2 killed in California

[TiPwEiGhT]

Hughes 269 hit power cables during a night flight in poor met conditions killing Aberdeen born pilot.

Aberdeen man dies in copter tragedy - Evening Express (http://www.eveningexpress.co.uk/Article.aspx/728794?UserKey=0)

RIP

[Mediahawk]

Antony was my friend, and a great one at that. I'll miss him.

I was a guest at Jane's and his wedding last year - I cannot fathom he's gone now. :{

Rest in peace, buddy.

[Ned-Air2Air]

Mediahawk - Sorry for your loss. :sad::sad:

[Gordy]

Anthony was a fine student, unfortunately I only taught him to be a CFI. I have a huge bottle of wine in my house from him that I will drink with friends next time I go home. This seems appropriate:

Flight is freedom in its purest form,
To dance with the clouds which follow a storm;

To roll and glide, to wheel and spin,
To feel the joy that swells within;

To leave the earth with its troubles and fly,
And know the warmth of a clear spring sky;

Then back to earth at the end of a day,
Released from the tensions which melted away.

Should my end come while I am in flight,
Whether brightest day or darkest night;

Spare me your pity and shrug off the pain,
Secure in the knowledge that I'd do it again;

For each of us is created to die,
And within me I know, I was born to fly.

[TiPwEiGhT]

A very sad moment, I knew Antony years ago from the UK whilst doing our PPL together, he will be sorely missed... what was he doing flying in those conditions though... RIP friend.

[blave]

I posted a note a couple days ago about this accident to the (roughly!) equivalent forum in the uS - Vertical Reference - but as I've just learned the CFI was from Across the Pond, I'll post here too.

I did most of my private and all of my commercial rating flying hours in the accident aircraft (N2011A) between June 2001 and Feb 2005. Thus, this accident has hit pretty close to home.

Right now I'm assuming that this nighttime flight was pursuant to the student's private ticket - i.e. the "nighttime cross country" requirement. I had to do the equivalent trip twice, in the same general direction (N/NE of the home airport (KRHV), due to insanely high winds at the destination airport (Byron, California) and the inability to touch down the first time. I am speculating that they made the same trip but were foiled by lowering clouds and limited viz, and ultimately struck the HV wires over the highway that they were following.

That is all pure conjecture, but at any rate I can see me (and my CFI) being in the same situation in only slightly different flight conditions than what we conducted our nighttime flight in.

So - to repeat myself w.r.t. to my post at VR - my condolences to the families involved. The CFI had been married barely a year :( .

The only comfort that might be found is that (I would surmise that) both men on board were doing what they loved to do.

be safe,

Dave B.
San Jose, CA

[KrisRamJ]

I met Antony during my IR groundschool at HAI/Bristows Academy in August 05 and our paths crossed several times after that. The last time I saw him was in April 06 when I sent him some CFI notes. He was a nice guy, very approachable and always friendly; a fellow Brit abroad.

This is the first time I've experienced the loss of someone I knew. I hope it's the last. It's horrible. He was too young.

RIP Antony

:sad:

[MarcK]

Visibility has been really terrible (2-3 miles at times) because of smoke from all the fires in northern California. If you are near the top of the haze, you can't see much.

[MarcK]

More info: Ceiling was 600 feet in fog: A low nighttime fog may have been a factor in a fatal July 4 helicopter crash on the Sunol Grade (http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_9860772)