Mooney down at Angelfire

[N9937c]

There was a Mooney down in N.M. last evening.

Based Texas. N3484X       I can't even fathom the Myspace page entry made by the sister.

Not good.

[xftrplt]

Here's a link to the thread in Beechtalk: http://www.beechtalk.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=41&t=75830

[Parker_Woodruff]

High altitude. Heavy. Strong, gusting crosswind. 200 horsepower, normally aspirated airplane.

 

I'm not sure how the decision-making could get any worse in this case.

[PTK]

Tragic, real tragic. May they all RIP.

At some point we really have to stop the sugar coating and feeling sorry for these idiots, and call it the way it is. Horrible, grossly irresponsible and negligent thought process and illogical selection from all available options on the part of the pilot. If some pilots feel so invincible and proceed to kill themselves, by all means. But please don't take innocent and trusting bystanders along for the ride. What purpose does that serve? And then we wonder about GA's declining reputation in the public's perception.

[The-sky-captain]

Angel Fire was ranked as one of AOPA's toughest airports a few years ago. High altitude, prevalent strong cross winds and rising terrain. I've been tempted to go there a few times because of the close vicinity of the ski slopes but the winds have always been nasty.

[The-sky-captain]

Here's a link to the thread in Beechtalk: http://www.beechtalk...=887993#p887993

I can't get this link to work...

[Bob]

There was a Mooney down in N.M. last evening.

Based Texas. N3484X       I can't even fathom the Myspace page entry made by the sister.

Not good.

http://www.myspace.com/tablor/photos/50785225#%7B%22ImageId%22%3A50785225%7D

 

A little creepy!

Most of the time there is a history!

[xftrplt]

Sorry, try it now. http://www.beechtalk.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=41&t=75830

[N9937c]

His blogs on MySpace note he works at Mooney

[Geoff]

Tragic.

 

I have been into AF in my turbo 231 but only after receiving local instruction.  It is truly a tricky place to fly and you have to be very conservative with your decision making.

[Apollo]

That's awful.

 

Last night I flew into Lubbock from Dallas, my C model was doing only 100kts over the ground. The wind was strong from 270 @ 35kts at 9000 feet last night.

 

 

I flew into Angel Fire 2 weeks ago in a comanche 250 and it was one of the hardest challenges fo my aviation career so far.  We barely had enough juice to leave angel fire after circling the airport 3 times that day.

 

 

Too little too late, but forget Angel Fire, fly into Taos and keep on living.

[bnicolette]

What an unfortunate event, especially for the, more than likely, unsuspecting innocent passengers.  I have never been into this airport but just looking at the surroundings I have to imagine that even a light wind is going to create some shear?  To add to that 40 knots + is ..........  well, not good.

[midlifeflyer]

deleted - editing was a bit weird. Reposted.

[midlifeflyer]

What an unfortunate event, especially for the, more than likely, unsuspecting innocent passengers.  I have never been into this airport but just looking at the surroundings I have to imagine that even a light wind is going to create some shear?  

 It will. The runway runs N-S due to terrain availability but the prevailing wind is W-E. If you look at the sectional with the peaks to the west and the ridge just to the east,  you can paint a picture of what the winds will be like on final or doing on takeoff  (picture water flowing). Taking off to the north, you also have the problem of being pushed toward that ridge if turning left downwind. That's among the reasons why a number of us who contributed to that AOPA article rated it one of the most difficult.

[WardHolbrook]

You've got to wonder what was just so pressing back home? Sometimes you've got got to tell yourself "No". 

[KSMooniac]

Truly sickening.  RIP

[aerobat95]

Very stupid decision. I really wish our airplanes had in the ops limits a max crosswind for dry and wet conditions like all the military aircraft have. The whole max demonstrated really tells you nothing with regards to what the actual plane can do. I agree with we need to stop sugar coating stupid mistakes. If a student came to me and said he was going to takeoff with those sorts of winds he/she would be yelled at, chastised, and forced to give a brief to all the other students as to why his thought process is flawed. It's actions like this that make it easy for people to have a negative opinion of GA and that is unacceptable. What if because of his stupid actions he crashed into a car and killed another family. Actions like this impact us all. I feel bad for the passengers. Truly a tragic preventable loss of life. Oh and if anyone on here gets their feelings hurt.....look up and fill out a hurt feelings report......cause I don't care.

