Rockwell AC690 down in Arizona
11-23-2011, 07:35 PM
#1
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Rockwell AC690 down in Arizona
Cubby,
You anywhere near the Superstition Mountains?
It doesn't look like they had a chance.
Arizona Plane Crash Caught on Tape | Video - ABC News
Small Plane Crash in Arizona's Superstition Mountains; Crews Scramble to Reach Scene - ABC News
You anywhere near the Superstition Mountains?
A small plane crashed this evening in Arizona's Superstition Mountains in a fireball captured on video, leaving officials struggling to reach the rugged scene and voicing little hope of finding survivors.
Arizona Plane Crash Caught on Tape | Video - ABC News
Small Plane Crash in Arizona's Superstition Mountains; Crews Scramble to Reach Scene - ABC News
11-23-2011, 07:55 PM
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This initially threw me for a loop prior to looking into it a little.
There is a very low range of hills in the R-2510 just NW of El Centro, CA (near Yuma, AZ).
I figured it might a typical media inaccuracy in reporting details, but I see now that there is a range east of Phoenix and the Sheriff mentions taking off out of Falcon Field.
Sorry to hear about this mishap.
USMCFLYR
There is a very low range of hills in the R-2510 just NW of El Centro, CA (near Yuma, AZ).
I figured it might a typical media inaccuracy in reporting details, but I see now that there is a range east of Phoenix and the Sheriff mentions taking off out of Falcon Field.
Sorry to hear about this mishap.
USMCFLYR
11-24-2011, 06:34 AM
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It was a clear night last night, but there are no city lights east of the Superstitions to silhouette the mountain, unfortunately.
Ron, which VOR? There are no navaids on the field at FFZ (save for an out of service NDB).
Ron, which VOR? There are no navaids on the field at FFZ (save for an out of service NDB).
11-24-2011, 07:14 AM
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Originally Posted by AZFlyer
It was a clear night last night, but there are no city lights east of the Superstitions to silhouette the mountain, unfortunately.
Ron, which VOR? There are no navaids on the field at FFZ (save for an out of service NDB).
Ron, which VOR? There are no navaids on the field at FFZ (save for an out of service NDB).
USMCFLYR
11-24-2011, 10:05 AM
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I went to Air Force Pilot Training at Williams (now called Williams Gateway). Some years prior, a solo T-38 student, flying at night, was given an east vector at 4000 ft---and either never given another vector, or missed the call. In any case, he crashed at about the same place as this aircraft.
There are virtually no lights on the ground in this area, so on a dark night, it would be tough to tell that you are low--or flying towards a cliff.
Very sorry indeed.
There are virtually no lights on the ground in this area, so on a dark night, it would be tough to tell that you are low--or flying towards a cliff.
Very sorry indeed.
11-24-2011, 10:42 AM
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Wasn't me, but I have done a fair amount of photo ops around Phoenix at low altitude. Evidently they did not have a TAWS system. The newer pistons and light jets generally have TAWS A or B as standard gear. My fleet had either a Garmin G1000-based TAWS, or a Honeywell add-on box. It sounds like they were flying visually and just missed seeing the mountain.
11-24-2011, 01:09 PM
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Originally Posted by USMCFLYR
The Mesa One ODP heads down southwest to Stanfield, but it seems to be for in close obstacles. I don't see published departure that takes an aircraft out that far east of Phoenix. Both of the departures seems to have fairly quick turns to the southwest associated with them.
USMCFLYR
USMCFLYR
Back when I was a freshly minted private pilot, I flew VFR in a PA-28 from FFZ to FLG on a clear but moonless night on a warm evening with high density altitude. Couldn't see any of the mountains underneath me, but I must have verified and checked my altimeter setting and the terrain elevation on the chart every couple of minutes out of paranoia. Those mountains make me nervous sometimes.
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