Hood River accident

[Chewie]

My town lost two great men this weekend, one of whom I considered my friend.

https://www.kptv.com/news/community-...0400cb9e7.html

Of course the media doesn't paint the whole story and we all have a good idea what actually happened. But what we can't explain is how did two highly experienced aviators allow the error chain that led to this avoidable and tragic outcome.

Fly safe out there, and use your checklist!

[jaredyates]

I'm sorry to hear about you losing a friend. Sometimes the best we can do in these situations is to support the grieving and let the experts do their jobs in figuring out what happened.

[Russellmn]

Am I hearing it right? They lost engine on takeoff and tried an "impossible turn"?

[Chewie]

Correct that they lost the engine, and by witness accounts (from people I trust, not just the general public) they did attempt to turn back. There was a landable field right off the end of the runway.

[Bdflies]

Knowing as little as I do, it seems that some wrong decisions were made. Long time ago, I was advised not to second guess such decisions. We all do the best we can and sometimes we don’t do right. Long ago, I bent an airplane and it still haunts me. Luckily, I didn’t need a band aid and the plane didn’t need much work. But it’s still with me.
Train hard and do your best! At the risk of sounding like a downer, always enjoy the hobby, but have your affairs in order.

Bill

[Battson]

Knowing as little as I do, it seems that some wrong decisions were made. Long time ago, I was advised not to second guess such decisions. We all do the best we can and sometimes we don’t do right.

You see these YouTube vidoes these days "debunking the impossible turn" etc. You have to wonder whether stuff like this affects people's judgement or decisions. Speaking generally, not about this specific sequence of events.

[Russellmn]

I've seen a couple of those videos. Most had 500'+ AGL before the "engine out". I liked what Patey did with multiple attempts at progressively lower altitudes at a quiet airport with plenty of flat ground to land on off the runway.

[svyolo]

The perfect flight has never been flown. Emergencies and irregular operations are flown with much lower levels of perfection than a normal flight. The first problem is identifying the problem, diagnosing, and coming up with a plan. That can take several to a few dozen seconds.

I lost, unfortunately, not a few friends, including probably the best pilot I ever flew with. His favorite saying was "there are those that have, and those that will".

[BravoGolf]

Mark

I am sorry to hear you lost a friend in such a tragic way. Our thoughts and prayers are with their families.

Scott

[Chewie]

Thank you all.
I agree with everything above, and the thing that drives me mad is I think Ben Davidson would also agree. I almost laughed when I read his name in the news report. He was one of those pilots who I would say would be incapable of a preventable accident like that. Losing an engine is one thing and I know why the engine failed, but who was at the controls and who decided to turn I don't think I will ever know.

[whee]

Sorry about the loss to your community Chewie. It’s a sad deal. No doubt it will be something you think about for a long time wondering how it happened.

While getting ready to fly my BH the instructor flogged me with engine failure on takeoff scenarios, we must have done a dozen of them. I kinda felt bad for the abuse his airplane was exposed to but it was really good training. No more needless steep climb outs or attempts at the impossible turn for me. I say that with the hope I don’t lose my head when things go bad.

[rv8bldr]

.... with the hope I don’t lose my head when things go bad.

Truer words were never spoken...

[AKKen07]

Sorry to hear about your friend Mark. Those mysteries are hard to rationalize.

Early in my career I was a bit more hit or miss when things went bad fast. I like to think I have matured since then but you never know until it happens. I’ve seen great pilots make mistakes at surprising moments, no one is impervious.

[Burgerilla]

Mark-
I do not know you, but as I read your post, I can feel your pain. I have tasted the bitterness of loss and find myself revisiting the tragedy while reading about yours. A thousand or more times, I have run through mental analysis searching for why....and it is not there.

Take care of yourself as you remember your friend. Others will benefit from your example and share your caring.

John Caulkins

[geraldmorrissey]

My early instructor was Flavio Madriaga, the Fla in Flabob. He instructed 5-6 hours a day 6 days a week for 40 years in everything from J-3 to Twin Beechs to T-6's. Took off one night with his wife to fly to Las Vegas. He left the gust locks in place, almost ruddered it back to the runway, lost control. I thought, if it can happen to him, what chance do I have.
Gerry

[davzLSA]

Im so sorry to hear about your friend Chewie, but as long as we remember them they will never leave us.

[Chewie]

Thank you all! I will pass on your kind words to the family. Yes, it can happen to anyone, I guess I need to just accept that as part of the risk while striving to keep my guard up and not get too comfortable.