Mooney down around Montréal

[mike_elliott]

The Mooney Summit's Bill Gilliland foundation will be reaching out to the surviving family to offer our help. We have a small fund set up for just such a tragedy. If anyone wants to donate to this cause, please do not hesitate to contact me, Deb, Rocketman, or rubixcube.

 

[yvesg]

9 minutes ago, carqwik said:

Wx at Mirabel around the time of this tragedy:

CYMX 282200Z 10003KT 25SM FEW100 SCT150 OVC240 M11/M17 A3068 RMK AC2AC2CS4 SLP397
CYMX 282100Z 15002KT 45SM FEW100 SCT150 OVC220 M10/M17 A3068 RMK AC2AC2CS4 SLP398
CYMX 282000Z 17004KT 45SM FEW035 FEW180 SCT210 OVC250 M10/M18 A3067 RMK SC1AC1CI3CI4 SC TR SLP394

According to this, if he used runway 29, he did not pick the right runway. Drapo says it was around 10 knots. Anything > 5 knots with such a short field would definitely require a go around. carqwick, do you have the winds at 2300Z? I recall wind picking-up here in the evening.

Yves

 

[carqwik]

CYMX 290100Z 06003KT 020V080 25SM SCT090 BKN140 OVC210 M11/M16 A3068 RMK AC3AC3CS2 SLP397
CYMX 290000Z 09004KT 25SM SCT100 BKN150 OVC210 M11/M16 A3067 RMK AC3AS2CS3 SLP396
CYMX 282300Z 08004KT 25SM FEW100 BKN150 OVC210 M12/M16 A3067 RMK AC2AC3CS3 SLP395

[yvesg]

Thanks carqwick. One fellow mentioned on another forum he landed there at 4:30 PM and saw an aircraft on final runway 29 at around 5:05 after he drove out of the airport. 

[Bob_Belville]

1 hour ago, Hector said:

His last post in "Going to Florida over Christmas" certainly leaves some doubt as to whether he was instrument rated. He described briefly encountering IMC conditions in a way that lead me to believe he was not instrument rated. Maybe I'm reading to much into it.

That's the comment that makes me wonder... but it will all come out. There but  the grace of God... be careful out there.

Sunset is about 4:15 in Montreal now. Don't I recall that there is no night VFR in Canada?

[kmyfm20s]

Very tragic! Thank god for the boy surviving.

[Oldguy]

I spent some time with Houman at the PPP in Chattanooga this past summer, and I am broken up reading about this. He was very eager to learn and was a kind and great guy to be around. He was so happy to be able to have his son with him when he flew, and I know they took several trips together on weekends if to nothing than just "go exploring".

Thoughts and prayers go out to his family.

John

[Cyril Gibb]

9 minutes ago, Bob_Belville said:

That's the comment that makes me wonder... but it will all come out. There but  the grace of God... be careful out there.

Sunset is about 4:15 in Montreal now. Don't I recall that there is no night VFR in Canada?

Night VFR in Canada is allowed, but requires either an IFR rating or a "night endorsement" which includes additional hood time.  

This feels too close to home.  It wasn't long ago we were messaging about cell phone switches.  Makes me start to think long and hard about the risks we take even with a cautious approach to maintenance and preparation.

[Guest Mike261]

Just now, Bob_Belville said:

That's the comment that makes me wonder... but it will all come out. There but  the grace of God... be careful out there.

Sunset is about 4:15 in Montreal now. Don't I recall that there is no night VFR in Canada?

I recalled that post, i had seen it a few days ago...

I have wanted to make the winter flight to florida from here in NH for a while, the icing levels are always too low in february for my personal minimums, and jet blue is cheap.

I read his posts with interest as he planned and executed the flight. Went back and read them just now. He did say he was VFR only and had around 30 hrs IFR training.

He also said he ran into two minutes of IMC and his training saved the day. 

It appears that weather wasn't a factor in the accident though, so everything is conjecture at this point. but it is food for thought.

RIP Houman. 

[Brandontwalker]

Tragic loss. It is a blessing that his son survived. There is some speculation regarding whether he was IFR or VFR. From the track logs, he was flying at VFR altitudes and appeared to be deviating for buildups. However, from the info above, it does not appear that weather was a factor.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[TWinter]

Very sad news to wake up to...Really does hit home when it is someone that we know, even if it is by MS only. As you read people's posts you start to feel like you know them in a way. A tragic loss.

Rest in peace my friend. Prayers for the family and surviving son.

