Barnstormer wrote:NTSB began their investigation today. They determined that Hank did not hit a wire, but hit a tree directly under the wires. The plane went another 290 feet after hitting the tree. Wasn't at full power on impact but was making some power. They feel he was upright going under the wires and are trying to calculate how he ended up inverted.

Phil, how high off the ground are the lines?
Possible he saw them at the last moment and dove instead of pulling up, then clipped the tree?

Even though I never met or talked to Hank, this is really eating at me......I need to make some sense of this.
He was way too young to go so soon and I can't imagine what his folks are going through.

So sorry to hear this. Rest in peace, Hank.

truly tragic and sad, I feel for all left behind who knew him, and I hope for some relief from grief.

Sierra Victor wrote:..how high off the ground are the lines?
Possible he saw them at the last moment and dove instead of pulling up, then clipped the tree?

In relation to the tree tops not very high as the towers are just off the side of a ridge. Combine that with the sag of the wires near the mid-point and....

I would think you are correct, it would explain the lower power setting as well.

Unless there is some revelation from the NTSB this will be my last post regarding this.

Hank's uncle wanted to go out to the crash site today so the friend that helped in the search and a couple of others and I headed out.

The NTSB had determined it wasn't the landing gear that hit the tree but rather the left wing. Looking at the damage to the oak tree I could imagine maybe a third of the wing (outside) hit. I can imagine the plane yawing hard as a result which I suppose could cause it to become inverted. Near the tree we found the lens and base of the left NAV light. It flew inverted for a few hundred feet before hitting the ground. We found what we believe were the prop strikes. At this point we also found a gas cap o-ring (and looks like the fire started near this spot) and then for the next 79 feet where the plane slid on its back we found VGs, broken skylight pieces, flakes of red paint, interior fabric, and bits of aluminum. I also came across a piece of cast aluminum partially melted, engine piece I assume, and the door handle.

When I flew the site the day after the accident I was able to determine that the wires were very hard to see as they are below the skyline. So looks like Hank spotted them at the last moment, dove to get under them which he did, but caught a tree with a wing in the process.

Fly safe my friends.

Maybe a good place for some of those orange balls that go on the power line. Might save the next guy.

Sorry for the loss of your friend. The sting never seems to go away.

gbflyer wrote:Maybe a good place for some of those orange balls that go on the power line. Might save the next guy.

.

The next guy might go under a different span. You cannot put orange balls on every power line.

Tim

Where about was this Phil?

My thoughts are with you Phil as well to all the family and friends. Did not know Hank. Just spent a week with my father withering away from cancer at the age of 83. Quite sad to see. Dying while committing one of my passions is my dream for exiting this world. Shot by a jealous husband at the age of 90 comes to mind. Timing is everything, but often, we have little control over that. Tailwinds

Bighorn wrote:Where about was this Phil?

4 miles NE of 88R, just across Lake Travis

Coyote wrote:My thoughts are with you Phil as well to all the family and friends. Did not know Hank. Just spent a week with my father withering away from cancer at the age of 83. Quite sad to see. Dying while committing one of my passions is my dream for exiting this world. Shot by a jealous husband at the age of 90 comes to mind. Timing is everything, but often, we have little control over that. Tailwinds

Thanks. Lost my Dad at 83 two years ago from cancer. Know what you are going through. Sorry.

Won't really be able to put this behind me fully until we do our Stearman missing man flyover at Breakaway's fly-in on the 27th of Sept.

You know I was surprised at what was the hardest part for me. It was deleting the text message I'd sent him that morning that got no response, and even tougher was deleting his contact info off my computer, iPad and iPhone. Guess that drove home the finality of it all.

Fortunately life goes on. So get out there and do what you love, chase your dreams with all your heart and soul, and don't let anything or anyone dissuade you.

I'll see you in the air!

Barnstormer wrote:You know I was surprised at what was the hardest part for me. It was deleting the text message I'd sent him that morning that got no response, and even tougher was deleting his contact info off my computer, iPad and iPhone.

Same here. My best friend and partner in many, many as of yet untold flying stories, died of colon cancer a few years back. It was a long battle, and I was there when he died, so it was something we were quite resigned to. But man, that first day I sat there and thought, how do I erase 30+ years of friendship from the electronics. It seemed so cold, so I kinda didn't. I just let things fade away as I went about life.

