C172 crash in Orlando this afternoon
 

Hummed & ha'd over the best forum for this.

A Cessna single has clipped a power line along the road while trying to force land at a golf course up the road from us, here in Orlando. One occupant critically injured with head injuries, the other was injured but able to extract himself from the a/c & get clear. Can't tell if it's a C152 or C172 although the news reports it as a C172. The news has just said that the pilot reported a loss of oil pressure, was going to try for Orlando Executive but decided the golf course's 18th green was the best option. Looking at the site from the news broadcast he only ***just*** missed out on making it. Another couple of feet & he'd have cleared the power line along the road that borders the course.

:sad: :sad:

Speculating here, but I wonder if he was so focused on the aim point & not overshooting he missed seeing the power lines, or over compensated for an overshoot? Which brings to mind the maxim that it's better to roll through the fence at the far end, than fly through the one at the near end...

Hope they're OK :sad:

There but for the grace of God, thankfully I've never had to cope with such a situation.

I hope that they are okay too.

The margin of error does seem cruel sometimes.

http://images.ibsys.com/2005/0111/4072930_320X240.jpg

A great pity, in what may well have otherwise been a successful forced landing.

Looking at the picture, sure seems to be substantial damage to the cockpit area, I hope they both make a full recovery.

Not wanting to speculate, but by the time he saw (if he saw) the pole I'd imagine he was pretty much committed.

As Final 3 Greens said, There but for the grace of God.......

http://www.wftv.com/news/4072940/detail.html

Just saw the amatuer footage of the crash on the news, both occupants had severe injuries.

One person has died.

They've just shown an overhead video showing the crash occuring.

From what I could see it looks like he was trying to land parallel to the road & on the golf course, or possibly on the road itself. His approach didn't seem to be aligned with the fairway associated with the green next to where he hit. His L wing appeared to ride along the top of the wires until impacting the concrete pole.

I live down the road from there. Where he first contacted the wires he'd long run out of golf course, so maybe it was a profound overshoot, not an undershoot as it appeared from the still images + the early news commentary saying he was flying from W --> E.

The flight direction in the video is the reverse: E --> W.

http://images.ibsys.com/2005/0111/4072887_320X240.jpg

The road in the image runs ~ E-W, with N to the left of the road. The aircraft rests near the green. The associated fairway is aligned ~NE from the green so it didn't look like he was trying for the fairway.

Not in the right place at the right time, poor sods.

http://www.local6.com/video/4072855/detail.html

:oh:

Any location where the video can be downloaded from ?

WIND DRIFT
 

Anyone know what direction the wind was blowing there that day and how strong it was?

I can't remember. Wasn't out of the house that day apart from a short walk amongst trees with our 2 new(ish) dogs.

Chihuahuas! Pax D. insisted. I put my newly husbandly foot down & said they had to be friendly, nice ones - not the usual little ****s of the breed.

Oh yes....... and no more than two or three of them.

Here is the NTSB preliminary report

http://www.ntsb.gov/NTSB/brief.asp?e...13X00046&key=1

Just goes to show that no matter how many times we practice these forced landings under very "controlled" conditions, when it happens for real and the fear and adrenalin factor kick-in the outcome can be so very different. My thoughts are with the CFI's family and wish a speedy recovery to the student.