Hendrick Motorsports plane down?

[KeroseneSnorter]

How could anything be VFR with a ceiling steady at around 700'?

Like I said, that is what the illustrious news media reported. My only guess would be if they cancelled after breaking out so the next guy could start the approach, then lost the field. Pretty common practice on a field with no RCO.

I doubt anybody would do that with 700 ceilings in high terrain though.

We'll have to wait for the NTSB report.

 

[350DRIVER]

How could anything be VFR with a ceiling steady at around 700'?

It was "extremely foggy" in the area of the crash, said Dale Greeson, who lives about a mile from where the plane went down.

"It was just like a cap on top of Bull Mountain," said Greeson, adding that he had heard what sounded like a small plane circling overhead at the time of the crash.

3 5 0
Disclaimer: 350DRIVER is not implying anything by the above nor should his opinion(s), posts, be taken overly seriously, he is merely a member passing a long information, nothing more and nothing less.

 

[350DRIVER]

It was foggy at the time of the crash. Sources with Robert Yates Racing said the plane overshot the runway and then crashed into the side of Bull Mountain. According to the FAA, there was no distress call.

http://www.wcnc.com/news/topstories/stories/wcnc-102204-ds-nascarplane.1efe8035.html

3 5 0

Disclaimer: 350DRIVER is not implying anything by the above nor should his opinion(s), posts, be taken overly seriously, he is merely a member passing a long information, nothing more and nothing less.

 

[FracCapt]

My only guess would be if they cancelled after breaking out so the next guy could start the approach, then lost the field. Pretty common practice on a field with no RCO.

I doubt anybody would do that with 700 ceilings in high terrain though.

According to the Metar approximately 5 minutes before the estimated time they crashed the vis was 1 3/4sm and 400' ceiling.....not conditions during which anybody even close to being sane would cancel in the air. It wouldn't even be close to LEGAL to do so. I doubt they cancelled. If so, why would ATC think anything of the fact that they lost radar contact?

 

[KeroseneSnorter]

I doubt they cancelled. If so, why would ATC think anything of the fact that they lost radar contact?

News here said the crash happened about 12:30 or so. According to them the first report came at 3 pm or so.

Was the weather 400 to 700 all day or did it clear part of the day?

Any Nascar boys out there that have a better time frame for the sequence of events? My impression was that the crash happened just prior to the race but the search did not start until 2 or so.

 

[350DRIVER]

"The plane had been attempting to land in Martinsville, but the pilot opted to abort the landing and climb away from the runway, Martin said. The plane struck a wooded area minutes later in poor visibility." Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Greg Martin

Aborting an attempted landing is not unusual in bad weather. The airport maps that pilots use typically include instructions for how to climb safely away from the runway during an aborted landing.

An automated weather system at the airport reported that horizontal visibility along the ground was 5 miles or greater at the time of the crash. A layer of clouds hovered 600 feet over the airport. The winds were light.


It went down at 1230pm.

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/motor/nascar/2004-10-25-air-travel_x.htm

I guess the question remains then why she didn't fly the published missed if early indications are correct?.

3 5 0

 

[philo beddoe]

I am assuming from the discussion here that the published miss was not flown?

 

[TrafficInSight]

I am assuming from the discussion here that the published miss was not flown?

either that or Jeppesen has some explaining to do

 

[Freebrd]

Sad deal for the Hendrick organization. Looking at the approaches into this airport and the missed approach procedures for runway 30 shows immediate left or right turn (depending on the approach) back to the southeast for the hold. If they didn't turn, and they were at the missed approach altitude of 2600, 2800, or 3000', and flew straight ahead, then that mountain was there at 3211'. Runway 12 has one approach which has a missed straight out to the southeast to hold.


Very sad for a fine man, Mr Hendrick, to lose not only some of his finest employees, but also his son, twin daughters, and his brother. God speed.
__________________
Freebird

 

[rumpletumbler]

Word on the street is that the published missed was not flown.

Did Ms. Cleo tell you that??

lol....