Flight Express C-210 down....Merged

[RSixer]

What a terrible thing this is, man loses his life while doing his job. I am truly sorry for his family and friends.

 

[Art Vandalay]

KingAirRick:

Way to Go Buddy!!!!! You have done a great job of turning this thread into a bash FLX thread. A good friend and pilot has died and now you speculate on a company you haven't worked for in years. Please go away.

 

[YODA]

The important thing to remember when someone is lost is to realize that it could be any one of us. Let the NTSB and Feds do their job and find out what happened before jumping to any conclusions. The important questions are: Did this individual have a family to support? Is there anything some of us could do to help?
I worked at FLX when the 210 went down about 2 years ago. The sad thing is that if it was not for this board some of us at the company would have never known that we lost someone. I did not know him personally but it still would have been nice for management to put out a company voice mail, memo, or something! But nothing was ever said and some of us that care enough to try to help someone out never knew or found out through the grapevine months later.
Hopefully this accident mystery will be solved and prevented from happening again. I did not know the pilot but it sounds like he was good at his job and I am sure it is a huge loss for the company his friends and loved ones.

 

[Kingairrick]

I was going to suggest that the debate over the company's safety record take place in another thread.

I clearly tried, in each of my previous posts, to bring the discussion back to the pilot concerned, and his family. I don't bash Flight Express. On the contrary, I have very positive things to say about my experiences there. I just don't want anyone to have misconceptions about the safety record.

I'm sorry if I offended you Art, or anyone else. As a former freight dog, this type of accident touches me, although understandably not as closely as it does you.

So what about the family question? Are they in Orlando?

 

[PropsForward]

Yoda,
FWIW: FLX sent out a voicemail on this most recent accident and it was addressed to all pilots.

 

[PropsForward]

KingAirRick:

I feel that FLX does very well when it comes to MX. I have never had a problem with an aircraft that MX was snappy to repair or correct. There is no pressure to fly an unairworthy aircraft or to take unnecessary risks to complete the mission. Yes, they are flying Pickup trucks but the fact still remains that the aircraft here are, in my opinion, well maintained and in excellent working order.

With nearly 60 runs going 5 days a week to the tune of about 60,000 hrs a year times the number of years they have been in business. I feel very comfortable and safe when I climb into a Flight Express aircraft.

I am not saying what happened is acceptable, but just an accident. I feel safety is first and foremost and we should all strive to be safer in our flying habits and not accept an unnecessary risk. I look forward to the NTSB findings so that we may all learn from this tragedy and never repeat it again.

Any speculation at this point in time is very counter-productive and just getting everybody riled up.

 

[YODA]

Glad to hear they sent the word out to everyone. Just out of curiousity Propsforward, what equipment are you flying and where?

 

[kecustar]

I am not a pilot, but found this sight while scouring the internet looking for anything related to this accident.

Jorge just got married to a friend of mine in June. I was shocked when I got the phone call Saturday morning, and it still hasn't really set in. I got to know him the last couple years as his wife and I played softball together and he stepped in a couple times when we were short. He is a great person and I am sorry their time together was cut so short.

God Bless You Guys!

 

[Kingairrick]

I am not a pilot, but found this sight while scouring the internet looking for anything related to this accident.

Jorge just got married to a friend of mine in June. I was shocked when I got the phone call Saturday morning, and it still hasn't really set in. I got to know him the last couple years as his wife and I played softball together and he stepped in a couple times when we were short. He is a great person and I am sorry their time together was cut so short.

God Bless You Guys!

Please let us know about ANYTHING that our community can do for his wife. If you post it here, you will get a fantastic response.

 

[John Glenn]

For his family

I have been reading this thread and want to thank all of you for your kind words and prayers.
I thank you for respecting his family's privacy and his memory.
We are all pilots and understand the risk we face everyday. Unfortunately this realization means nothing to family left behind.

Many of you have asked what we as a community can do. To that end I have two requests.
1) Pray for his family
2) Any words of encouragement you wish for the family can be posted here and I will take them with me.

Thank you all and fly safe!

