flightaware.com/live/flight/N578DC
Track log shows climb above FL300, with a FL300 service ceiling. Notice the drop off of ground speed during that climb.
Local news
wdbj7.com/Global/story.asp?S=10645289
Very distressing. Oxygen deprivation?
The pilot reported losing an exterior panel and was going to divert to Lynchburg Regional Airport
http://www2.tbo.com/content/2009/jul/05/052338/plane-en-route-tampa-crashes-va/news-breaking/
I’m curious if the climb to above FL 300 was the result of the panel coming off, or if it popped as a result of the climb. Sad either way.
Tracklog shows that just before reaching FL320 they turned from about 250 heading to about 160-180. (Not enough digits in lat/long to know very well). Just after reaching FL320, speed dropped to 105. Radar shows something happening in that area; looks moderate to me but maybe that drove some decisions?
I wonder if they located the cargo door in the wreckage? Is that even a possibility?
If the cabin depressurizes at that altitude and the pilot doesn’t have the presence to set and engage the AP for a lower but safe FL, it would easily be possible for him/her to lose consciousness and control of the aircraft.
I can’t imagine part of the skin peeling off, more likely a door or hatch. Unless the cabin just popped at that FL – it wasn’t just a seal failure because of the radio call.
In that event, the first priority is to don the oxygen mask so that consciousness can be maintained to fly the airplane.
I realize that, but this assumes you have it and it is charged/working. The very steep descent and impact could be an indication of someone slumped over against the yoke.
HUH? it’s part of the pre-flight checklist. If you don’t have O2 you don’t go up high.
I’m sure the NTSB will tell us what happened.
NOW before you quoting the Payne Stewart accident just know that it has raised awareness- just like 9/11 raised awareness and security.
The article doesn’t say an exterior panel…it implies a loss of instrumentation.
The Federal Aviation Administration said that Dorsch reported losing "his panel’’ and was going to land at Lynchburg Regional Airport.
[quote=“cfijames”]
CFIDami,
I copied and pasted that directly from the article. They’ve updated the article over the last 24 hours cuz most of that info (esp the personal stuff) is new. Instrument panel makes more sense.
[quote=“wazzu90”]
The article still says “exterior panel”. 28th paragraph from the top about 1/2 way down the page…
“The pilot told air traffic control that an exterior panel came off the exterior of the aircraft,” Peters said. The pilot said he was diverting to Lynchburg.
The story keeps changing as more people get involved. Today they’re reporting additional confusing info and can’t seem to conclude whether Dorsch was referring to his instruments or an exterior structural panel when he contacted ATC.
*"The National Transportation Safety Board is teaming up with multiple agencies to literally put the pieces together after Sunday’s fatal plane crash.
Senior Air Safety Investigator Tim Monville says, “It’s a matter of walking, documenting, looking at every single part. Trying to ascertain where it’s from. Trying to figure out how the airplane impacted.”
Because traffic control lost contact with pilot Daniel Dorsch before the crash, Monville says figuring out what happened will be a difficult task.
He adds, “This airplane is so badly fragmented that we are now looking for circuit boards on the ground from these instruments and hoping that some microchip will retain the data. It’s down to that level and fragmented that bad.”
With little information to go off of, Monville says they are relying on communication by the pilot before contact was lost.
Monville says, “The pilot reported having issue or discrepancy with a panel. The pilot was not specific in what panel he was referring. At this time, we have just begun our investigation so i don’t know what that could mean.”*
[quote=“JHEM”]
Monville says, “The pilot reported having issue or discrepancy with a panel. The pilot was not specific in what panel he was referring. At this time, we have just begun our investigation so i don’t know what that could mean.”[/quote]
whsv.com/news/headlines/50127117.html
I read it as if the pilot reported a discrepancy with a panel, that to me would imply instrumentation???
Reporting an issue on a panel could go either way, a panel outside the plane or instrumentation?
Be interesting if the ATC transcripts get published.
Yep, it would be interesting to read exactly what was said and in what context.
The PC12 doesn’t have any exterior “panels” to speak of. There are 2 small hatches on both sides of the nose, as well as a split cowl to access the engine compartment, kinda like a piper cherokee.
I, for one, have dismissed any notion that the pilot meant exterior panel. There’s no way a pilot could see or even feel that a panel on the exterior has come off. It’s not an eclipse here guys, this airplane is built extremely tough. It’s laughable to consider that a piece of the airplane would come off in routine flight.
The ONLY thing, other than the instrument panel, that I think may have contributed to this accident could be the engine cowl. In the unlikely event that the cowl pops open, it could cause an issue for the pilot. I imagine, though, that it would rip right off before causing any instability issues with the airplane, especially in a realm of flight other than takeoff.
And…if something was doomed to depart the airframe, it most likely would have (or at least created a noticable vibration) long before spending nearly two hours at FL320.
The plane crashed a few minutes after 10:00 Eastern, everything in the track log after that time is false info.
I will be interested to find out exactly what time Dorsch contacted ATC to request a divert to Lynchburg.