Crash at Crazy Creek (Middletown, CA

[bumper[_2_]]

Very sad to report a mid-air at Crazy Creek Soaring, just after 11
Saturday morning. According to news reports, a Pawnee and glider
collided over the airport. Two fatalities. No names released yet. News
said one pilot was very experienced and lived with his family at
Middletown, the other is from the Bay Area also experienced and is
widely known for his videos and pictures on the internet . . . agian,
this info has not been confirmed, I got if from Bay Area channel 5
news on-line.

I'm afraid I know them both and have lost two friends.

Any additional info appreciated.

bumper
zz
Minden

[sisu1a]

On Nov 28, 9:15*pm, bumper > wrote:
> Very sad to report a mid-air at Crazy Creek Soaring, just after 11
> Saturday morning. According to news reports, a Pawnee and glider
> collided over the airport. Two fatalities. No names released yet. News
> said one pilot was very experienced and lived with his family at
> Middletown, the other is from the Bay Area also experienced and is
> widely known for his videos and pictures on the internet . . . agian,
> this info has not been confirmed, I got if from Bay Area channel 5
> news on-line.
>
> I'm afraid I know them both and have lost two friends.
>
> Any additional info appreciated.
>
> bumper
> zz
> Minden

Only additional info I could find as of midnightish:
http://www.ktvu.com/news/21747498/detail.html which says the glider
was reg out of Cotati and the pilot was married. I only found one W-27
reg in Cotati:
http://www.aircraftone.com/aircraft/registrations/cotati-ca-california.asp

It is premature to jump to conclusions though, as we don't know if
that was actually his glider nor if he or someone else was flying it.
Very sad news any the case.

-Paul

[ppp1]

Still nothing official I think, but:

http://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=70209

-ps-










On 29 marras, 10:54, sisu1a > wrote:
> On Nov 28, 9:15*pm, bumper > wrote:
>
>
>
> > Very sad to report a mid-air at Crazy Creek Soaring, just after 11
> > Saturday morning. According to news reports, a Pawnee and glider
> > collided over the airport. Two fatalities. No names released yet. News
> > said one pilot was very experienced and lived with his family at
> > Middletown, the other is from the Bay Area also experienced and is
> > widely known for his videos and pictures on the internet . . . agian,
> > this info has not been confirmed, I got if from Bay Area channel 5
> > news on-line.
>
> > I'm afraid I know them both and have lost two friends.
>
> > Any additional info appreciated.
>
> > bumper
> > zz
> > Minden
>
> Only additional info I could find as of midnightish:http://www.ktvu.com/news/21747498/detail.html*which says the glider
> was reg out of Cotati and the pilot was married. I only found one W-27
> reg in Cotati:http://www.aircraftone.com/aircraft/registrations/cotati-ca-californi...
>
> It is premature to jump to conclusions though, as we don't know if
> that was actually his glider nor if he or someone else was flying it.
> Very sad news any the case.
>
> -Paul

[Matt[_3_]]

On Nov 28, 9:15*pm, bumper > wrote:
> Very sad to report a mid-air at Crazy Creek Soaring, just after 11
> Saturday morning. According to news reports, a Pawnee and glider
> collided over the airport. Two fatalities. No names released yet. News
> said one pilot was very experienced and lived with his family at
> Middletown, the other is from the Bay Area also experienced and is
> widely known for his videos and pictures on the internet . . . agian,
> this info has not been confirmed, I got if from Bay Area channel 5
> news on-line.
>
> I'm afraid I know them both and have lost two friends.
>
> Any additional info appreciated.
>
> bumper
> zz
> Minden

[Matt[_3_]]

On Nov 29, 11:24*am, ppp1 > wrote:
> Still nothing official I think, but:
>
> http://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=70209
>
> -ps-
>
> On 29 marras, 10:54, sisu1a > wrote:
>
> > On Nov 28, 9:15*pm, bumper > wrote:
>
> > > Very sad to report a mid-air at Crazy Creek Soaring, just after 11
> > > Saturday morning. According to news reports, a Pawnee and glider
> > > collided over the airport. Two fatalities. No names released yet. News
> > > said one pilot was very experienced and lived with his family at
> > > Middletown, the other is from the Bay Area also experienced and is
> > > widely known for his videos and pictures on the internet . . . agian,
> > > this info has not been confirmed, I got if from Bay Area channel 5
> > > news on-line.
>
> > > I'm afraid I know them both and have lost two friends.
>
> > > Any additional info appreciated.
>
> > > bumper
> > > zz
> > > Minden
>
> > Only additional info I could find as of midnightish:http://www.ktvu.com/news/21747498/detail.html*which says the glider
> > was reg out of Cotati and the pilot was married. I only found one W-27
> > reg in Cotati:http://www.aircraftone.com/aircraft/registrations/cotati-ca-californi...
>
> > It is premature to jump to conclusions though, as we don't know if
> > that was actually his glider nor if he or someone else was flying it.
> > Very sad news any the case.
>
> > -Paul

[Matt[_3_]]

