I was flying with a student SW-W of OGD yesterday and heard a CAP aircraft looking for a Zodiak that was missing. Got home in time to hear on the news that it had been found on Antelope Island. Not a lot of details being reported. Anyone have the inside scoop? It was pretty windy yesterday. We were getting some pretty good buffets from some of the smaller hills out by the practice area. Not a day to have been around any ridgelines.

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** Report created 3/4/2009 Record 1 **
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IDENTIFICATION
Regis#: 3683X Make/Model: EXP Description: ZODIAC 601XL
Date: 03/03/2009 Time: 1600

Event Type: Accident Highest Injury: Fatal Mid Air: N Missing: N
Damage: Destroyed

LOCATION
City: SALT LAKE CITY State: UT Country: US

DESCRIPTION
AIRCRAFT CRASHED UNDER UNKNOWN CIRCUMSTANCES, THE ONE PERSON ON BOARD WAS
FATALLY INJURED, NEAR SALT LAKE CITY, UT

INJURY DATA Total Fatal: 1
# Crew: 1 Fat: 1 Ser: 0 Min: 0 Unk:
# Pass: 0 Fat: 0 Ser: 0 Min: 0 Unk:
# Grnd: Fat: 0 Ser: 0 Min: 0 Unk:

WEATHER: METAR KSLC 031553Z 16015KT 10SM FEW070 SCT140 BKN200 13/00 A2993

OTHER DATA
Activity: Unknown Phase: Unknown Operation: OTHER


FAA FSDO: SALT LAKE CITY, UT (NM07) Entry date: 03/04/2009

We had 45 knot gusts here at KSLC. 25-35 knots sustained all day long. I thought to myself, what a crappy day to fly.

We couldn't even see Antelpoe Island in the morning.

Very sad.

Really sad news (: I hang out frequently at Bountiful SkyPark airport where this and Bruce Johnson's Zodiacs were and are being built. I was only acquainted with Kirk Babbit for a short time, but my impressions of him were amply justified by those of his family and friends who posted comments on the story earlier today on KSL TV. They have just posted an update at http://www.ksl.com/index.php?nid=148&sid=5760265 which sheds further light on what may have gone wrong. Also there was another writeup on http://desnews.com/dn earlier today.

Needless to say, many of us are devasted by this tragic accident. He and his uncle had just finished their plane in the past couple of months or so, and the loss of it as well as Kirk are really tough.

Bruce and I have become good friends, and I help him some on his plane. He was really devastated when I called him this morning to see if he knew who it was. Unfortunately, he knew all too well.

Let's be really careful, and live to fly a long time. Peace to all.

Joe Harwell

I also was up out of Provo. We calculated 80 kts from the SW. Bumpiest I have ever flown in. Hit my head on the cockpit ceiling pretty badily during one bump. My heart goes out to the family. Sure seems to have been a lot of planes go down recently.....this is scaring my wife.
Jim

This crash is so sad, for the family of the pilot, for the Homebuilt industry, for the public that will fear all planes smaller than a 737. Going back to the hysteria over the 2 fatal crashes of Experimental planes near North Las Vegas and the ongoing attempt to legislate this type of plane from populated areas, is also sad. However, to put ANY blame of this crash on FAA restrictions to avoid Class Bravo airspace is equally short sighted.

For a pilot to choose to fly in these strong winds, near mountains, expecially with a small, newly constructed plane is questionable at the least and in hindsight, regretable. "It is better to be on the ground wishing you were flying, than flying and wishing you were on the ground".