Poor guy never had a chance. I just can't imagine how terrified he must have been in those final seconds. I've stood by the runway and watched many a first solo, and for an instructor to witness this must have been horrific.
Respect to the pilot who flew that Warrior back safely.
Any instructors out there need to gather their students and discuss this event, now, and also when the report comes out. I get the feeling sometimes some of my younger students don't quite realise the big picture when they're flying - that is, that they are thousands of feet in the air in a small metal frame with only air between them and the ground.
It is events like today which bring us soaring back to reality - it is important for students (and any pilot for that matter) to understand how quickly and easily it can all go so wrong. Lookout is one of the most fundamental airmanship considerations and it shocks me sometimes doing AFR's/Checkrides etc that some pilots simply do not lookout at all. We can all learn from this.
Thoughts are with the family, the instructor and the Club. Very sad indeed.
