Lancair Propjet Down in Portland

Don't know much more than that. It was a local, to us(KRBG), aircraft, 42EX.
Apparently 2 fatals.


Al G

More...

6/15/2007, 1:15 p.m. PT
By SARAH SKIDMORE
The Associated Press

Two believed dead as small plane crashes in Portland back yard


PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) A small plane crashed in the wooded back yard of a
southwest Portland home
Friday morning, killing the people aboard authorities said.

Portland Fire Lt. Allen Oswalt said based on an initial inspection of the
site, two people are
assumed dead. The victims' identities were not released.

No one in the hilly wooded neighborhood near the border between Portland and
Lake Oswego was injured.

The cause of the crash was not known. But officials said the impact left a
crater in the yard about
3 feet deep and 15 feet wide. Debris was scattered around the area and into
the street.

The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety
Board are handling
the investigation.

The FAA said the Lancair IV plane took off from the Hillsboro Airport at
8:54 a.m. and was
headed toward Twin Falls, Idaho, and crashed around 9 a.m.

The Redmond-based manufacturer, Lancair, said the four-seat plane is worth
an estimated $700,000
and was up for sale. FAA spokesman Mike Fergus said the registered owner is
William C. Shepard
of Idleyld Park, in Douglas County, Ore., but it is not known if he was
aboard.

Tim Ong, general manager at Lancair, said the plane was one of the world's
fastest single-engine aircraft.

Homeowner Tom Schwartz was at his roofing company when the plane went down
in his back yard.
He said his wife, Erin, was at home and described the sound as "deafening."
Initially, she thought a car had hit the house and looked first in the front
yard, where she saw nothing,
he said. When she checked the back, she saw a part of the plane and smelled
smoke and fuel.

Several neighbors in the area, which is located near Jackson Middle School
and Lewis & Clark College,
described the noise as like a loud motorcycle's.

Angie Kubin, 24, said it was "like nothing I've ever heard before in my
life."
Officials closed off the area and said access is expected to be limited for
at least a day.
The FAA said it was not immediately known where the experimental Lancair
plane was headed.


Al G

Update on the local news:

"The general manager of Lancair tells KOIN that the plane was built with a
kit from Redmond-based company. He says he personally knows the owner of the
plane that crashed.
"We're not going to speculate right now, but that airplane was perfectly
built. That was basically what I would consider a show aircraft.
Absolutely phenomenally built."

I flew through that area about the same time. The ceiling was only
about 1500msl and there were rain squalls with 1/4 mile visibility that
were several miles wide. I was not enjoying the ride, and actually
landed in a private strip to wait out the line of squalls to go by.
tom

Al G wrote:
Don't know much more than that. It was a local, to us(KRBG), aircraft, 42EX.
Apparently 2 fatals

"t pagotie" wrote

I flew through that area about the same time. The ceiling was only about
1500msl and there were rain squalls with 1/4 mile visibility that were
several miles wide. I was not enjoying the ride, and actually landed in a
private strip to wait out the line of squalls to go by. tom

Anyone know if the pilot was instrument rated?
--
Jim in NC

"Morgans" wrote in message
...

"t pagotie" wrote

I flew through that area about the same time. The ceiling was only about
1500msl and there were rain squalls with 1/4 mile visibility that were
several miles wide. I was not enjoying the ride, and actually landed in
a private strip to wait out the line of squalls to go by. tom

Anyone know if the pilot was instrument rated?
--
Jim in NC


Whew,

I just got done talking with one of his flight instructors. He was
apparently VERY good on the gauges, and VERY well checked out in his
aircraft. The aircraft was pretty high performance, as you would expect of
a 700hp 4 place, and he has been flying it for a little over 2 years.

The instructor that checked him out in the airplane used to command a U2
squadron for a living. The Instrument instructor I talked with said that he
spent the extra time with the factory, and with our U2 friend, making sure
he was on top of his game. He spared no expense for safety.

He was current, qualified, and skilled. He had his family on board, so let's
add motivated.
He had a beautiful aircraft in top shape, with the performance to get out of
trouble, what more could you want?

He will be missed, and my condolences go out to his friends and remaining
family.

I will be very interested in the outcome of the investigation.


Al G

("Al G" wrote)
He was current, qualified, and skilled. He had his family on board, so
let's add motivated.

He had a beautiful aircraft in top shape, with the performance to get out
of trouble, what more could you want?

He will be missed, and my condolences go out to his friends and remaining
family.

I will be very interested in the outcome of the investigation.


In an odd way I hope it was:

A bird strike
An aneurysm, etc
Windsheer
An in-flight breakup
An EgyptAir scenario (God forbid)

Anything ....other than something spatial, or otherwise (suddenly)
overwhelming to the well trained pilot.

Why?

The others are more tangible, the latter less so.


Paul-Mont

On 2007-06-15 14:21:11 -0700, "Al G" said:

Don't know much more than that. It was a local, to us(KRBG), aircraft, 42EX.
Apparently 2 fatals.


Al G

Darned shame. Update on Northwest Cable News (NWCN) says that
apparently three people were killed. The sheriff originally thought
two. The aircraft left a crater three feet deep and fifteen feet
across, so it is a pretty well compacted crash site.

This is just a horrible, horrible thing. So sad.
--
Waddling Eagle
World Famous Flight Instructor

.. The aircraft left a crater three feet deep and fifteen feet
across, so it is a pretty well compacted crash site.

Reportedly newly instrument rated. Loss of spatial orientation,
stall/spin?

Ron Lee

On 2007-06-16 19:26:10 -0700, (Ron Lee) said:

. The aircraft left a crater three feet deep and fifteen feet
across, so it is a pretty well compacted crash site.

Reportedly newly instrument rated. Loss of spatial orientation,
stall/spin?

Ron Lee

Who knows. I would expect someone with a new instrument rating to be
pretty sharp.
--
Waddling Eagle
World Famous Flight Instructor