 

-Tom

Edited December 29, 2015 by TWinter

[DXB]

Incredibly sad and sobering news.  Just a couple days ago, I replied to his post here requesting advice on stopping at my home base in Philly on the way back from Florida.  

[Shadrach]

2 hours ago, drapo said:

I worked Houman's flight inbound to Lachute, where he cleared customs, then saw his target on my radar again as he approached Mascouche. I was hoping the timing was just a coincidence but got the bad news this morning.

To answer some questions, Mascouche (CSK3) is one of the busiest non-towered field in Canada and is planned to shut down in November 2016. The aircraft was found next to a highway that parrallels the runway about 1/2 mile to the south. At the time of the crash, at Mirabel airport, 15 nm west, the weather was VMC and winds were from the NE at around 10kts. 

So sorry for Houman's loss, didn't know him much, but he was a passionate. Salut Houman et repose en paix!

I don't see a highway that is parallel to the runway that is .5mls to the south.  Which road was it? Judging from the bend on the prop blades looks like he came in pretty steep.

Edited December 29, 2015 by Shadrach

[yvesg]

4 minutes ago, Shadrach said:

I don't see a highway that is parallel to the runway that is .5mls to the south.  Which road was it? Judging from the bend on the prop blades looks like he came in pretty steep.

The highway is a few hundread feet away from the runway. The aircraft was found south of the highway.

Yves

[kmyfm20s]

Those prop blades are bent straight back. Doesn't look like he was under power. 

[drapo]

16 minutes ago, Shadrach said:

I don't see a highway that is parallel to the runway that is .5mls to the south.  Which road was it? Judging from the bend on the prop blades looks like he came in pretty steep.

https://www.google.ca/maps/@45.718613,-73.5980529,15z

Here's a map of the surroundings

[Shadrach]

44 minutes ago, yvesg said:

The highway is a few hundread feet away from the runway. The aircraft was found south of the highway.

Yves

Thanks Yves,

I understand now that he came down in the agricultural area south of the field. When I first saw the pics, it looked like he was next to a road. I see now that it's just a clearing where the first responders parked.

[Shadrach]

46 minutes ago, kmyfm20s said:

Those prop blades are bent straight back. Doesn't look like he was under power. 

You're correct, it does not look like the aircraft was under power.  It also looks like it hit at a pretty dramatic angle.

[bonal]

There were 2 Piper accidents in NorCal last week both PA32's with 5 killed and then one respectively. And now this really gives pause for thought. I know and accept the dangers with flight we all assume lets everyone be careful stay within limits of course we don't know anything yet so all we can do is our very best as pilots and make good choices. I pray for all involved. I believe the Pipers were flying during some really poor weather.

[Bob_Belville]

7 minutes ago, bonal said:

There were 2 Piper accidents in NorCal last week both PA32's with 5 killed and then one respectively. And now this really gives pause for thought. I know and accept the dangers with flight we all assume lets everyone be careful stay within limits of course we don't know anything yet so all we can do is our very best as pilots and make good choices. I pray for all involved. I believe the Pipers were flying during some really poor weather.

As always we need to keep things in perspective. California averages about 60 auto fatalities every week, 3000 every year. Some of those were probably on the way home from an uneventful flight. 

[M20F]

1 minute ago, Bob_Belville said:

As always we need to keep things in perspective. California averages about 60 auto fatalities every week, 3000 every year. Some of those were probably on the way home from an uneventful flight. 

That is true, though a fair number of those incidents involve the actions of more than one person.  When it comes to airplane crashes the incident is in almost all cases generated by the actions of one individual.  Bonal makes a good point to remind all of us that we are just one bad decision away at anytime, I think always keeping that in the forefront of our minds helps us all to be safe for ourselves and our passengers.

[Yooper Rocketman]

10 hours ago, aviatoreb said:

I am heart broken Houman.

Thank goodness for your son.

What a sobering bit of news.  My prayers to his son, family and friends.

Tom

[ryoder]

Wow.  This is sad.  He just left Florida.  I have lately been haunted by nightmares of small plane crashes.  I think it's a result of witnessing two die in Sebring last year.

[MyNameIsNobody]

Really sad to read about this loss.  Prayers for his son and family.  I look at photos with plane and son.  You can see the pride and joy...To those that knew Houman, thank you for relating stories of his passion and love of Mooney's and his desire to learn and be a safe pilot.  Always is food for my soul when I read of a tragic loss/incident like this.

Be safe everyone.

[Sabremech]

I met Houman at Oshkosh this past year and sold him a set of gear tools. Extremely sad to hear about this today. 

David