Incapacitated Mooney Pilot intercepted by Fighters

[Flybeech21]

I hope this isnt anyone from this board.....

http://www.aero-news.net/news/genav.cfm?ContentBlockID=56438197-27ae-4ff8-9296-ed27b8d75aca&Dynamic=1

 

[Bob]

Here is a link with a lot of info on this.  Also includes a good visual of the flight log.

[eaglebkh]

Hopefully he was unconsious all the way down and didn't have to experience the crash.

The guy showing the flight profile mentioned the plane was pressurized and possibly lost cabin pressure.  The media always has to give their uneducated analysis...

[FlyDave]

Quote: eaglebkh

 The media always has to give their uneducated analysis...

[Theo]

Quote: FlyDave

Isn't if funny how the media would never think of sending a reporter to cover a football game who didn't know anything about football, but they will send any old goofball to cover an aviation story, even if the reporter doesn't know an elevator from an afterburner.

[fantom]

Not to long ago I took advantage of using FlyDave's identity also.....what some guys do to pad their post count ;-)

Must be a bug in the system, somewhere.

Sad end for a pilot and his plane. Our wonderful media right on top of the story, bugging his family and his business. At least they didn't obsess about a flight plan. Stay on top of your plane, your equipment, and yourselves. Fly safe out there!

[FlyDave]

Quote: Theo

Isn't if funny how the media would never think of sending a reporter to cover a football game who didn't know anything about football, but they will send any old goofball to cover an aviation story, even if the reporter doesn't know an elevator from an afterburner.

[Flybeech21]

Back to the accident, I wonder if this was some suplemental oxygen problem?

 

I know a lot of us Mooney pilots decide to go way up in the flight levels with suplemental oxygen.  I have set a personal minimum to not go above 180 in a unpressurized airplane due to a near accident I had while at 240 with suplemental oxygen.  I was lucky to make it down safely.

Maybe, if I had gone thru a pressurization chamber training course I would have been able to recognize my hypoxia symptoms.  But, I didn't and I was lucky to live.

 

Obviously, way to early to say this was the problem in this accident.

[Piloto]

Oxygen depravation could has been caused by something as simple as a kink or pinch on the oxygen line. This happens when the line is too long and get tangle with the pilots body. It also happens in hospitals. On Mooneys with overhead oxygen ports is not unusual to pull down on a tangle line when moving the seat. If your oxygen line is too long trim it down just enough to allow seat movement without getting tangle. At FL250 you will fall asleep within minutes of oxygen depravation. Periodically check your line routing to make shure it will not get kink, pinch or disconnected.

José

 

[GeorgePerry]

As part of my military training I'm required to go through an altitude chamber ride every 4 years.  The chamber rides consist of exposure to two altitudes, 18K and 25K.  At 18k it takes a couple of minutes to feel the effects but it becomes quite noticeable after a few minutes of exposure without any O2.  At 25K the time of useful consciousness is very short.  If you don't recognize the symptoms of hypoxia and take IMMEDIATE steps to correct (i.e. get some emergency O2 in your system) it's easy to become incapacitated.

Bottom line is: high altitude hypoxia affects everyone differently.  If you’re not familiar with your individual symptoms it’s easy to mistake hypoxic hypoxia for something less sinister and not realize what’s going on at all....maybe ever.

 

[fantom]

George and Jim know what they're talking about....

Back in the "old days" we went through the altitude chamber every two years. One of my many additional duties was "life support officer" so I had a lot of exposure to it's impact, both on me and on squadron mates. Hypoxia is a fast killer, and by the time you figure out what's happening at 25K, it will probably be too late.

Lets face it, the oxygen systems in our planes are jury rigged at best. I'm not going over 17.5, not matter what!

[Cruiser]

Ok, so with alt. hold @25,000 feet the pilot has only a few minutes to react to a problem. I believe commercial pilots must have a mask within reach at all times on pressurized planes.

Perhaps there should be an autopilot disconnect plumbed into the oxygen deliver system that monitors the levels and starts an emergency descent if the O2 drops below sustainable levels.