small plane down in La Mirada, CA

[GravityHater]

What was the sun angle? Were they west of it, flying into a rising sun in the am? or the reverse?

 

[EagleRJ]

What was the sun angle? Were they west of it, flying into a rising sun in the am? or the reverse?

A distinct possibility, since the accident happened in the morning, the plane was approaching the airport, and as Ravengirl said, the tower was west of the airport.

If anyone flies out of this local area, maybe they should get AOPA involved with the issue that this was not the first accident involving this tower. They have previously fought construction of obstructions that would present an unusually high risk to aviation.
Those towers only take a month or two to put up, and since the site is already permitted and wired for the station, I'm sure a contract for a replacement tower is already out for bid. If AOPA acts fast, they might be able to force the tower to be built somewhere safer.

 

[CaptRob]

KFI is a "Clear Channel" station. That does not mean it is part of Clear Channel Broadcasting Corp., it means that there are no other radio stations broadcasting on 640AM on the west coast. They broadcast 50,000 watts of effective radiated power, while most other AM stations are at 10-20,000 max and reduce power at night. On a clear night, when the signal can skip on the ionosphere, you can probably hear them in Alaska. If you held a flourescent light tube near the tower, it would illuminate in your hand.

The FCC has not granted a clear channel license in over 50 years. In other words, the tower has been there a while, a long while. It will probably be rebuilt as it is far too expensive to re-engineer and approve a new location for a transmitter, and they own the tower site, a very expensive chunk of Southern California real estate.

If it was a high rise building that had been there for 60 years, would you advocate its removal?

While I hate to hear of anyone hurt or killed in an aviation related accident, and my condolences go out to the families, I think advocating safer pilots might be in order. I flew around this tower while flying traffic watch for KNX-AM and I know it well. It is well marked on the sectional and terminal chart, as well as NOAA and Jeppesen charts. The pilot is required to have a current copy of at least one of these charts on board. The pilot should have known it was there. It was clear and over 150 miles visibility on that day, in fact I flew over the area three times at 7000 ft that morning and there wasn't a cloud within 200 miles. A mild Santa-Ana wind was blowing and it was a picture perfect day.

You have to look out the window, and if your vision is obscured, you need to know what's out there before you fly there.

Just my humble offering...

 

[Captn]

http://www.qsl.net/ad7db/kfi.html

Her is history and details about tower....

 

[Ravengirl]

KFI is a "Clear Channel" station. That does not mean it is part of Clear Channel Broadcasting Corp., it means that there are no other radio stations broadcasting on 640AM on the west coast. They broadcast 50,000 watts of effective radiated power, while most other AM stations are at 10-20,000 max and reduce power at night. On a clear night, when the signal can skip on the ionosphere, you can probably hear them in Alaska. If you held a flourescent light tube near the tower, it would illuminate in your hand.

The FCC has not granted a clear channel license in over 50 years. In other words, the tower has been there a while, a long while. It will probably be rebuilt as it is far too expensive to re-engineer and approve a new location for a transmitter, and they own the tower site, a very expensive chunk of Southern California real estate.

If it was a high rise building that had been there for 60 years, would you advocate its removal?

While I hate to hear of anyone hurt or killed in an aviation related accident, and my condolences go out to the families, I think advocating safer pilots might be in order. I flew around this tower while flying traffic watch for KNX-AM and I know it well. It is well marked on the sectional and terminal chart, as well as NOAA and Jeppesen charts. The pilot is required to have a current copy of at least one of these charts on board. The pilot should have known it was there. It was clear and over 150 miles visibility on that day, in fact I flew over the area three times at 7000 ft that morning and there wasn't a cloud within 200 miles. A mild Santa-Ana wind was blowing and it was a picture perfect day.

You have to look out the window, and if your vision is obscured, you need to know what's out there before you fly there.

Just my humble offering...

CaptRob,

KFI is a "clear channel" station that also happens to be owned by Clear Channel Broadcasting Corp. Just to clarify...

I've managed to pick up KFI in parts of Arizona...it's one heck of a strong signal, that's for sure.

Stephanie

 

[mmmdonut]

Did they knock Rush Limbaugh off the air? Good for them!

 

[EagleRJ]

Did they knock Rush Limbaugh off the air? Good for them!

Classy.

 

[Ravengirl]

Nah...Sunday morning at that time is some cooking show

 

[TrafficInSight]

CaptRob,

KFI is a "clear channel" station that also happens to be owned by Clear Channel Broadcasting Corp. Just to clarify...

I've managed to pick up KFI in parts of Arizona...it's one heck of a strong signal, that's for sure.

Stephanie

I've gotten it in Tucson some nights... and picked it up on the ADF once here in the Bay Area