On Nov 29, 11:24*am, ppp1 > wrote:
> Still nothing official I think, but:
>
> http://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=70209
>
> -ps-
>
> On 29 marras, 10:54, sisu1a > wrote:
>
> > On Nov 28, 9:15*pm, bumper > wrote:
>
> > > Very sad to report a mid-air at Crazy Creek Soaring, just after 11
> > > Saturday morning. According to news reports, a Pawnee and glider
> > > collided over the airport. Two fatalities. No names released yet. News
> > > said one pilot was very experienced and lived with his family at
> > > Middletown, the other is from the Bay Area also experienced and is
> > > widely known for his videos and pictures on the internet . . . agian,
> > > this info has not been confirmed, I got if from Bay Area channel 5
> > > news on-line.
>
> > > I'm afraid I know them both and have lost two friends.
>
> > > Any additional info appreciated.
>
> > > bumper
> > > zz
> > > Minden
>
> > Only additional info I could find as of midnightish:http://www.ktvu.com/news/21747498/detail.html*which says the glider
> > was reg out of Cotati and the pilot was married. I only found one W-27
> > reg in Cotati:http://www.aircraftone.com/aircraft/registrations/cotati-ca-californi...
>
> > It is premature to jump to conclusions though, as we don't know if
> > that was actually his glider nor if he or someone else was flying it.
> > Very sad news any the case.
>
> > -Paul


I was at Crazy Creek a few hours after the crash. I can confirm that
Hal Chounard, flying his ASW 27 B was one of the pilots. The other was
Sean (don't have his last name), a partner with Jim Indrebo, flying
the Crazy Creek Pawnee. Although there is no official account of the
accident, this is what I learned. It was a gusty, windy day with cross
winds at the runway possibly in the neighborhood of 40 knots. Hal had
launched behind the Pawnee and may have gotten off low, and finding no
lift had headed straight back to the airport. He may have selected a
right hand pattern because of strong winds blowing in from the west..
At any rate Chounard and the tow plane arrived at base leg at
approximately the same time, flying opposite patterns. One could
surmise that because of the dicey conditions, both pilots were focused
on the runway and a challenging landing rather than looking ahead for
traffic. However that might be, they collided and died.

Hal was a good friend, warm hearted, generous and good natured. We
started flying about the same time and have flown a half dozen
contests together. Last year at Montague he cheerfully brought my
trailer to a remote country airport where I'd landed, the classic
"Retrieve From Hell" that brought us back to the home airport at 3am
in time for a contest flight a few hours later. I mourn his loss and
will miss him greatly.

[Tim Taylor]

On Nov 29, 3:03*pm, Matt > wrote:
> On Nov 29, 11:24*am, ppp1 > wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
> > Still nothing official I think, but:
>
> >http://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=70209
>
> > -ps-
>
> > On 29 marras, 10:54, sisu1a > wrote:
>
> > > On Nov 28, 9:15*pm, bumper > wrote:
>
> > > > Very sad to report a mid-air at Crazy Creek Soaring, just after 11
> > > > Saturday morning. According to news reports, a Pawnee and glider
> > > > collided over the airport. Two fatalities. No names released yet. News
> > > > said one pilot was very experienced and lived with his family at
> > > > Middletown, the other is from the Bay Area also experienced and is
> > > > widely known for his videos and pictures on the internet . . . agian,
> > > > this info has not been confirmed, I got if from Bay Area channel 5
> > > > news on-line.
>
> > > > I'm afraid I know them both and have lost two friends.
>
> > > > Any additional info appreciated.
>
> > > > bumper
> > > > zz
> > > > Minden
>
> > > Only additional info I could find as of midnightish:http://www.ktvu.com/news/21747498/detail.html*which says the glider
> > > was reg out of Cotati and the pilot was married. I only found one W-27
> > > reg in Cotati:http://www.aircraftone.com/aircraft/registrations/cotati-ca-californi...
>
> > > It is premature to jump to conclusions though, as we don't know if
> > > that was actually his glider nor if he or someone else was flying it.
> > > Very sad news any the case.
>
> > > -Paul
>
> I was at Crazy Creek a few hours after the crash. I can confirm that
> Hal Chounard, flying his ASW 27 B was one of the pilots. The other was
> Sean (don't have his last name), a partner with Jim Indrebo, flying
> the Crazy Creek Pawnee. Although there is no official account of the
> accident, this is what I learned. It was a gusty, windy day with cross
> winds at the runway possibly in the neighborhood of 40 knots. Hal had
> launched behind the Pawnee and may have gotten off low, and finding no
> lift had headed straight back to the airport. He may have selected a
> right hand pattern because of strong winds blowing in from the west..
> At any rate Chounard and the tow plane arrived at base leg at
> approximately the same time, flying opposite patterns. One could
> surmise that because of the dicey conditions, both pilots were focused
> on the runway and a challenging landing rather than looking ahead for
> traffic. However that might be, they collided and died.
>
> Hal was a good friend, warm hearted, generous and good natured. We
> started flying about the same time and have flown a half dozen
> contests together. Last year at Montague he cheerfully brought my
> trailer to a remote country airport where I'd landed, the classic
> "Retrieve From Hell" that brought us back to the home airport at 3am
> in time for a contest flight a few hours later. I mourn his loss and
> will miss him greatly.

Very sad about the accident at Crazy Creek. I was fortunate to get to
race with and know Hal at several contests. He was always positive,
laid back and seemed to just love to be competing and flying his 27.
A good write up can be found at:

http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20091129/NEWS/911299979?Title=Cardinal-Newman-official-ID-d-as-victim-in-Lake-County-glider-crash