Ray Kelly

P.S. if I ever do something as stupid as this which results in a crash feel free to comment

[aerobat95]

Very stupid decision. I really wish our airplanes had in the ops limits a max crosswind for dry and wet conditions like all the military aircraft have. The whole max demonstrated really tells you nothing with regards to what the actual plane can do. I agree with we need to stop sugar coating stupid mistakes. If a student came to me and said he was going to takeoff with those sorts of winds he/she would be yelled at, chastised, and forced to give a brief to all the other students as to why his thought process is flawed. It's actions like this that make it easy for people to have a negative opinion of GA and that is unacceptable. What if because of his stupid actions he crashed into a car and killed another family. Actions like this impact us all. I feel bad for the passengers. Truly a tragic preventable loss of life. Oh and if anyone on here gets their feelings hurt.....look up and fill out a hurt feelings report......cause I don't care.

Ray Kelly

P.S. if I ever do something as stupid as this which results in a crash feel free to comment

[N201MKTurbo]

Tragic.

 

I have been into AF in my turbo 231 but only after receiving local instruction.  It is truly a tricky place to fly and you have to be very conservative with your decision making.

 

I agree I landed there twice in my F. It can be a handful. The wind and turbulence through that valley can get to be severe. I had a ski trip there year before last and I was staying at a condo across the street from the Angle Fire airport, but I elected to land at Taos and drive to Angle Fire because of the winds. I’m sure I could have made it, but lately I’ve become a bit of a turbulence wimp.

[aviatoreb]

I agree I landed there twice in my F. It can be a handful. The wind and turbulence through that valley can get to be severe. I had a ski trip there year before last and I was staying at a condo across the street from the Angle Fire airport, but I elected to land at Taos and drive to Angle Fire because of the winds. I’m sure I could have made it, but lately I’ve become a bit of a turbulence wimp.

 

...a living turbulence wimp.  Good for you N201MKTurbo.  Well done.  I wish this guy would have done the same.

 

I peeked at the Beechtalk thread - and here - 80mph winds?!   I don't care if it is cross wind or head wind in the mountains esp, that is just plain too much wind and small airplanes, even heavy iron airplanes, too much.

[bd32322]

It was 35 gusting 50 from the tv report. 80 is hurricane speed !

Someone at beechtalk is inflating numbers

[aviatoreb]

It was 35 gusting 50 from the tv report. 80 is hurricane speed !

Someone at beechtalk is inflating numbers

 

Maybe the beechtalkers don't know how to convert from 50knots to miles per hour?

 

Those are good guys over there, but it is humerous knocking on the guy for choosing a 200hp airplane to take off in 50knots - as if it would be fine with 300hp.

[Alan Fox]

Maybe the beechtalkers don't know how to convert from 50knots to miles per hour?

 

Those are good guys over there, but it is humerous knocking on the guy for choosing a 200hp airplane to take off in 50knots - as if it would be fine with 300hp.

The reference has to do with the density altitude being close to 9000 feet , rendering a 200HP NA Aircraft to approx 110 HP .... Any pilot with half a brain wouldnt do that with NO WINDS and max gross weight.....  And it wouldnt be fine with 300 HP at max gross weight either.......

[jetdriven]

Nothing like an amateur pilot with a few hundred hours in a travelling airplane who kills his whole family.  Happens 100 times per year.  Since 1933....

[Freight Dog]

This is so tragic.

If the winds at the time of crash were indeed 24035G50, that's roughly 40 knots of crosswind component including the gust factor!

I wouldn't have tried it in the BBJ I fly for a living, let alone Mooney.

Sad.....