Missing Plane in Southern WA

[Annie]

There was a small tag on today's local news about a small craft missing in an area SSW of Mt. Rainier.

I could be wrong about this, but that area seems to have a dis-proportionate amount of accidents, within the NW area. Would someone please post a link to the weather (winds aloft), and also to information regarding the other accidents in that area?

Pray for the safe return of all involved.

 

[81Horse]

Here's a link to an article about that missing aircraft: http://www.nwcn.com/statenews/oregon/stories/NW_012606ORNskamaniacrashLJ.3f4e8f3f.html

Note: the pilot was not instrument-rated, and was from Arizona, and was flying a 421. Western Washington = lots and lots of IMC, and lots and lots of terrain to be avoided. Not much mystery about why planes go missing there from time to time -- it's not the Bermuda Triangle or anything.

Also, praying for a safe return is likely futile in this case; let's just say rest in peace.

Edit: sorry, Annie -- the link above goes to a registration page (but it's free). I googled King 5 news and got to the article through a link there.

 

[FlyinScotsman]

The weather that day was not good for a non instrument rated pilot. I was flying in the area that day and every time we went IMC we iced up like a giant popsicle. It was at least mod rime. BTW they are looking for the plane by Mt St. Helens just north of Stevenson WA in the Coloumbia River gorge.

 

[agpilot34]

This is a story that gets repeated way too many times... a non instrument rated pilot, a high performance aircraft, the bad weather conditions that are pretty much the norm in that part of the country this time of year. All these together are a recipe for disaster. My thoughts and prayers go out to the family or families (anyone know the number of souls on board?). I guess there is a SLIGHT chance of survival, but I wouldnt bet on it in that area. Probably an otherwise good pilot that just made a bad decision and got in WAY over his head.

 

[81Horse]

I believe the owner-pilot was solo. And not instrument rated. In a 421. And from Scottsdale.

Just sayin'.

<edit to add: not that there's anything wrong with Scottsdale!>

 

[urflyingme?!]

Come on people. You can buy a 421 but you can't spend 30 hours under the hood?

 

[Annie]

What suggestions do you have for a beginning student/pilot to make extra certain they have checked for all WX possibilities in that area? I know about the winds aloft maps, and the basic charts, but are there other sources, that provide more current info, before take off?

Thank you,

 

[81Horse]

Ask your friendly local professional flight instructor. All will be revealed in the fullness of time.

 

[urflyingme?!]

1 800 wx brief
Tell them that you are a student pilot, they'll help ya out. enflight.com is great too.

PS Telling ATC you're a student pilot will get u alittle extra help/patience depending on the controller as well

PPS what is the significance of this pie you have on your avatar?(feel free to PM! haha)

 

[DJS]

Flying around here this time of year is a challenge. Even if you are instrument rated, the ice can be horrendous (lots of moisture in the air) and over the mountains there aren't many options to get down out of it. Plus, this time of year, even if you survive a forced landing, there are many feet of snow and very cold temperatures up in the hills.

I'll keep my fingers crossed for the guy, but this is definitely *not* the time of year to be flying over the Cascades without your IR. (or heck, even with your IR in a non-ice-certified plane). Only on those rare clear winter days do I even think of taking my 172 across the mountains for the next few months (i.e. the freezing level gets nicely above MEA)....of course, that's when the orographically induced t-storms tend to kick in...sigh...

 

[agpilot34]

Any updates on this one yet? Has it been found?

 

[NW_Pilot]

I grew up, have done some week long hiking, And fly in the area! A Fir Tree is designed to let its branches flex and bounce back up. The terrain is so dense that it can take 1 day to walk a mile in some places and it's very hard to spot anything on the ground because it is so dense. If one has not grown up here in the NW wilderness or had any training they would only last a few day's out there if they had any injuries maybe 1 to 2 days max. Hope they find the guy

 

[81Horse]

... very hard to spot anything on the ground ...

Yeah. From time to time, someone still stumbles into a WWII-era wreck. This is the latest news item I could find: http://www.katu.com/printstory.asp?ID=82858

 

[belchfire]

What suggestions do you have for a beginning student/pilot to make extra certain they have checked for all WX possibilities in that area? I know about the winds aloft maps, and the basic charts, but are there other sources, that provide more current info, before take off?

Thank you,

My thoughts and prayers for his family...I've flown and driven in that part of the world...

The weather in the Puget Sound area is rough on VFR
pilots. You can make bank that the first time it clouds
up on a sunday afternoon in september or october some
one is going to try to scud run somewhere they ought
not. I flew out of the now gone-the-way-of-all-good-
things Martha Lake Airport. Lots of Stratogranitius...
Icing? The Brits brought the Concord there to do the
tests on the anti-icing equipment.

Know the local area. Learn it. Fly around low on
a nice day and pretend you can only see two miles
with a safety pilot and scare yourself into learning
to not do it for real.

Get access to a NOAA weather radio and listen to
the weather on bad days-learn the trouble spots.
OLY, PAE, SEA and Bummertown (Bremerton) can be on
their butts in drizzle-fog but BFI in all probablility
will be MVFR (unless the whole thing is fogged in),
and they can get you vectors to an approach if
it comes to that.

Lots of times visibility seems less when flying low
over water. Then there are the times that it really
is!

How to avoid trouble flying up there?
1) Have an escape plan
2) Learn to understand the forcasts, then look
out your own damm window and see if it makes
sense, and
3) have an escape plan.

ps-escape plans include hotels, rental cars
and a few cold ones at the Vault Room when
you get stuck in Prosser cause the passes
fogged in. Be careful, and you may avoid
some of my grey hairs...
"stuck at...where?"
hehehe...'course I liked getting stuck in
Reno myself...

 

[schoolio]

Yeah. From time to time, someone still stumbles into a WWII-era wreck. This is the latest news item I could find: http://www.katu.com/printstory.asp?ID=82858

That story lists the pilot's name. The FAA database has him listed as holding a PVT ASEL only. I know the database isn't always up to date, but wow...