Gary

 

[PropsForward]

NTSB Preliminary information

http://www.ntsb.gov/ntsb/brief.asp?ev_id=20050106X00020&key=1

NTSB Identification: MIA05FA044​

14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation​

Accident occurred Friday, December 31, 2004 in Weston, FL​

Aircraft: Cessna 210N, registration: N6195N​

Injuries: 1 Fatal.​

This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed.
On December 31, 2004, about 2008 eastern standard time, a Cessna 210N, N6195N, registered to and operated by Flight Express Incorporated, as Express flight 106, a Title 14 CFR Part 91 positioning flight, crashed into the Florida Everglades, about 20 miles west of Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Night instrument meteorological conditions prevailed in the area at the time, and an instrument flight rules flight plan was filed. The commercial-rated pilot received fatal injuries, and the airplane was destroyed. The airplane departed from Orlando Executive Airport, Orlando, Florida, the same day, about 1900.

According to information obtained from the FAA, the accident airplane was en route to Opa Locka Airport when the accident occurred. The FAA official further stated that the pilot had recently received a radio communications "handoff" to the FAA Miami Approach controller, with a requirement that he descend and maintain 2,000 feet. He further stated that the pilot acknowledged the altitude change, but any subsequent attempts by the FAA controller to communicate with the flight yielded negative results. According to FAA Miami Air Traffic Control Radar information, the airplane was last observed on radar at an altitude of 800 feet.

A witness who was driving a car westbound on Alligator Alley, stated that he observed the lights of an airplane in the night sky, and noted that the airplane descended at a steep descent angle, while proceeding from north to south, and it disappeared below his horizon. The witness further stated at that time it was raining intensely, was very windy, and the visibility had been greatly reduced. He said that after seeing the airplane descend and disappear from sight he telephoned "911", and reported the accident.

Based upon having received a report of an airplane crash, U.S. Coast Guard and Broward County emergency personnel responded to the reported position, and the airplane wreckage was found in about 3 feet of swamp water and sawgrass, about 1 mile south of Alligator Alley in the vicinity of mile marker 28. The debris field was about 100 yards long, oriented in a southerly direction, with the engine at the southern extremity of the debris field.

 

[huncowboy]

If anyone has flown south to Miami then you are familiar with the clearance to descend to 2,000 over the everglades way the hell out from civilization.

I just had that in a C172 with an instrument student at night in and out of solid IMC. Probably nothing exciting for the experienced folks, unlike for me, a fresh CFI with only 3-4h of actual time (of which most of it is .2 +.3 etc bs...) Regardless IMC or VMC, 2k over the glades is not good, not even in a multi but that is what they assign you to fly. We probably flew above, or close to the same path as the C210 driver did a few days later... it was just not our turn that night... You are so out of control. Had I not known the area, I would have never even figured what we were flying above. You, ATC, and the low enroute.

God bless him and his family!

 

[Dr Pokenhiemer]

I always hate to hear the bad news about someone losing their life. We all know it is an inherent part of the job, but no one gets into an airplane thinking that this could be the last time. I'm sure Jorge was looking forward to finishing another day at work and getting back to his family as the rest of us do. I believe that when it's our time to go, there's nothing we can do about it--whether it's flying, driving, or sitting at home watching football. My thoughts go out to his family and friends. Gary, thanks for taking the time to stay in touch Jorge's family. I hope the company is doing something for them also.

 

[John Glenn]

Roger That!

Well written. Thanks for the kind words Dr.WP. And yes, the company is doing what they can for the family. He leaves behind a loving family and countless friends. He is missed by all.
Gary

 

[Andie]

Touchy Art... I was only stating what i have been told by others who work for your company...no speculation. I was friends with Will and saw him daily in Springdale when i flew the Baron out of Dallas, he and Jeff (another one of your pilots at the time) were pretty happy, however were very upfront with the lack of adequate mx on your companies part.

You may bring up anything you want to about our fatalities...they were unfortunately all pilot error except for one. Nothing to do with our mx department or how well we keep our a/c...we are top notch in the industry, and fortunately everyone knows that.

But back to the topic at hand...unfortunately he was found deceased on the scene. I do feel bad for him and his family as stated before and i am praying for them. He is flying high in a better place now.

I was meeting him that night on the ground and for the last two weeks that plane was leaking fluids like mad. I will never believe it was a microburst. It was mechanical failure in the air. Pilots (especially young ones) should never have to check the engine every stop. RIP Jorge...