This happened yesterday, I don't know anything except what I read in the newspaper: Accident Article

Unfortunate, pilot was a former legislator and very experienced, it sounds as if he got the plane down largely in tact but there was a fire.

I thought about going to that pancake breakfast but our club planes were already booked.

Sad...

Cripes this hurts! As a Pilot and Lions Club President for here in Burns, it is a double whammy.

I've gave probably close to a hundred rides if not more in the last 10 years at events just like this. Folks just love it too. See town from the air.

We discontinued this practice a year ago. Price of av gas and our club insurance rider just put the donation for a ride to high for the average working stiff. I had folks ask me Saturday why we were'nt doing rides. After explanations they all understood, but still disappointed.

My heart goes out to them. God Bless!

C ya, Bub

If he bellied it in, and it was reasonably intact, why the fire?

Are crash fires usually from the gascolator exploding like a molotov cocktail? Or other fuel components? I'm worried that the day I have to mush into trees or bushes after an engine failure, or make an otherwise decent landing in rough terrain, that my bird is going to explode as the gascolator shatters.

Steve's Aircraft?

1SeventyZ wrote:If he bellied it in, and it was reasonably intact, why the fire?

Are crash fires usually from the gascolator exploding like a molotov cocktail? Or other fuel components? I'm worried that the day I have to mush into trees or bushes after an engine failure, or make an otherwise decent landing in rough terrain, that my bird is going to explode as the gascolator shatters.

It depends a lot on the severity of the impact. This is why turning the fuel off is the most important pre-crash item. It's quite likely the gascolator will be broken if there is bottom cowl damage, but if there is only a cup or two of fuel in it, the float bowl, and the lines from the valve it will not be the movie type of explosion. If the crash is such that the fuselage is crushed where the fuel lines are upstream of the valve, well, that is much worse.

Planes with a header tank like cubs are a different story. If that is punctured there is a gallon or more of fuel spewing into the cockpit!

The bottom line is that many more deaths occur from improper forced landing technique than post-crash fires. Get the fuel, mags and master off, latch open the doors, and fly the airplane into whatever is available just above the stall speed, and you will have a high probability of surviving.

Don't try to stretch the glide or maneuver violently within 200 feet of the ground just to reach a better looking area!

Rocky

Sounds like a pretty firm arrival. Lots of points to create a fuel leak in that kind of accident. The gascolator is always a possibility, but if the pilot didn't have time to get the fuel selector secured, there are lots of lines in the engine room that could break in an impact. The 206 also has two header tanks, mounted about under the pilot and copilot seats in the belly of the plane. These should also have drain valves. Scrape the belly, and those will probably be wiped off.

MTV

As Bob Hoover said.....fly the damn this into the crash as far as you can.
Been there ...done that!

An additional article in the paper this morning indicates that people who got there said everyone was non-responsive. Not sure how hard they hit, I'll be at the airport tonight to go flying and may get more details.

Thankfully the NTSB people made it clear they did not want to speculate, god knows how that gets out of hand and makes us all look bad. Although it appears the writer had to include all the local accidents for the last five years in the area in this article. I really think it has nothing to do with this incident, just sensationalism.

It truely is sad, my thoughts are with their families and all the other pilots out there.

Was it burning before or after it crashed.......

Lots of inflight fires are not just fuel or oil leaks, but come from exhaust problems. But yes, turn off the fuel and the master. Had one where the guy had it made and the engine came back to full power in the flare, then he crashed into some trees. So....if it's dead, make sure it's dead at the last bit I guess.

A bad day for sure.

According to witnesses, it caught fire as they approached the plane to assist. By the time someone got there with an extinguisher it was fully involved.