Though every now and then, and old, long forgotten automated email reminder will pop up telling me something involving Randy. Now it's OK, and I just figure it's him and my old dog Hoser f**king with me.

Gump

Wow, he was a friend of my stepdaughter at OU.

I heard a suggestion the other day I really liked, although I hope I don't have to use it with any frequency. For those who have left us, leave them in your phone and just change the location to "gone West."

Phil, and others that knew him, I'm sorry for your loss...

I've flown over that area often. I have a good friend close to that area. We have a spot at TA 66 similar terrain........... sure makes you think.

Sorry for your loss Phil ........

Word from the NTSB today. The GoPro was on and they confirmed Hank saw the wires at the last second, dove under them catching a wing in an oak tree which snapped him inverted. Damn it. Please everyone don't go low without already knowing what there. And assume its different every time you fly there.

Just a week ago I was landing a local river in a stretch way off the beaten path. I flew alongside checking it out before turning into the wind and landing. I spotted a brand new power line going across the river between two of my favorite sand bars. I've never seen tracks on this area of the river, so guess the rancher has seen me land it because they put orange balls on the wire.

About two months ago I was landing a favorite creek bottom that has lots of power wires and barbed wire fences. As I came around a bend there were ranch hands putting up a new fence.

Know where you fly or don't fly!

Phil, thank you for clarifying the accident and the associated dangers. Being an SES pilot requires the same vigilance. Best to go slow and spend time looking. I will circle/stalk a lake/river... decreasing altitude very slowly which is time consuming and pray to resist dangerous complacency.

Barnstormer wrote:Word from the NTSB today. The GoPro was on and they confirmed Hank saw the wires at the last second, dove under them catching a wing in an oak tree which snapped him inverted. Damn it. Please everyone don't go low without already knowing what there. And assume its different every time you fly there.

Just a week ago I was landing a local river in a stretch way off the beaten path. I flew alongside checking it out before turning into the wind and landing. I spotted a brand new power line going across the river between two of my favorite sand bars. I've never seen tracks on this area of the river, so guess the rancher has seen me land it because they put orange balls on the wire.

About two months ago I was landing a favorite creek bottom that has lots of power wires and barbed wire fences. As I came around a bend there were ranch hands putting up a new fence.

Know where you fly or don't fly!

That is great advice, indeed. I spent several thousand hours working airplanes down low, mostly in Alaska, where power lines and towers are fairly scarce. Frankly, flying around the lower 48 low scares me....there's a lot of things to hit down low, and hitting a wire, a tower, or a tree tends to be pretty unforgiving. Nowadays those damn "Met Towers" are the biggest hazard....they can go up in just a few hours, and many of them have been camouflaged to avoid offending the surface dweller's sensibilities.

I see no problem with flying low, but above all, do a really thorough reconnaissance of the area BEFORE you go low. That goes for low recon as well as landings. As noted, I too have seen stuff almost magically appear that weren't there a few days before.

MTV

I think all of us who have been around for a long time have seen the danger of low level flying increase dramatically. There are towers up to 2000' AGL, with their guy wires splayed out at what looks like 45 degree angles, which would make them right where you'd fly if you were trying to dodge a tower you just saw. There are lots more towers extending between 500' and 1000' AGL. Even the windmill farms stretch up to 450' AGL or more. While it takes a little while to put up windmills, the towers seem to magically appear overnight.

Diving under wires is scary, but so is trying to climb above them too quickly. I had a couple of acquaintances die when they were screwing around in a Cub northwest of Laramie some 30-35 years ago. They were hedge-hopping when suddenly they came upon a normal 40' AGL power line, tried to climb over it too quickly, and stalled into the ground. Both pretty OK kids, and a real shame.

So yeah, reconnoiter anywhere you're going to be flying low. Know the territory, but be aware that man-made stuff can be built awfully quickly.

Cary

More than once I have called a backhoe or survey crew on the pipeline and a microwave tower was up and completed a week later.

Kids don't try this at home, but if you see one too late, attack it. I have cut wires with the prop and cutters, but only going downhill.