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Plane Crash in Northern Indiana (Culver)

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FlyingBuckI

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 20, 2004
Posts
67
A plane went down shortly after takeoff at the Culver Academies (IN73) this afternoon. A friend of mine called to ask me about it, but I had not heard anything. They have several Cherokees and Warriors...I'm not sure which aircraft this is, but I'll make some calls tomorrow.

The majority of the time they use a grass strip. The departure takes you over a golf course and then over Lake Maxinkuckee. Apparently they lost power and tried to avoid a few trees just before crashing into the lake. I'm not sure if they struck a tree, stalled, etc as of now. If anyone knows more, please feel free to elaborate...

http://www.wndu.com/news/082005/news_44050.php
 
The instructor on that flight is one of my good friends. For anyone curius it was N4512Q that went down. The aircraft landed and the left wing detached itself from the rest of the aircraft.

Blue skies and tailwinds always, Brent
 
The second closest time I ever died happened on that grass strip, my gf and I were departing in a 160 which had a cruise prop. It had half tanks and she is 130lbs and I was about 200. To make a long story short, we had leaves in the gear getting it out of there on a hot summer day. I didn't know they (fbo) (lease back), switched the props. It made a huge difference in climb, I used 20 on the flaps anticipating a short field take off to be on the safe side, lucky I did.


I haven't seen anything on the news here yet.
 
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just remember not to post things on here that you've heard from someone else. wait for the NTSB report. i have a lot of hours in 12Q and at culver academy and it kills me to hear something like this happen to anyone, especially at culver.
 
I agree. I went to Culver School of Horsemanship 89-91 then worked there for 2 summers 94 and 95 as a counselor in Troop A and the next year in Aviation B. What a great place. Met some great friends there and the best memories of my life were created in those 3 summers and I hate to hear of anything bad going on there. What a wonderful place to spend time. I sure hope they tough this out..........

aviatornick said:
just remember not to post things on here that you've heard from someone else. wait for the NTSB report. i have a lot of hours in 12Q and at culver academy and it kills me to hear something like this happen to anyone, especially at culver.
 
I fly in there every month to just park at the end of the grass strip and walk across the golf cousre and swim, if the guy landed on the grass, how did he end up in the lake? He would have to be going pretty fast landing on 27 and then go down and then up a hill, several trees and a house about a 1/3 of a mile away.:confused: :confused: :confused: :confused: :confused: :confused: :confused:


It's more probable he did what I did and instead of scimming the trees, he hit them, that would put him in the lake. He would have to be going missed or just taking off though.
 
I knew the instructor, too - he was a great guy. 21 is far too young for anybody to go, let alone the 15 year old kid at the camp.

Godspeed, Brent...
 
how did he end up in the lake? He would have to be going pretty fast landing on 27 and then go down and then up a hill, several trees and a house about a 1/3 of a mile away

The aircraft was departing 27, not landing. There's one tree in particular that is in the departure path that I can think of, but I'm assuming he didn't hit any trees. It's not hard to clear.


just remember not to post things on here that you've heard from someone else. wait for the NTSB report. i have a lot of hours in 12Q and at culver academy and it kills me to hear something like this happen to anyone, especially at culver.

Being that I have received several calls from staff members who saw/heard it happen, I'm not speculating on much. I too have many hours in 12Q. I'm a past grad of CMA and a former instructor. I turned down an offer as Assistant Director at Culver in order to instruct at ATP.

If anyone can give me the pilot's full name I would appreciate it. I'm hoping it's not the Brent I know of. My friend didn't know his last name when she called to tell me what happened. **disregard -- found the local news story and received a phone call from JM. I don't know the instructor, but I do know the student's family.

Godspeed to all parties involved.
 
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I too have spent many hours in 4512Q. It is sad to see a great plane and to great people gone, and although this happened at Culver, I still support the program they are running because it intorduced me to one of my passions.

Aviatornick, is this the Nick from Cali?
 

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