Backcountry Pilot • Mack Mesa-Based Plane Crash, 3 lost

Mack Mesa-Based Plane Crash, 3 lost

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Mack Mesa-Based Plane Crash, 3 lost

Very bad news, but very few details at this point.

Prayers and condolences to all affected.


Small plane crashes in Colorado, killing 3 on board, authorities say
By Erin McClam, Staff Writer, NBC News
A single-engine airplane crashed in a remote part of Colorado, killing all three people on board, authorities said Friday.
The plane left the airport in the town of Mack, near Grand Junction and the Wyoming state line, on Thursday and never came back. The three had told the aircraft manager that they were looking for livestock on the mesa, authorities said.
The Civil Air Patrol spotted the wreckage Thursday night.
Efforts to recover the bodies were underway Friday, and the cause of the crash was under investigation, the Mesa County sheriff’s office said. Deputy Ben Carnes told KUSA, the NBC affiliate in Denver, that he did not know when the names would be released.
http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/12/13/21889360-small-plane-crashes-in-colorado-killing-3-on-board-authorities-say?lite


http://www.9news.com/news/story.aspx?storyid=368582
Last edited by RanchPilot on Fri Dec 13, 2013 10:41 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Mack Mesa-Based Plane Crash, 3 lost

So sorry to hear this. Condolences to family and friends.
soyAnarchisto offline
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Re: Mack Mesa-Based Plane Crash, update

They have released the names and some more information.

http://www.nbc11news.com/home/headlines/Fatal-Plane-Crash-on-Grand-Mesa-235717871.html

My condolences to all the friends and family members.
Prepared Pilot offline
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Re: Mack Mesa-Based Plane Crash, 3 lost

Any more info on this crash???

I met Dana a few years back… nice guy.
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Re: Mack Mesa-Based Plane Crash, 3 lost

The weather on the day of this crash seemed very good, at least at the observation location. They had light winds and pretty much clear skies. Sounds like a rather experienced pilot.

A Comanche doing a ground search for cattle? Could a bit of inatention be to blame? The Comanche isn't the best ground search airplane out there. Just a though, sad event indeed.
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Re: Mack Mesa-Based Plane Crash, 3 lost

Oh no. Dana was my mechanic and I had just sent him an email (unanswered) about doing a possible pre-buy and wondered if he was involved. Loss for words and condolences to family. His commanche was a nice one also.
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Re: Mack Mesa-Based Plane Crash, 3 lost

That's a shame. I too wouldn't think the Comanche would be the best aerial platform, but I guess if that's all you had?

About 4 minutes before reading this post I got a call from a local rancher, wanting me to look for cattle on the backside of the 9K mt. behind my place, at the 6 to 7 K levels, some canyons and meadows. I hemmed and hawed, because I know this rancher steals water and grazes cattle where he shouldn't, cuts fences not his so his cattle can "accidentally' get to grass on land not his, (and blames it on hunters), screw him. :shock: Sorry for the thread drift but the timing was weird.
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Re: Mack Mesa-Based Plane Crash, 3 lost

=D> ^^^^^^ "Screw him",,,
=D> =D> [-X
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Re: Mack Mesa-Based Plane Crash, 3 lost

Very sad, sounds like experienced pilot, too. Chances are it will be a low altitude stall, spin accident.
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Re: Mack Mesa-Based Plane Crash, 3 lost

When I was a student pilot in AK a hunnert years ago, my instructor warned me about the infamous "moose stall", and then had me circle around a moose for emphasis. It is so darned easy to get distracted by stuff on the ground, even for experience pilots.

Cary
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Re: Mack Mesa-Based Plane Crash, 3 lost

Cary wrote:When I was a student pilot in AK a hunnert years ago, my instructor warned me about the infamous "moose stall", and then had me circle around a moose for emphasis. It is so darned easy to get distracted by stuff on the ground, even for experience pilots.

Cary


Add to that… a laminar flow wing….
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Re: Mack Mesa-Based Plane Crash, 3 lost

courierguy wrote: grazes cattle where he shouldn't, cuts fences not his so his cattle can "accidentally' get to grass on land not his, (and blames it on hunters), screw him. :shock: Sorry for the thread drift but the timing was weird.


Definitely one who should now have to deal with his decisions. I wouldn't have helped him either! Good on ya!

:P
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Re: Mack Mesa-Based Plane Crash, 3 lost

Nothing wrong with spotting out of a Comanche. Drop the wheels, pull some flap and it's a low wing 182. Like Boulder Bill says, been there done that (and in that country too).
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