airdisaster.info

Small plane crash kills 2 adults, 3 kids

WILLARD, Mo., Sept. 16 (UPI) -- Two adults and three children died when the small aircraft they were traveling in crashed into a field near Willard, Mo., officials said.

John Lambert, 44, of Springfield, and Robin Melton, 46, of Ozark, along with Lambert's children, Grayson, 16, McKinley, 15, and Joshua, 10, died with the 2002 Cirrus SR22 crashed just after midnight Saturday, Highway Patrol spokesman Jason Pace told The (Springfield, Mo.) News-Leader.

Police believe the plane was heading to Springfield-Branson National Airport and originated in Kansas City. Pace said Grayson posted a photo on Twitter Friday night showing the family at a Royals baseball game in Kansas City.

Cindy Farmer, who owns the land where the crash occurred, said she heard the plane getting closer and closer.

"I thought, it's going to crash. Then I heard this sonic boom and saw this ball of fire. It was huge," she said.

She said she and her husband went to the crash site where they saw remnants of the plane burning.

"I saw wings still. We went around trying to see if anyone was still alive. It was burning so fast," Farmer said.

The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the cause of the accident, the News-Leader reported.

Read more: http://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2012/09/ ... z26eUSsKMP

...pic of 3 shoulder harnesses & lap belts...

SP 16/09/2012 03:20->
SPECI KSGF 160320Z 06005KT 4SM BR OVC003 16/14 A3014 RMK
AO2 CIG 002V006=
SP 16/09/2012 03:05->
SPECI KSGF 160305Z 08005KT 2SM BR OVC003 16/15 A3014 RMK
AO2 CIG 002V006=
SA 16/09/2012 02:52->
METAR KSGF 160252Z 06004KT 2SM BR OVC005 16/15 A3014=
SP 16/09/2012 02:40->
SPECI KSGF 160240Z 08005KT 2 1/2SM BR OVC005 16/14 A3014
RMK AO2=

Assuming both adults were around 200 pounds = 400
Three children, lets assume average weight of 140 each, which is high, but not unreasonable. = 420

...What 3we said is...

More passengers than seats: Apparently
Parlour talk that those who carry more passengers than seats may be lax with respect to regulations and safety: Usually

SR22 has a useful load of 1100 pounds.

Assuming both adults were around 200 pounds = 400

Three children, lets assume average weight of 140 each, which is high, but not unreasonable. = 420

820 Pounds, not including the inevitable baggage, which they must have taken with them, lets say around 50 pounds to be "light"

Total weight before fuel= 870 pounds. leaving 280 pounds for fuel.

That's 46 Gallons of fuel, or exactly 1/2 tanks for an SR22. (assuming he actually cared about W&B)

If you factor run-up and the normal delays of approach etc you're looking at around 16.5 gallons of fuel burn in an SR22 each way for a total of 33 Gallons, that's assuming he leaned out the airplane to max efficency at 65% power as well... who knows.

Weather for the accident time:

SP 16/09/2012 03:20->
SPECI KSGF 160320Z 06005KT 4SM BR OVC003 16/14 A3014 RMK
AO2 CIG 002V006=
SP 16/09/2012 03:05->
SPECI KSGF 160305Z 08005KT 2SM BR OVC003 16/15 A3014 RMK
AO2 CIG 002V006=
SA 16/09/2012 02:52->
METAR KSGF 160252Z 06004KT 2SM BR OVC005 16/15 A3014=
SP 16/09/2012 02:40->
SPECI KSGF 160240Z 08005KT 2 1/2SM BR OVC005 16/14 A3014
RMK AO2=

In otherwords, IFR conditions.


So another thing is for certain, if he followed W&B calculations properly, he was borderline on fuel for an IFR alternate, if not under.

Willard, the crash site is on final for runway 14, around 4NM from the threshold.

It is unclear why the four-seat aircraft was carrying five passengers

In otherwords, IFR conditions.


So another thing is for certain, if he followed W&B calculations properly, he was borderline on fuel for an IFR alternate, if not under.

Willard, the crash site is on final for runway 14, around 4NM from the threshold.

http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/bodymeas.htm
http://men.webmd.com/news/20041027/aver ... ng-heavier


Not sure why you guys think my stats are off, a whole six pounds?

Nobleza obliga

It is unclear why the four-seat aircraft was carrying five passengers

http://www.flyingmag.com/technique/acci ... MTQ2Njk2S0

Nobleza obliga

It is unclear why the four-seat aircraft was carrying five passengers

http://www.flyingmag.com/technique/acci ... MTQ2Njk2S0

Ok, Ok, it's a 5-seat plane.

I guess that the "nobleza obliga" part was misleading?

In otherwords, IFR conditions.


So another thing is for certain, if he followed W&B calculations properly, he was borderline on fuel for an IFR alternate, if not under.

Willard, the crash site is on final for runway 14, around 4NM from the threshold.

An explosion and a "huge ball of fire" and things "burning so fast" when the witnesses got to the scene would point me away from fuel exhaustion.

I wasn't very clear about the intent of my post.

I was simply trying to lay out some hypothesis which might help come up with a cause.

If I had to venture a wild guess, based on my "findings" I would say a hurried IFR approach to almost minimums, the pilot knowing he was going to be tight on fuel if he didn't make it in, maybe descended too low to try and "break out"

I wasn't very clear about the intent of my post.

I was simply trying to lay out some hypothesis which might help come up with a cause.

If I had to venture a wild guess, based on my "findings" I would say a hurried IFR approach to almost minimums, the pilot knowing he was going to be tight on fuel if he didn't make it in, maybe descended too low to try and "break out"

SGF has two very long runways, both with ILS approaches. Ceilings were tight, but the visibility was plentiful. All he had to do was hit the APPR button and have the airplane fly itself to Rwy 02.

...and how many times have we seen aircraft much larger and with two highly skilled pilots ball up an airplane on an instrument approach.

...and how many times have we seen aircraft much larger and with two highly skilled pilots ball up an airplane on an instrument approach.

not nearly as many times as persons flying high-performance, IFR-capable singles.