C-GVZW PA-46-350TP pilot ^FATAL^ update USA crash

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bizjets101
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C-GVZW PA-46-350TP pilot ^FATAL^ update USA crash

Post by bizjets101 »

C-GVZW Piper Malibu Mirage PA-46-350TP

Shortly after takeoff, the aircraft impacted railroad embankments and terrain southwest of Felts Field Airport (KSFF), in Spokane, Washington. The airplane sustained substantial damage and the sole pilot onboard received critical injuries.

Local News Coverage

Photo C-GVZW - https://twitter.com/bizjet101/status/56 ... 92/photo/1
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Re: C-GVZW PA-46-350TP pilot ^FATAL^ update USA crash

Post by bizjets101 »

Update; Pilot passed away today from injuries received in Feb 22 crash

KIRO TV update

SPOKANE, Wa. — The Canadian pilot of a small plane that crashed Sunday in Spokane died Tuesday afternoon, Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center and Children's Hospital says.
The single-engine Piper Malibu had just taken off from Felts Field when it crashed near a railroad viaduct along the Spokane River, avoiding a building.
Responding police officers, Burlington Northern Santa Fe workers and witnesses removed the pilot from the upside-down cockpit amid spilled fuel.
Aircraft records show the plane is registered to Michael Clements of Stony Plain, Alberta.
The Associated Press contributed to this article.
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Re: C-GVZW PA-46-350TP pilot ^FATAL^ update USA crash

Post by 5x5 »

That sucks! :cry:

Mike certainly loved flying and made a lot of good use out of his airplanes. Condolences to his family and friends.
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Re: C-GVZW PA-46-350TP pilot ^FATAL^ update USA crash

Post by oldncold »

Second hand but very reliable info . The piston malibu was mistaken by ground personal for a turbine Meridian airplane was refueled with jet A instead of avgas . Fate is the hunter once again. Sincere condolences to all concerned.
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Re: C-GVZW PA-46-350TP pilot ^FATAL^ update USA crash

Post by Shiny Side Up »

oldncold wrote:Second hand but very reliable info . The piston malibu was mistaken by ground personal for a turbine Meridian airplane was refueled with jet A instead of avgas . Fate is the hunter once again. Sincere condolences to all concerned.
I see so many people who don't keep a eye on their own airplane being fueled. Pull up to the FBO, tell the kid to "fill 'er up" and walk away. Fuelers are always sort of shocked when I help them out (which gives you an idea of how infrequently guys watch) but I ain't doing it for their health. Unfortunate.

Condolences to all involved.
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Re: C-GVZW PA-46-350TP pilot ^FATAL^ update USA crash

Post by Rookie50 »

oldncold wrote:Second hand but very reliable info . The piston malibu was mistaken by ground personal for a turbine Meridian airplane was refueled with jet A instead of avgas . Fate is the hunter once again. Sincere condolences to all concerned.
Wow if confirmed. I watch. And I verify caps are on afterwards. But question is -- isn't there a clear placard?
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Re: C-GVZW PA-46-350TP pilot ^FATAL^ update USA crash

Post by bizjets101 »

I was aware the pilot lost power and made a forced landing, clearly that would explain it - seen this exact same accident too many times. I'm sure many remember the Skycraft DC-3 in St Loius MO.

Anyway - Spokane Police downloaded to YouTube a vest camera video from an officer at the scene - suggest you don't click the link if you don't want to see.

Click Here
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Re: C-GVZW PA-46-350TP pilot ^FATAL^ update USA crash

Post by YBW-Kid »

This is a very sad accident.

I'm not sure what the rules are in the USA fuel operations, but you would think they would equip their overwing systems with the most recent fuel nozzles. In theory a jet fuel nozzle should be 4 inches wide with a flared flat nozzle. These nozzles are designed not to fit into a avgas aircraft tank with restrictor rings installed. Avgas nozzles are 1 1/2 inches wide and very narrow.

These are not foolproof, but most refuelers get the hint when their nozzle won't go through the tank opening.

