KC Airshow Crash

[KCOTT]

Thousands see crash that kills veteran pilot

http://www.kansascity.com/2011/08/20/3088842/with-thousands-watching-plane.html

OCF begins around 1:20ish

Doing those aerobatics at a low altitude like that always makes me uncomfortable, but those guys have probably been doing it for a long time. Sad to see. Condolences to his family.

 

[jt71582]

Horrible....that shit's crazy. It looked sort of like a progressive spin, the way it reversed like that. I'm just a helo-bubba though...no expertise here.

 

[RHPF]

Maybe I have ridiculous expectations, but those reaction times in the videos I've seen posted recently disappoint me. It's not like it's 3 am at a small regional airport. It's an airshow with demos currently in progress. If it was a low impact crash, but enough to knock him out, he would have died long before guys in firesuits showed up.
Quite a few airshow crashes lately, included the British Hawk demo team.

 

[KCOTT]

Maybe I have ridiculous expectations, but those reaction times in the videos I've seen posted recently disappoint me. It's not like it's 3 am at a small regional airport. It's an airshow with demos currently in progress. If it was a low impact crash, but enough to knock him out, he would have died long before guys in firesuits showed up.
Quite a few airshow crashes lately, included the British Hawk demo team.

Seriously. The first thing to show up is a Toyota Prius? And then the fire dept. comes minutes later?

 

[FlyBoyd]

IMO, it looked like an inverted spin into a death spiral. Both are tough to recognize and recover from...especially at low altitude.

RIP my brutha.

 

[yak52driver]

Just got a phone call from a KC reporter wanting me to discuss the crash, not calling them back...

 

[Jim123]

Just got a phone call from a KC reporter wanting me to discuss the crash, not calling them back...

I don't blame you. That's a tough one though... With the media and aviation stories I'm cynical so I'd be most worried about being misquoted- not so much for hurting my pride but my words getting changed into bad information. On the other hand, that report will just keep calling around for an "aviation expert" to quote and might end up talking to someone really dumb.

 

[KCOTT]

I don't blame you. That's a tough one though... With the media and aviation stories I'm cynical so I'd be most worried about being misquoted- not so much for hurting my pride but my words getting changed into bad information. On the other hand, that report will just keep calling around for an "aviation expert" to quote and might end up talking to someone really dumb.

I can't remember what news station it was, but I remember for one of their aviation mishap related stories they obviously really wanted an interview of some sort of expert opinion on the matter and ended up showing a five minute interview of some weekend warrior in front of his Cessna 172. I was like really? They're asking that guy for his input on what happened?

 

[Flugelman]

Was watching an interview on national news with someone who saw the accident. He said "There wasn't enough torque in that engine to pull him out." WTF does torque have to do getting the thing flying. I wish the talking heads would vet their interview subjects before talking to them. Just stupid...

 

[ea6bflyr]

You mean torque isn't in this picture?

So that's what I've been doing wrong all these years.

-ea6bflyr

 

[insanebikerboy]

Seriously. The first thing to show up is a Toyota Prius? And then the fire dept. comes minutes later?

I guess my question is then, what would be a reasonable response? It took them roughly a minute and a half to get on scene, and unless they were sitting right next to the runway that's a pretty good response in my opinion. Most airshows I've been at, the crash crews aren't right next to the runway nor are they suited up for immediate response, like the crash crew guys on the carrier.

 

[yak52driver]

I guess my question is then, what would be a reasonable response? It took them roughly a minute and a half to get on scene, and unless they were sitting right next to the runway that's a pretty good response in my opinion. Most airshows I've been at, the crash crews aren't right next to the runway nor are they suited up for immediate response, like the crash crew guys on the carrier.

I agree. I've flown some small town airshows where the firetruck and ambulance were there to make everyone feel good, but if I made a hole in the ground it would be quite a while before they got to me. Even at larger airshows I've flown the crash crews seem to be out of the way so that no one can see them.

 

[JEP]

Yea it is sad. I heard this guy was based out of KSGJ St. Augustine for the Vp-30 guy that posted this. ^

 

[ryan1234]

Just got a phone call from a KC reporter wanting me to discuss the crash, not calling them back...

We had a couple shows with him this past season. Very sad, great guy.

 

[yak52driver]

We had a couple shows with him this past season. Very sad, great guy.

We have lost quite a few good people in the last few years. It is sad.