only a matter of time before you hit something.

The same goes for low level flying in valleys without a higher level recon of the route beforehand. And that recon needs to be done just prior to the low level run. Memories aren't that good and wires can be strung across valleys in a matter of hours. Not to mention that nearly everyone now carries a device to record video on them. Visualize yourself explaining to an FAA inspector that you were 500 feet away from someone when their video not only clearly depicts your small "N" number but your face.

No one likes to have fun with an airplane more than I do, but let's benefit from learning of other's mistakes and not keep repeating stupid things that make us all look bad.