Originally Posted by
BFSGrad
Watsonville Midair Crash ExplainedVideo provides a good composite track of the accident aircraft (track presentation starts at 7:20). Unclear if aircraft tracks and audio are accurately synchronized. Several items of note from the video and associated comments:
1. V/LO and V/LE for the C340 are 140 kts.
2. One commenter claiming to be an eye witness states that neither the gear nor flaps on the C340 were extended immediately prior to the collision. Same eyewitness states there was no change in engine sound of the C340 prior to the collision. At least one eyewitness in media reports states the C340 maneuvered to the right immediately prior to the collision.
3. Another commenter notes the difficulty of spotting aircraft approach from the east due to the rising terrain as a backdrop.
The accident sequence then saved the C340 pilot from a gear-up landing???? or rolling off the end at high speed... Was there another issue going on here that has not been considered, was the C340 pilot incapacitated? He doesn't sound so, but that is some time before the collision.
On the Student C/S, we used to do that in the military, and it always seemed like a good idea, mixing fast jet and student jets could lead to some hilarity, after some 20 or 30 years of time dilation.