A Piper PA-34-200T has crashed 2 1/2 miles short of KHTS killing 3 on board. Pilot had declared a fuel emergency.
Weather in this area all day long has been heavy snow showers with Vis at less then 1/2 mile at times. It does not appear that a flight plan was filed according to news reports.
It was N8047C
Sorry about posting in wrong forum. I dont know how to move it.
UPDATE @ 4:57pm
Peter Knudson with the NTSB confirms to WSAZ.com that a Piper PA-34 aircraft with tail number N8047C crashed at 1:37 EST.
Knudson says three people were on board and all three were pronounced dead at the scene.
The plane crashed in a wooded area 2.5 miles southeast of Tri-State Airport.
At the time of the crash, the weather conditions were considered “instrument meteorological conditions” (IMC), according to Knudson. This means that the pilot’s visibility was limited.
A NTSB investigator is on his way to the scene from Virginia. He will look at all factors and hope to release more information early next week.
Pilot had declared a fuel emergency.
Weather in this area all day long has been heavy snow showers with Vis at less then 1/2 mile at times. It does not appear that a flight plan was filed according to news reports.
Man I hope this report is incorrect, there is nothing in these 3 sentences that cooperate with the other.
Frank,
Be careful filing to get to VFR conditions on top and then canceling IFR once above the clouds if it’s overcast. Have a situation that causes you decend into the clouds (i.e. engine failure/partial power failure) and a violation is imminent.
If you are on an IFR flight plan and the same thing occurs, then there is no violation of FAR 91.155.
Similarly, if you lose comm, and not on an IFR flight plan, you are expected to maintain VFR. By chance being above an overcast layer, opens up numerous problems in keeping FAR 91.185.
Violate either of these and a violation of FAR 91.13(a)and/or(b) will accompany.
Also, keep in mind that while picking up a “Local IFR” is common especially in the training environment, FAR 91.169 comes into play.
When you pick up an IFR flight plan for the letdown and the instrument approach, have you included an alternate airport in accordance with FAR 91.169(b)(2)(i)? Also, are the items included per FAR 91.169(a)(1) requiring FAR 91.153? All this carefully mentioned in FAR 91.169(a)…with the words “must include the following information”. Many times controllers will query, but if they do not, make sure you volunteer the information required on the flight plan form at least for the record(ing).
You never know when a FAA Inspector might be around tuned in to what is going on. It would not be cool to be met at your aircraft by an Inspector asking, “so what was your alternate?, you did not list any contact information, how many persons were onboard?, how much fuel?” All this required by FAR Part 91.153/91.169.
I very rarely file an IFR flight plan but fly IFR on both ends.
I call SoCal on my cell phone (uncontrolled airport) and get a Cleared to VFR On Top. It takes about 60 seconds.
Cancel when I get on top and go GPS direct.
Approaching my destanation I ask for an IFR let down and get a clearance to shoot an approach.
Look at this:
Right, I have done that w/ practice approaches. My interpretation, of the story, or at least the way it reads to the public is that he decided in this horrible WX day to just go up and cruise around, so my point was that with all of this combined it was just one bad thing after another.
A side note and question, Frank, why do you choose to go VFR on top? That way you can go GPS direct and save time? I’d imagine SOCAL approach and the Midwest where I’m are a bit different so it may be more beneficial to you out that way. When you do that do you get Flight Following? Just curious, not knocking it, in my limited instrument time, just a perspective I’m not familiar with.[/quote]
But also keep in mind that the FAR’s state something somewhat SIMILAR to “Any or all FAR’s may be violated in the case of an emergency or situation in which bodily injury may be incurred”. So, if you lose an engine above IMC, you may legally go through the clouds!
‘Overloaded plane, Continued VFR flight into IFR Conditions’
‘Weight and balance calculations were performed using weight and balance documents recovered at the site, the actual weights of the occupants, and the baggage recovered at the scene. Calculations revealed the airplane weighed about 4,902 pounds at takeoff, with a center of gravity at 98.40 inches aft of datum. The zero fuel weight was calculated at 4,343.9 pounds, at 99.02 inches aft of datum. The manufacturer’s center of gravity range at maximum gross weight was 90.6 to 95 inches aft of datum. The manufacturer’s maximum allowable gross weight was 4,570 pounds.’
