Indiana Plane Crash-Update

[ls317]

http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/03/05/indiana.crash.ap/index.html

BEDFORD, Indiana (AP) -- A pilot and his 8-year-old daughter were killed Monday when their small plane crashed into an in-laws' house near a southern Indiana airport, authorities said.

Indiana State Police spokesman 1st Sgt. Dave Bursten said a preliminary crash investigation leads "us to believe that this was an intentional act."

The crash killed Eric Johnson, 47, of Connersville, and his daughter Emily, he said. The plane crashed into the residence of one of Johnson's in-laws, Vivian Pace, Bursten said.

Authorities will not know for sure until the National Transportation Safety Board completes its investigation, which could take up to a year, Bursten said.

Earlier, Pace told The Times-Mail newspaper that she was in the living room of her one-story home when the plane struck the side of the building. She said everything fell off the walls.

[schrodingers_cat]

1. Aviaticide? (n/t)

[ls317]

2. update

More along the lines of murder sucide.....With an ex in law as a target

[karlrschneider]

4. OH...wait a minute...haven't we been told it's nearly impossible to

make the amazing maneuvers necessary to hit a particular building?
:eyes:

[Contrary1]

5. Yep, that's what they believe it to be...

I am about 40 miles north of Bedford.

http://www.theindychannel.com/news/11176856/detail.html

[karlrschneider]

3. As a commercial pilot since 1963, I'd really have to say - the chances of

ACCIDENTALLY crashing into your in-law's house are shall we say vanishingly small...?

:eyes:

[Solo_in_MD]

7. As a commercial and military pilot I really have to say given the ineptitude of the media and most

law enforcement when it comes to aviation related matters, I think we should reserve judgment until someone who actually knows something about aviation speaks up.

Low and slow flying to show of or look at something on the ground have resulted in numerous crashes over the years. This pilot would not have been the first to become a stall/spin statistic while trying to show a passenger their house or other ground landmark.

I'll wait for a pro to give an opinion, not a former mother-in-law being interviewed on the MSM or the local Sheriff (AKA Bubba).

[karlrschneider]

10. I agree the media is abysmally bereft of expertise on matters of aviation

and yes, there have been stall/spin accidents in the manner you describe (I allowed myself to get into an incipient stall one night circling tight over a football stadium but easily recovered)...however if you're trying to look at something on
the ground, you obviously aren't going to be on a trajectory leading directly toward it. I stand by my analysis.
;-)

[Solo_in_MD]

11. You may well be right, it would be one hell of a coincidence

The photos I saw did not show enough to the trajectory, though others may.

I've done been on accident investigation teams for the military and am somewhat persnickity about aviation safety and the short shift it gets in the MSM.

[karlrschneider]

12. Sadly, a lot of the M$M seems to think there are just 2 kinds of aircraft:

Piper cubs and 747s. Well, maybe 3...helicopters.

[Solo_in_MD]

13. I did see an article some years back that described the crash of a twin engine Cessna 150

[karlrschneider]

14. Well no wonder it crashed, that extra engine was way too heavy!

:D

[cloudbase]

16. Well

you know what they say. . . when the first engine fails, the second one takes you to the scene of the accident.

[karlrschneider]

18. Yeah...knocking on wood...I've only had 1 engine failure in 8000 hours

(on a multiengine plane...had 2 on singles, )
:D

[cloudbase]

20. The best part

is to be around to talk about it.

I don't worry about that stuff anymore. I stick with the gliders. Beaucoup cheap fun.

[karlrschneider]

21. Do you ever get over to Marfa/Alpine area?

I used to go down there occasionally with some of the Tulsa Glider club guys many years ago. Back when flying was
optional and fun. ;-)

[cloudbase]

22. Wish I could

Strictly East Texas soaring, though I've had some wonderful flights during some work trips. Got to soar Hollister, Moriarty, Sky Sailing, Coastal and Dillingham. Those guys by the mountains are spoiled rotten.

[karlrschneider]

23. Hopelessly off-topic - forgive me, mods - a funny story

My very first sailplane flight at Harvey Young airport in Tulsa. I had been towing gliders for probably a year, with an old
L-3 fitted with some nasty old radial engine, a Lycoming I seem to recall, but never actually flew one of them. One day I was out at the airport and my friend Lou Simmons said "OK it's time you got a glider flight!" There were only 3 people around...Lou, myself and a fellow Bob something to fly the tow plane. Nobody to hold the wing but Lou said "no problem, we'll just let Bob take up the slack and once we get up to a few knots we can level the wings ourselves."

So I'm sitting in the back seat of this Bergfalk (sp?), Lou is in front and Bob eases off the slack in the tow line then
shoves the go-knob. We got maybe 100 feet down the runway and I notice we're heading straight toward the fence.
"Where the hell are you going?" I hollered...."Jesus, I thought YOU were flying" he shouted back! Neither of us had
touched the stick or rudder up to that point! :D The next few moments are fuzzy but I think we both grabbed and stomped at the same time and got off the ground okay. It was great! This is a true story. :-)

[Contrary1]

15. Looks like it came in very low on the slideshow here:

http://www.theindychannel.com/news/11184399/detail.html

[bmbmd]

8. Why am I reminded of Garp?

"We'll be safe here."

On a related note, my son-in-law took his maiden voyage as first officer of a reall jet with real passengers this morning.

[Nevernose]

6. How did Solomon decide who really loved their child?

When the women came before him, each claiming "ownership" of the child, he ordered the babe cut in two. The real mother lied and said, "No, no -- I'm not the mother, that other lady is. Just let the baby live, okay?"

The fake mother said, "Yeah, gimme the kid! You heard her -- she's mine! Otherwise, cut it in half and give me my share!"

And so Solomon knew which was the real mother. The one who actually loved the child was willing to let her go; the one who didn't love the child, only wanted it, was willing to let the baby die before losing it.

Poor guy. I know what it's like to think you may lose your daughter. While I would rather see my daughter departed than dead, I can certainly empathize with what must have been his emotional state.

Ironic that we were discussing the King Solomon story the other day in one my American Lit classes. I'm an atheist, and all but one or two of my students claim to be Christian (some going to their mega-church 3 or 4 times a week), yet I have to be the one to tell them the story of Solomon.

[theHandpuppet]

9. Poor guy???

Poor kid!!!!

[WI_DEM]

17. why didn't this asshole just kill himself? no, he had to take a 8-year old with him

[karlrschneider]

19. Of course...that's the actual tragedy. I can't imagine the horror that little girl's mom feels.

...