[QUOTE=ncthomas;10713233]
Originally Posted by
cowl flaps
The media stuffing up again, suggesting near cyclonic WX,
While I have been a keen reader of PPRUNE, this is my first post. I am a 70 year old retiree whose flying experience is very different from the tough world of GA flying. I was a fighter pilot in my young days and flew night freight on 737s and757s in my civil life. I am also not familiar with the environment obtained in southern latitudes.
The table listing Station Details indicated calm winds at the time of the crash. But soon thereafter winds pick up and they veer from Westerly to WNW. Wind speeds drop again thereafter to Calm. While the recorded speeds were not very high, doesn't the changing winds indicate a passing cell, may be a large Cumulus? Could it have been a lot more violent, when the ill fated aircraft encountered it along the coast? Cumulus clouds can change it's intensity very rapidly. Down draughts from a large cumulus could be destructive to a small aircraft.
The reason I am writing this is because I find it difficult to believe that any one would deliberately fly so low as to hit a 40 foot dune. If the aircraft had hit something at, say, 500 feet or above one could think of many reasons how it happened.
I have no idea how much data is recorded on these aircraft. So everything would be second guessed and mistakes of the PIC are an easy peg to hang the blame on.
RIP guys.
Not much data is recorded if any on these aircraft, there may be some limited data on some avionics upgrade such as the GPS. I expect that there could be some cell phone data that could shed some light on the final moments.
I do not know that area, but getting visual over the ocean pretty low, I can see happening. It would not take much of an event/distraction to lose a few precious feet in the tropical weather of the day.
Interesting the WX recorded is not matching with witness reports or a reported text image of the second attempt to land.
I have seen a few "local procedures" for use in adverse weather that involve personal units - not suggesting that is the case here.
RIP & condolences to all involved.