Crash at Johnson Creek

[Mountain Doctor]

I've heard on BCP there was a crash at JC. Does anyone have any information? Been praying for the people involved. I'd heard it was a Piper, two people aboard, seriously injured but lived.

[crbnunit]

The most recent article Google pulls up is 2014. Hopefully there is nothing new!

[Hottshot]

Pacer down not sure on details. They cleared the aircraft but came in on the suburban that is always parked at the end of the runway. Was told that this afternoon...

[cs409]

First FAA report.

http://www.asias.faa.gov/pls/apex/f?p=1 ... N-15,PIPER

[maules.com]

A well written piece by AKT

Quote "I have just returned from the SuperCub fly in. It's an event I will attend and continue to do such for as long as I can.

The arm chair QBing needs to stop.

I cut the two guys out of the plane personally. I watched every detail as they flew down the runway, touched down and then bounced. They added power to settle back in and bounced again. This happened a few more times until they came to the 3/4 Mark on the runway and chose to make a go around. They could have very easily chopped the power and bounced to a stop from that point with still over 700' of runway left. The plane dogged and drifted left and slammed into a tree 20' up in the air behind parked aircraft. The planes ended up leaving fabric in the tree and landing on an old truck parked at JC about 75' past the tree they hit. The plane landed upside down. Had it been a metal plane they would not have made it. This could have be catastrophic very easily.

The pilot had 150 hours.

The plane was very under powered.

The plane was seriously overloaded.

They had no business being there with such low time.

Note: this very pilot crashed a plane previously running out of fuel on his way to McCall...

These big fly ins are not the problem as so many discuss. If you choose to have a more tranquil experience good on ya. I like both. In a tranquil setting fly all the strips you want but still practice good canyon and mountain flying procedures. With the big events maybe fly to a couple spots with your buddies and then just hang and enjoy the company of others instead of bagging all the strips in the canyons with 100 other planes. I could easily contradict myself on that as well but you get what saying hopefully.

The biggest problem I see is that fly ins and forums are a magnet to adventure. You have to start somewhere of course but you really need to check yourself and ask if your really ready for the experience. JC is a strip for everyone and anyone but god damn it, don't freaking show up to any fly in or by yourself in the mountains with very low time under your belt, and in an under powered aircraft heavily over loaded mid day. For those that are wanting to learn somthing from this, your mission as an experienced pilot is to get out and educate these pilots to the true responsibility of flying an airplane. There's a lot more than looking at the hot shot photos we (I) post on here in a remote, half crazy looking location on a mountain top. Our mission is to make these young and old pilots understand what winds, density altitude and truly understanding the environment is really all about. Heck I saw multiple airplanes flying up the middle of the canyons, on the wrong side of canyons etc.

The high wing low wing incident = low time pilot not following the pattern procedures

The mid air we know of at HSF = low time pilot no following procedures

This most recent at JC = low time pilot not following basic mountain flying procedures.

Basic yet complex procedures have been put in place long before any of us ventured into the mountains. They need to be understood, followed and practiced. Your life and the life of our passengers depend on it.

Accidents are going to happen. That's the nature of what we do as humans. Just continue to keep looking both ways when you cross the street and keep your aircraft in tip top shape. That's the best you can do. These events have nothing to do with numbers. It's the low timers not getting the training or education they need prior to actually venturing out. Maybe there is an ego in the way and they think they are at the point they no longer need more education aside from the actual first hand experience but it's quiet obvious that somehere along the line the training is lacking. I also sed this from the 10,000 hour pilot that has little backcountry time. I just broke 5000 hours and still continue to learn somthing almost everytime I fly.

One of the oldest rules in the book...your most vulnerable time flying is the first 500 hours. Just when you have think you really gotter licked. Reality is that it's the first 1000 hours plus...and you must strive for continued learning as you continue to fly for life. It's our job as pilots to speak it as of it's the gospel.

Not attending and bashing one another is not going to get it done. Yeah we can all be a little brash but choose tact and educate someone on the realities of flying.

These two individuals involved were very, very lucky.

The pilot broke his arm and suffered a laceration on his head.

The passenger suffered a broken arm, broken leg and some broken ribs and nose.

They lived to see another day...lucky is an understatement by the severity of the crash.

That's it that's all

AKT "

[chris erasmus]

Well said, Jeremy, flying backcountry is a endeavor that comes with experience and experience comes with time, there are no short cuts, if in doubt get someone to teach you.
Never let your ego get the better of you

[cs409]

well stated account of the event.....am sure a video will show up soon.

[taildragger]

Hi,

I've heard this a few times over my lifetime also

"It doesn't matter if you have 30,000 hours. The last one is the only one that matters!"

Scott

[Paul Amstutz]

Glad these folks are OK.
Another reminder for me, as I pass 500hrs, of my rule for the back country, SE Utah, with generally no one around for a looong ways:

Each landing has to be perfect as I can do. I will fiddle with landings at my home strip, U42 in SLC. A mile of concrete goodness knows how wide. Short final and off the midline, too low/high/much power needed, can't touch down on the numbers, one bounce/big gust more than trivial.....I will try to correct (plenty of practice doing that!). In the desert, one strike and I am out. Go around. (thank goodness for an extremely capable plane, profoundly decreases the number of one way strips) Turning downwind, set the trim for takeoff and put up with the heavy control force so that when I go full power/with full flaps, I can manage the yoke.

I don't carry hull insurance. Wouldn't likely do me much good if I crumple it where I fly. Walking out from a survived crash? Good Luck. Carry water and supplies, and have a 406 ELT in case I forget "The Rule". Have spent my money on training instead. Shout out to Steve Davidson, CPI/AP, currently flying out of Ultima Thule Lodge in Wrangell-St. Elias, AK.

And I still cross my fingers, and then thank the gods when I have rolled to a stop still able to take off again.