one for pilots (hey there's a few of us here!)

[plthijinx]

ok. i've had it with pilot error due to ignorance!! last tuesday the 2nd of march, two guy rent a plane from a friend of mine to build time so that they can their instrument rating. well these block heads kept going when the weather was deteriorating. the ceilings were coming down and they kept pressing on. well when they were at 300 feet they decided to put the plane down in a field (piper tomahawk) they hit a barbed wire fence, flipped the plane over and basically totalled it. WTF!!! i realize that they are new pilots but jesus! they couldn't find an airport?!?! or even a country road?! tune in 121.5 and ask for help? i just don't get it. and while i'm on this subject here's another one, this idiot stole a plane last sunday. how he survived is beyond me....

NTSB Identification: FTW04LA085
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Sunday, February 29, 2004 in Angleton, TX
Aircraft: Cessna 172K, registration: N79502
Injuries: 1 Uninjured.

This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed.

On February 29, 2004, approximately 0630, a Cessna 172K single-engine airplane, N79502, was destroyed when it impacted power lines and the terrain while maneuvering near the Brazoria County Airport, Angleton, Texas. The airplane was registered to a private individual. The airplane had been stolen and was being operated by an unknown person under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Injuries to the occupant or occupants is unknown, and the local authorities have not located the person or persons involved. Dark night visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a flight plan was not filed.

According to an FAA inspector, 16 hangars were broken into sometime in the evening hours of February 28, 2004, and the morning hours of February 29, 2004. Approximately 3 miles south of the Brazoria County Airport, the airplane impacted power lines and the terrain. The accident airplane contained miscellaneous equipment from the hangars, and several beer cans.

[plthijinx]

March 4, 2004, 11:21AM

Now sober and in jail, flier says he regrets his stunt
By RICHARD STEWART
Copyright 2004 Houston Chronicle
ANGLETON -- Louis Paul Kadlecek hung his head like a mischievous little boy in trouble. He had no idea why he stole a plane from the Brazoria County Airport and doesn't know why he wasn't hurt when he crashed it into a high power line.

"I was very drunk," he grinned.

Now that he faces spending years in a state prison for his Sunday morning stunt, Kadlecek, 21, said he's learned his lesson and has sworn off drinking.

"I feel lucky to be here," he said at the Brazoria County Jail on Wednesday. "I feel like I've been given a second chance."

He was more than lucky to walk away unhurt after flying the 1969 Cessna 172 a mile and then crashing it into a 100-foot-high electrical line.

"It was a miracle," said Brazoria County Airport Director Louis Jones.

"If stunt pilots tried 1,000 times to do the same thing, they would have been killed 999 times," Jones said.

Kadlecek said flying the plane was pretty easy even though he'd never even been in a plane before.

"It started just like a lawn mower," he said.

Still, he said he wishes he hadn't done it.

If only there had been more security around the airport, Kadlecek said, he might not have just hopped over a three-strand, 4-foot-tall barbed-wire fence and started breaking into the T-hangars.

"If there had even been a tall chain link fence with barbed wire on top of it, I would have just turned around and went on home," he said.

"You would think they would have already thought of that after 9/11."

But then, he admitted, he didn't do much thinking himself on Sunday morning. It was just something to do.

Earlier that night he'd been at a club in Angleton with friends, celebrating his recent 21st birthday. He got out of a car near the airport after getting into an argument with the occupants.

On a whim, he walked to the airport and started breaking into T-hangars. He drove one plane around the hangar. Later, he tried that again, but the engine wouldn't start, so he went to another, smaller plane he'd seen.

With the key in the ignition, the little plane nicknamed "Miss Mona" started right up. He taxied around for a bit, got onto the runway and decided to take it for a spin.

Although police said the manual was on the seat, Kadlecek said he didn't remember looking at it. He did recall revving up the engine and pulling back on the controls when he thought the plane was going fast enough to fly. And it did.

The plane's owner declined to talk to the Chronicle.

Flight instructor Scott Gotcher said he usually handles takeoffs until students have five or six hours experience controlling the plane in the air.

Kadlecek had maybe five or six minutes of experience when he took off.

"The first thing I thought was, now how am I gonna get this thing down?" Kadlecek said.

Like many beginning pilots, he found the controls very sensitive and started zooming up and then down. About the time he thought he had the plane flying level, a set of power lines appeared out of the fog right in front of him.

"I jerked back on the controls, but it was too late," Kadlecek said.

He probably put the plane into a stall, experts said, slowing it dramatically. The plane just stopped in midair, Kadlecek said. "There were flashes of light and electrical sounds."

The tail fell first, absorbing much of the shock as the plane crumpled into the soft, muddy ground. He was sure the plane would catch on fire, but it didn't.

