CNN is reporting that after the pilot was unresponsive to ATC, ANG F-16’s were scrambled and followed it to the crash site:
yeah, based on the time of takeoff and it’s uhh “arrival”, I’d say that was probably it. Very sad… The article said that they’re thinking that he suffered some type of inflight medical emergency. Luckily everyone on the ground was spared. I’ve always told my girlfriend and family that when I go, if it happens to be in a situation like that, they should know that at least I died doing what I loved. Hopefully this pilot was no different and his family can at least take some comfort in that.
edit:
from their local nbc affiliate:
wthr.com/Global/story.asp?S=11232083
the station is confirming that it was a “6 year old mooney M20” so that definitely was the plane. It also states that they believe hypoxia played a role. Check out that track log though - his speed/altitude is crazy. (mach .08? that’s about 61 mph by my calc’s)…
Very confusing. The filed route clearly shows TVC as the destination and the path shows the flight going to TVC then returning to and overflying GRR and continuing in a straight line to the crash site. Yet the flight logs show three entries for the flight, two of which list Muncie as the destination and no mention of Traverse City at all.
Perhaps the destination was TVC and the pilot wasn’t feeling well, decided to return to GRR and set the autopilot to do so and then passed out?
The wind was 80 kts out of the north at FL240 over that area, hence the "GROUND SPEED " from the radar returns. I Guess the airspeed was constant till the engine quit and the decent started? if the autopilot was installed correct it will trim till it hits the stop that should min airspeed before stall.
It was a mx test flight. Supposed to fly up to TVC and back home to GRR.
I wonder what the medical problem was? R.I.P.
Hypoxia
Ohhh, ok. 