David-aviator
Well Known Member
A single engine airplane came to grief in our area on Friday. There are so many pieces they have not clearly identified what type of airplane it was. What is known is there was a very severe line of thunderstorms at the time.
To quote what a fellow EAAer wrote:
David, I don't know all the facts, probably never will. But, I do know this: I left Shafer about 3:00 pm because the electricity was out since about 2:30. When I left the lightening and thunder was tremendous and to the North, about where New Douglas is located. As I got to St Jacob, on my way to Highland the rain came down in buckets. Yep, we were having one **** of a storm and the worst was to the Northeast. It had been building for over an hour and the weather reports clearly reported that. Tornado sirens were blowing when I past St Jacob and again when I got to Highland.
The crash was at (or near) the Glider Club runway near New Douglas. Shafer is a few miles to the South. I suspect that the news report stated Shafer is because it is a real (public) airport and that is where the police and authorities gathered as their HQ. No matter, Shafer is very near the actual site.
I, nor any of the guys I talked to today at the airport has seen the crash site, but those that were at Shafer during the prelim investigation said the report was that there were "pieces scattered for a mile". I'm not surprised, the storm was for real!
I'm told it was a Lancair. My only question is why would it fly into a storm of that magnitude. I'm not making a judgement, but in this day and age, with the weather information we have, with flight following available, with stormcopes on board etc, why?
God rest his soul whomever he is.
Larry
To quote what a fellow EAAer wrote:
David, I don't know all the facts, probably never will. But, I do know this: I left Shafer about 3:00 pm because the electricity was out since about 2:30. When I left the lightening and thunder was tremendous and to the North, about where New Douglas is located. As I got to St Jacob, on my way to Highland the rain came down in buckets. Yep, we were having one **** of a storm and the worst was to the Northeast. It had been building for over an hour and the weather reports clearly reported that. Tornado sirens were blowing when I past St Jacob and again when I got to Highland.
The crash was at (or near) the Glider Club runway near New Douglas. Shafer is a few miles to the South. I suspect that the news report stated Shafer is because it is a real (public) airport and that is where the police and authorities gathered as their HQ. No matter, Shafer is very near the actual site.
I, nor any of the guys I talked to today at the airport has seen the crash site, but those that were at Shafer during the prelim investigation said the report was that there were "pieces scattered for a mile". I'm not surprised, the storm was for real!
I'm told it was a Lancair. My only question is why would it fly into a storm of that magnitude. I'm not making a judgement, but in this day and age, with the weather information we have, with flight following available, with stormcopes on board etc, why?
God rest his soul whomever he is.
Larry
