Aircraft crash in WV, Saturday.

[Speedbird48]

Here on the East coast, Fox News, was running a ticker on Saturday 18, with the story of an airplane from Iowa? flying hundreds of miles off course. It was intercepted by the Air National Guard who saw no sign of life. The airplane went down in rural West Virginia.

Anyone know any more of this sad event??

[ETOPS]

Here's the link to the news item

Beech Baron crash (http://www.duluthsuperior.com/mld/duluthsuperior/news/local/14136576.htm)

http://media3.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/photo/2006/03/18/PH2006031800675.jpg

[captjns]

The aircraft was a Baron Model 56TC which is a non pressurized Baron. The aircarft was flying at FL 270. May have been Oxygen starvation.

Plane Crashes in Winfield
Posted 3/18/2006 08:21 PM


Plane strayed off course, crashed in W.Va.
Story by The Associated Press

WINFIELD, W.Va. (AP) - A private plane crashed near a rural estate in Winfield after straying hundreds of miles off course as National Guard fighter crews tried unsuccessfully to contact the pilot.
An investigating officer with the National Transportation Safety Board said today that the body of the pilot -- 56-year-old William R- Cammack Junior of St. Paul, Minnesota, was found in the wreckage after the plane crashed at about 10:30 Friday night.

There was no immediate indication if Cammack died during or before the crash. His body has been taken to the West Virginia medical examiner's office in South Charleston for an autopsy. Cammack was the only person on board. No one on the ground was injured.
Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman Holly Baker says the plane left Glendive, Montana, last night en route to St. Paul.

F-16 jets later intercepted the plane near Madison, Wisconsin. Jets with a Michigan-based Air National Guard unit were with the plane when it crashed.
The pilot's brother, David Cammack, said his brother owned the plane and an industrial cleaning chemical company. He was flying home after a business trip.

[411A]

This I believe was a 56TC Baron, and with these, it's not "how fast will it go?", it's "how fast do you want to go?!"

As in big engines, small airframe.
Duke engines on a Baron equals....fast.

Care needs to be taken with proper oxygen equipment with these aircraft.
Full pressure demand is desired.

Sadly, many don't, and this might well be an example.

[HotDog]

I wonder if he had the intercoolers installed. Nothing to do with the crash, just curious.

[weasil]

The article posted says the aircraft crashed in West Virginia but then goes on to say that it crashed near Madison, Wisconsin? Am I reading this right?

[westhawk]

The way I read the news article is that the Baron was bound for Minni after departing Montana. The article says fighters intercepted the aircraft near Madison Wisconsin. Reading between the lines here a bit, it would seem likely that ATC lost contact with the pilot somewhere well northwest of Madison and caused the fighters to be dispatched and vectored in time for an intercept at Madison. The aircraft flew on until crashing in WV. Even with the strong tailwind, that's an impressive range for a Baron, around 1,300 total nm flown. Whether related to the supply of O2 or not, incapacitation while the sole occupant of the aircraft seems a matter worthy of consideration. Here is the info from Flightaware on the flight. Times are PST. (UTC-8) The track shows he went direct to STP, then turned southeast and flew over Madison, Chicago and Dayton. The track ends near the western edge of WV. Winfield seems to be about 20 miles NW of Charleston, WV. I have not yet worked out the details of image hosting or I would post it, but the track is available on Flightaware.

N18LL
CAMMACK WILLIAM R JR (SAINT PAUL MN)
Aircraft Beechcraft Turbo Baron (twin-piston) [BE56/G]
Origin Dawson Community [KGDV]
Destination St Paul Downtown Holman Field [KSTP]
Other flights between these airports
Route n/a
Date Friday, Mar 17, 2006
Duration Unknown
Status result unknown (?)
Proposed/Assigned Actual/Estimated
Departure 15:00 15:43
Arrival 17:15 result unknown (?)
Speed 210 kts
Altitude 27000 feet


Rest easy, Mr. Cammack.

Westhawk

[HotDog]

The way I read it is that the initial intercept took place near Madison, Wisconsin and they followed it to the crash site in WV. He certainly was off course unless his intention was to land enroute to St. Paul MN.

[westhawk]

He overflew St Paul, (KSTP) which was the filed destination. The track then turns directly for Chicago and on the same course until the data ends. I can understand why the fighters were called out to intercept. Madison, WI is 200nm SE of STP and Chicago another 100nm. (further along the flight track.) If I were ATC, my concern would have gone up a notch when the aircraft overflew STP without descending. Now it is more than just a concern as to the intentions of a NORDO aircraft. Aircraft go NORDO all the time, but they usually end up re-establishing contact or they descend and land. Something might be seriously wrong now since he has passed his destination without descending and we'd better get someone to go have a look! Reminscient of the Payne Stewart flight. In that case, ATC were alerted to a serious problem when the NORDO aircraft climbed through the assigned altitude and failed to make a turn per the filed route.

Westhawk