My suggestion is learn from this accident and have the restrictor rings installed on your avgas aircraft and insist your refuelling operator uses the applicable nozzles in the future. Supervising the refuelling is your backup for the newbie who tries to squirt jet fuel into your avgas tanks using the big nozzle which does not fit into your tank.
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Re: C-GVZW PA-46-350TP pilot ^FATAL^ update USA crash

Post by GyvAir »

Unfortunately, the refuelers are forced to take the larger nozzle off and replace it with a smaller diameter nozzle to fuel certain jet fueled aircraft that have non-standard sized tank openings. Of course, the nozzle should be switched back immediately after fueling the non-standard aircraft, but this doesn’t always happen, especially at pumps where the non-standard aircraft arrives regularly.
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Re: C-GVZW PA-46-350TP pilot ^FATAL^ update USA crash

Post by Canoehead »

Hard video to watch. I'm not a 'voyeur', but the video does give some good insight to what First Responders have to deal with at a scene like that. It appears from a layman's perspective that the victim had no shortage of people there on scene who were doing their best to keep him alive.
Sad that he perished later, and ultimately due to someone else's unintentional mistake.
No matter what our job is in aviation, on the ground or in the air, we need to be vigilant all the time.
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Re: C-GVZW PA-46-350TP pilot ^FATAL^ update USA crash

Post by bizjets101 »

Aviation Safety database Skycraft's DC-3 crash in St. Loius - Jan 1984 that took the life of my good friend Milko Bloom - ex Millardair pilot.

New ramp employee - pulled up to the aircraft with the AvGas truck - and began to refuel, pilot due to the cold, went back inside.

The ramp worker, who had been employed for 3 months - the truck kept stalling on him, so he took it back and brought a Jet A1 truck to finish refueling.

Then he added the total from the Jet A1 truck - to the fuel ticket from the AvGas truck - nobody bothered to check the metered numbers - or they wouldn't have add up.

After two take-off attempts with the engines back firing - the contact the FBO to confirm they had bee refueled with AvGas - worker pulled the fuel ticket which confirmed the AvGas truck had been used - again nobody realized the metered numbers for amount of fuel did not match.

Aircraft departed, engines quit, forced landing. My friend in his seat went right thru the front of the airplane - and was in a coma for 3 days before he passed away.

Also a side note here: I worked for Skycharter at the time, Milko had recently been laid off from Millardair and went to work for Skycraft (now Enterprise Air) of Oshawa.

CEO/founder of Skycharter Mr. Irving Schoichet - without being asked, and on his own doing/cost - flew the Bloom family down to St. Louis on one of our Lear 25B's so they could be with their son when he passed.
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Re: C-GVZW PA-46-350TP pilot ^FATAL^ update USA crash

Post by Shiny Side Up »

YBW-Kid wrote:This is a very sad accident.

I'm not sure what the rules are in the USA fuel operations, but you would think they would equip their overwing systems with the most recent fuel nozzles. In theory a jet fuel nozzle should be 4 inches wide with a flared flat nozzle. These nozzles are designed not to fit into a avgas aircraft tank with restrictor rings installed. Avgas nozzles are 1 1/2 inches wide and very narrow.

These are not foolproof, but most refuelers get the hint when their nozzle won't go through the tank opening.

My suggestion is learn from this accident and have the restrictor rings installed on your avgas aircraft and insist your refuelling operator uses the applicable nozzles in the future. Supervising the refuelling is your backup for the newbie who tries to squirt jet fuel into your avgas tanks using the big nozzle which does not fit into your tank.
As one recalls, those are known as "Hoover Nozzles" and "Hoover Rings"

http://www.squawkpoint.com/2014/01/criticism/

I'm not sure I'd be as gracious as Bob after something like that, but then that's what legends are made of.
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Re: C-GVZW PA-46-350TP pilot ^FATAL^ update USA crash

Post by iflyforpie »

The Cessna 320 had an AD issued (CF87-21-02 R1) to install restrictors on the fuel openings. The one we had at SAIT had 'Turbo' emblazoned on the nacelles... which I believe was supposed to be removed by Service Bulletin.

I'm surprised there aren't more ADs like this.... plus better training, and better vigilance by pilots.

Better safe than sorry.... http://youtu.be/C9w51f5G-bg
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Re: C-GVZW PA-46-350TP pilot ^FATAL^ update USA crash

Post by GyvAir »

If one of these has been at the pumps shortly before you, training and vigilance can easily be all that stands in the way of a fueling error.
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