Fatality

[avbug]

For those who follow, Gerry Marais was killed several days ago (16th) on a fire in Colorado in an AT-602 SEAT. Two others lost their lives on a separate fire, on the ground the same day.

Gerry was a good guy whom I've known for years; he leaves behind four kids and a wife. One would hope he will be the last casualty of the season, but probably not.

Stay safe out there.

 

[NW_Pilot]

For those who follow, Gerry Marais was killed several days ago (16th) on a fire in Colorado in an AT-602 SEAT. Two others lost their lives on a separate fire, on the ground the same day.

Gerry was a good guy whom I've known for years; he leaves behind four kids and a wife. One would hope he will be the last casualty of the season, but probably not.

Stay safe out there.

My sympathies to the family and friends. Avbug how close to the fire do you get always wondered?

 

[avbug]

Standard minimum drop height for heavy tankers is 200', whereas the standard minimum drop height for single engine air tankers is 60'. This doesn't address distance from other objects, or the fact that substantially lower altitudes are often required during strong winds, to counter drift, or due to rapidly changing terrain.

In the past, I have been requested by a lead to put my wheel on the fire.

 

[doog]

Is this the one in Colorado?

http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/Top_News/2008/04/16/3_die_in_colorado_wildfires/9735/

3 die in Colorado wildfires

Published: April 16, 2008 at 3:41 AM

FORT CARSON, Colo., April 16 (UPI) -- A pilot was killed Tuesday evening when his firefighting plane crashed and two other people died in wildfires plaguing Colorado, authorities said.

"He dumped his slurry and they say that it looked like it pulled up and then it just nosedived into the ground," El Paso County Sheriff Terry Maketa said of the pilot who died helping put out a blaze at Fort Carson.

The crash occurred near Highway 115 south of Colorado Springs. The pilot's name hadn't been released but the single-engine aircraft was registered to Aero Applicators of Sterling, which was working under contract with the state forest service, the Colorado Springs Gazette reported.

The fire was one of several in Colorado that forced the closure of highways and the evacuation of 1,200 people in Ordway, located 50 miles east of Pueblo. Two people in Ordway died in the wind-driven fire, Chris Sorensen, acting Crowley County fire information officer, told the Gazette. The victims' names were not available.

************************************************** ******************************
** Report created 4/16/2008 Record 1 **
************************************************** ******************************

IDENTIFICATION
Regis#: 602AA Make/Model: AT6T Description: AT-602
Date: 04/16/2008 Time: 0023

Event Type: Accident Highest Injury: Fatal Mid Air: N Missing: N
Damage: Unknown

LOCATION
City: COLORADO SPRINGS State: CO Country: US

DESCRIPTION
AIRCRAFT, DURING FIRE FIGHTING OPERATIONS, CRASHED, THE ONE PERSON ON BOARD
WAS FATALLY INJURED, COLORADO SPRINGS, CO

INJURY DATA Total Fatal: 1
# Crew: 1 Fat: 1 Ser: 0 Min: 0 Unk:
# Pass: 0 Fat: 0 Ser: 0 Min: 0 Unk:
# Grnd: Fat: 0 Ser: 0 Min: 0 Unk:

WEATHER: COS SPECI 0036Z 21029G 34KT 10SM CLR 22/M17 A2957

OTHER DATA
Activity: Aerial Application Phase: Unknown Operation: OTHER


FAA FSDO: DENVER, CO (NM03) Entry date: 04/16/2008

Bummer...

 

[doog]

Avbug, as the load is dropped, does the CG move rapidly rearward?

 

[avbug]

The CG does change, but it's not the CG change that causes the resulting pitch so much as the loss of weight. How much change in control pressure depends largely on airspeed, but it can be substantial. With some aircraft, the airspeed window isn't very large. Too slow and it will stall, too fast and it will pitch up without the ability to arrest the pitch. The window can be as small as 15 knots between the two.

In large airplanes, we tend to drop a forward tank, then an aft tank on the other side (forward left, for example,then aft right, etc), and the aircraft does indeed want to pitch up and down through the changes. Substantial changes in loads on the aircraft occur.