Mooney crash, pilot walks away

[63-C-]

http://www.kaaltv.com/news/ellendale-plane-crash-investigation/4390785/

[bonal]

Sad to see but great that another pilot survived to fill in the questions the witness said the pilot had passed out I wonder if this was after or what led to the crash. Hope he is ok.

[kmyfm20s]

I heard about this crash but didn't know he was in a Mooney. I read it was from carbon monoxide poisoning in another forum.  I love my CO detector!

[kortopates]

More info here:

http://www.kathrynsreport.com/2017/02/accident-occurred-february-02-2017-in.html 

FAA report indicates serious injury's - which I was surprised to read after reading the pilot walked 500 yds for help. News sources now say he is in fair condition. But apparently those were 500 difficult yards for him since they also report he was airlifted out to a hospital.

He survived a dark off field landing and looks like he did a good job yet the cockpit damage suggest his head took out the windshield - he said he thought he passed out for awhile too.

His wife has already said she suspects it may have been from CO poisoning? That's rather curious. He was in the air over an hour. 

[jetdriven]

shoulder harnesses?  That crash looked like it shouldn't  have messed up his face 

[63-C-]

I heard that he passed out shortly after take off and the autopilot took over, the plane ran out of fuel and landed itself.  Thats what I heard on the local news at 5:00 today.  I am thinking it is PC equipped and the system worked....

[kortopates]

15 minutes ago, 63-C- said:

I heard that he passed out shortly after take off and the autopilot took over, the plane ran out of fuel and landed itself.  Thats what I heard on the local news at 5:00 today.  I am thinking it is PC equipped and the system worked....

That will be amazingly lucky ending to a power off landing in the dark with a sleeping pilot! And explains the wife's comment on CO poisoning.

Here is an update in the news that affirms this:

http://www.kttc.com/story/34416465/update-pilot-walks-away-from-plane-crash-near-ellendale

Edited February 5, 2017 by kortopates

[XXX]

1 hour ago, jetdriven said:

shoulder harnesses?  That crash looked like it shouldn't  have messed up his face 

Looking at the video, there appears to be a shoulder harness. I don't see head contact with the windscreen possible even with a lap belt on. Maybe he didn't have any restraint on? Crazy story and so amazing that he survived. 

[bonal]

Some folks call them miracles 

[MyNameIsNobody]

This tops the old Delta (dagger or dart) pilot eject and the plane then flew on and landed in a field.  Just a miracle that the pilot survivived.  I hope to learn what was wrong with the heater muff that resulted in the incapacitation.  So glad this turned out well.  HOORAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[M20S Driver]

5 hours ago, kmyfm20s said:

I heard about this crash but didn't know he was in a Mooney. I read it was from carbon monoxide poisoning in another forum.  I love my CO detector!

What CO detector do you use?  I use the sporty one which is based on the color...

[Vance Harral]

Those chemical spot detectors are better than nothing.  But they don't last long and they're fragile.  Some brands (including the Sporty's one) have a useful life as short as 30 days, and all of them can be rendered inert (won't work) by cleaners and solvents routinely used in aircraft cleaning and maintenance.  If you're serious about CO detection, an electronic detector is a more robust choice.

There's an AvWeb article on this at http://www.avweb.com/news/aeromed/186016-1.html.  It was written in 2003, so the makes and models of "best" detectors have changed, but the general information is still useful.

[slowflyin]

10 hours ago, bonal said:

Some folks call them miracles 

+1  Amen

[takair]

5 hours ago, Hyett6420 said:

Looking at the windscreen I saw it differently.  To me it looks like a compression impact fracture caused by the landing.  I can't see and "head" like impact areas.  But hey I'm only an armchair ntsb. Person.    

The artilcle above is quite funny as at one point it says CO and then it says fuel starvation.  If CO I wouldn't have thought the landing to be as good as it was. 

Andrew

the way I understood the story was that CO knocked him out soon after takeoff and the plane flew until it ran out of fuel and self landed.  Perhaps, if he was trimmed for climb, when the fuel ran out the plane came down at a relatively slow trim speed.  If the prop kept windmilling, the PC would take care of the wings level.  Landing in the field....pure good luck.  I suspect you are right about the windshield.  Either way, what a story!

[mccdeuce]

Hope he continues to fair well.

something that is often forgotten in crashes are other objects.  Impact throwing things we have stashed around the airplane forward and maybe through the windshield. Or into the pilots head.  

I must admit though I don't always use my cargo straps like I should. 

[mike_elliott]

If anyone knows him or his wife, please forward the contact info so the Mooney Summit, Inc. can offer help

[DXB]

Apparently the identical story played out for Dr. Robert Frayser in his Commanche in 1997:

https://www.faa.gov/pilots/safety/pilotsafetybrochures/media/CObroforweb.pdf

These two guys are in a mighty elite club.

I assume all the  really severe CO cases happen when the wall of the muffler breaches and leaks exhaust directly into the heater shroud?  Other sources would seem to be minor in comparison.  I pulled my shroud personally at annual to inspect and also checked condition of the flame tube with a borescope. I suspect the same was done at annual for both these guys though.  Anything else to do preventively?  My muffler is very old- any reason to change exhaust when it looks fine?

[kmyfm20s]

12 hours ago, M20S Driver said:

What CO detector do you use?  I use the sporty one which is based on the color...

I've been really happy with this one. If a plane is taxiing in front of me it will detect it. 

http://www.aeromedix.com/safety-equipment/carbon-monoxide-detectors/ultra-low-level-carbon-monoxide-detector-co-experts-2016

[carusoam]

+1 for the electronic CO meter with a memory.  Know they only last a few years. Battery and sensor are designed to die at the same time...

mine may give a peep or two while on the ground...

So happy to here the news here.

Best regards,

-a-

[aviatoreb]

On 2/5/2017 at 1:30 PM, Hyett6420 said:

If he did pass out etc then is this Sully 2?   I find it incredible.  

I hope everyone family included make a full recovery. 

Someone mentioned things flying around cabins.  Very true I know of a baby that was killed when my friend had a car crash and the box that was on the back seat, flew off, hit baby and killed him. Make sure everything is tied down tight  

 

Oh awful.

John King tells a story of an off field landing where he had a small tool chest sitting on the hat rack of his airplane, and when they stopped (abruptly) it flew forward and hit Martha King on the head, as a glancing blow leaving here with only a minor head trauma, from the luck of not having been a more square blow.

Edited February 16, 2017 by aviatoreb

[aviatoreb]

So this guy passed out in flight - and then woke up still alive on the ground?!!!

[takair]

 

1 minute ago, aviatoreb said:

So this guy passed out in flight - and then woke up still alive on the ground?!!!

That is the way I understand it.

[Bob_Belville]

$84 Works great.

https://www.zoro.com/uei-test-instruments-carbon-monoxide-detector-0-to-999-ppm-utlc11/i/G7609996/

[aviatoreb]

3 minutes ago, takair said:

 

That is the way I understand it.

Wow

[Alain B]

I was just watching a Mike Busch video recently , and he was mentionning a similar case about a guy in Piper 400 who had the same issue .