Skydiving plane fails at 7,000ft

[pilotbzh]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7431857.stm



Skydiving plane fails at 7,000ft

Fifteen people have escaped unharmed in the US state of Indiana after a sky-diving plane lost power 7,000ft (2,100m) from the ground.

The pilot told the 14 skydivers on board to jump to safety, then crash-landed the plane.

The malfunction caused oil to spray on the windscreen, limiting the pilot's visibility, and he lost manual control.

The plane found its runway but overshot and came to a halt in a field, turning over as its propellers hit the ground.

The parachutists, who all landed without incident, were able to watch the plane's descent, near the town of Greensburg.


It's a loss, but 15 people walked away because everybody performed professionally
Bob Dougherty
SkyDive Greensburg
Bob Dougherty, who owns the company SkyDive Greensburg, said the plane was climbing when the engine cut out.

The pilot levelled off the plane at 5,000ft so that the jumpers could evacuate the plane.

The engine threw thick smoke and oil up onto the windscreen, and manual controls were lost as he tried to steer the plane back to the airport.

Somehow he managed to find the runway, but it was too short and the plane ran into a nearby cornfield. He was able to crawl out of the wreckage.

"He just ran out of runway, but he was able to put the plane in a place where nobody would get hurt," Mr Dougherty told the Greensburg Daily News newspaper.

"It's a loss, but 15 people walked away because everybody performed professionally," he said.




how do you loose manual control after an engine failure?????

[niss]

I was curious too, can anyone think of a plane capable of hauling 15 people and has hydraulic controls?

[pilotbzh]

http://www.wishtv.com/Global/story.asp? ... v=menu35_4

better info on this site with a news video....Looks like just an engine failure and a flip in the dirt, no control issue would have been nicer to land it on the runway.... Can a Cessna 207 take 15 jumpers???

[CD]

********************************************************************************
** Report created 6/2/2008 Record 1 **
********************************************************************************

IDENTIFICATION
Regis#: 102VE
Make/Model: C208
Description: 208 Caravan 1, (Super)Cargomaster, Grand
Date: 06/01/2008
Time: 1451

Event Type: Accident
Highest Injury: None
Mid Air: N
Missing: N
Damage: Destroyed

LOCATION
City: GREENSBURG
State: IN
Country: US

DESCRIPTION
AIRCRAFT EXPERIENCED ENGINE PROBLEM, FORCE LANDED AND FLIPPED OVER, NEAR GREENSBURG, IN

INJURY DATA Total Fatal: 0
# Crew: 1 Fat: 0 Ser: 0 Min: 0 Unk:
# Pass: 14 Fat: 0 Ser: 0 Min: 0 Unk:
# Grnd: Fat: 0 Ser: 0 Min: 0 Unk:

WEATHER: BAK 1400Z 28006KT 10SM CLR 23/15 A2996

OTHER DATA
Activity: Other
Phase: Unknown
Operation: OTHER


FAA FSDO: INDIANAPOLIS, IN (GL11) Entry date: 06/02/2008

[Blakey]

N102VE is a Caravan.

http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry ... rtxt=102VE

[RatherBeFlyingInCanada]

That would've been a perfect time to trim up the plane for a good glide and jump out myself, no piece of equiptment is worth my life if I hae a chute on my back.

[yycflyguy]

That would've been a perfect time to trim up the plane for a good glide and jump out myself, no piece of equiptment is worth my life if I hae a chute on my back.

Skydive planes are never more than 5 miles from the airport. He just screwed up his glide and/or handling. As for jumping out of a plane... the pilot uses a reserve chute that may or may not have been packed/inspected sometime this decade, not a sure thing either!

[PTP]

You wouldn't get me abandoning a plane that could safely be flown. Plus he's near a runway and a bunch of fields, not really risky terrain for an off airport landing if it comes to that. Gliding a plane to a runway should be a non event, but it does require proficiency.

Plus if he was the owner, jumping out means his plane is no more. Also, how would he feel if his plane drove itself into someones house?

my $.02

[RatherBeFlyingInCanada]

You wouldn't get me abandoning a plane that could safely be flown. Plus he's near a runway and a bunch of fields, not really risky terrain for an off airport landing if it comes to that. Gliding a plane to a runway should be a non event, but it does require proficiency.

Plus if he was the owner, jumping out means his plane is no more. Also, how would he feel if his plane drove itself into someones house?

my $.02

Excellent point.

[ditar]

http://www.wishtv.com/Global/story.asp? ... v=menu35_4

"When we first come up there was fuel pouring out of one of the wings. I don't know how it got there but it was spewing out the side and they estimated there was between three and five hundred pounds on board," Deputy Snyder said.


Fuel on board an airplane? Imagine that! I thought planes ran on happy thoughts.

[niss]

http://www.wishtv.com/Global/story.asp? ... v=menu35_4

"When we first come up there was fuel pouring out of one of the wings. I don't know how it got there but it was spewing out the side and they estimated there was between three and five hundred pounds on board," Deputy Snyder said.


Fuel on board an airplane? Imagine that! I thought planes ran on happy thoughts.

They run on money, and broken relationships.