pilot augers into Columbia and swims away...

On Mon, 29 Oct 2007 09:13:02 -0700, "Gatt"
wrote in :


http://www.katu.com/news/10853446.html

CASCADE LOCKS, Ore. - A small plane reportedly went down in the Columbia
River Sunday afternoon, but the pilot and passenger appeared OK, fire
officials said.

Cascade Locks Fire Chief Jeff Pricher said the Cessna plane went down in the
middle of the river near Cascade Locks about 5 p.m.

The pilot and passenger reportedly swam to shore and a fisherman picked up
the pair and called 911, the Multnomah County Sheriff's Office said.

A witness said the lightweight, vintage-style experimental airplane was
flying erratically shortly before plunging into the river. [In another
report the pilot says he was flying just above the water, pulled up and
stalled.]

The pair were taken to Beacon Rock State Park, which is located on the
Washington side of the river, and were checked out by medical staff, Pricher
said.

He said the two were shaken up but not injured. The Federal Aviation
Administration is investigating the crash.


Video: http://www.katu.com/news/10853446.html?video=YHI&t=a

Near Skamania Island ~15 miles down-river from Cascade Locks.
Water temp 52 degrees F.
54 year old Douglas Nelson (pilot).
Scott Nelson (nephew).
Only 5 gallons of fuel on-board, so should not cause environmental
problems.

A search of FAA records for airmans certificate information yielded:


https://amsrvs.registry.faa.gov/airm...te=OR&country=
Total Names found for D NELSON that lives in the state of OR is 14
DALE JOHN NELSON DAN LEWIS NELSON
DANIEL GREGGORIO NELSON DANIEL HOWARD NELSON
DARREN ALEXANDER NELSON DAVID MICHAEL NELSON
DELORIS NELSON DENNIS DEVERNE NELSON
DONALD CARL NELSON DONALD DWAIN NELSON
DONALD MARTIN NELSON DONALD RALPH NELSON
DUANE MAURICE NELSON DWAINE EUGENE NELSON
--------------------------------------------------------


http://www.oregonlive.com/news/orego...900.xml&coll=7
Douglas Nelson of Portland, the pilot of a homebuilt experimental
plane, and his passenger and nephew, Scott Nelson of Gresham,
escaped without injuries. They swam to a sandbar on Skamania
Island, where a fisherman, Cam Crimshaw of Gresham, picked them up
and took them to Beacon Rock State Park Moorage.

Douglas Nelson told authorities that the plane stalled when he
tried to gain altitude over the northwest end of Skamania Island.
The plane was flying low at a low speed, Undersheriff Dave Cox
said.

"Gatt" wrote

[In another report the pilot says he was flying just above the water,
pulled up and stalled.]

The engine must have quit! GDR :-)
--
Jim in NC

On Oct 29, 11:09 am, "Morgans" wrote:
"Gatt" wrote

[In another report the pilot says he was flying just above the water,
pulled up and stalled.]

The engine must have quit! GDR :-)
--
Jim in NC

Or the rubber band wound down...

Stalling because he pulled up? Sounds suspiscious to me. I think he
was dragging his wheels on the water or something and screwed up and
splashed it. He would have really had to yank hard to produce an
accelerated stall in a Kitfox.