"So I just opened up the door, got out and walked away," he said. "I never looked back."

Kadlecek walked to his home south of Angleton, took a shower and went to bed.

"I knew they were going to catch me," he said.

When a sheriff's department investigator came to take him to the jail for a lineup Tuesday, he took his toothbrush, expecting to stay there.

So far Kadlecek is charged with theft and is being held on $75,000 bond. If convicted, he faces two to 20 years in prison. He also faces an earlier burglary charge and has had other brushes with the law, including driving while intoxicated, driving with a suspended license and unauthorized use of a vehicle.

There may be other burglary charges to file and perhaps federal charges of stealing a plane, investigators said.

Meanwhile, the county is considering putting more fences and security cameras at the airport.

In speculating about his future, Kadlecek said he isn't sure what he'd like to do after he gets out of jail.

"All my life I've wanted to be a helicopter pilot," he said. "That, or maybe a crane operator."

[BrianR]

Oh, groan!

Whadda dumb ass. I know it's easy enough to take off...just wait until you hit 70 or so and then pull gently and up you go, but sheesh!!

I feel sorta sorry for the plane's owner though...those things are expensive to fix or, in this case, replace. But he doesn't get his full measure of sympathy because he left THE KEY IN IT!

In my experience, small GA airplanes aren't paragons of security...the average automobile is five times more secure, IMO.

Where the heck is Maggie to comment on this?

Brian

[farfromhome]

I liked that story.That kid has at least a little someting floating around between his ears.And he has a story he will be able to tell the rest of his life.Not that I condone this.Actually.. I suspect Jinx is considering this a capitol offense.Oops...wrong thread.
Signed,the Utopian

[Undertoad]

Its funny cos this story just showed up in today's local:

http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?n...id=33380&rfi=6

Salamone, according to prosecutors, had a blood-alcohol content of 0.15 percent, nearly twice the current legal 0.08 percent limit to operate a motor vehicle in Pennsylvania when he was forced to land his plane at the Pottstown-Limerick Airport Jan. 15. In the criminal complaint, authorities also said Salamone had traces of Valium in his bloodstream.
Prosecutors said Salamone's plane came within 900 feet of a commercial airliner packed with passengers during the flight. Salamone's plane also came within a quarter-mile of the Limerick nuclear power plant as a Philadelphia police helicopter gave chase, prosecutors said.
Twice the plane came close to flying into the helicopter over a residential community in the air space above the Limerick airport, detectives said.

[russotto]

What a moron, complaining about the lack of security. Hey, idiot, you aren't supposed to steal things, regardless of the lack of security. You're too old to use the "attractive nuisance" defense.

[xoxoxoBruce]

Some years ago I read a book called Chickenhawk. It was an autobiography of a chopper pilot in Viet Nam. The entire first chapter was detailed instructions on how to start and fly a helicopter. After reading that I was absolutely sure I knew enough to kill myself.

[wolf]

I had the same experience with that book ...

[plthijinx]

Originally posted by farfromhome
I liked that story.That kid has at least a little someting floating around between his ears.And he has a story he will be able to tell the rest of his life.Not that I condone this.Actually.. I suspect Jinx is considering this a capitol offense.Oops...wrong thread.
Signed,the Utopian

got a chuckle on that one! kool dude! (btw, there is a jinx here and a plthijinx too)

anyway, here is the NTSB report on my buddies plane: (not the pilot, mind you, the renter.....


NTSB Identification: FTW04LA087
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Tuesday, March 02, 2004 in Sugar Land, TX
Aircraft: Piper PA-38-112, registration: N2588A
Injuries: 2 Uninjured.

This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed.

On March 2, 2004, approximately 1730 central standard time, a Piper PA-38-112 single engine airplane, N2588A, was substantially damaged when it impacted a barbed wire fence following a precautionary landing near Sugar Land, Texas. Both the private pilot and the passenger were not injured. The aircraft was owned by King Interests Inc., and operated by King Flight Service of Pearland, Texas. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The aircraft departed Victoria Regional Airport (VCT) near Victoria, Texas, at 1600, with a destination of Pearland Regional Airport (LVJ) near Houston, Texas. No Flight plan was filed for the flight.

The 170-hour pilot reported that while enroute, the weather deteriorated so he decided to divert to Houston Southwest Airport. The pilot added that the weather continued to deteriorate and he was forced to attempt a precautionary landing in a field. The pilot stated that the aircraft struck a fence during the landing roll.

According to the FAA Inspector, who responded to the site, the aircraft landed in a field because of low clouds and struck a barbed wire fence, and the aircraft nosed-over coming to rest in the inverted position. The right wing spar was bent aft, the fuselage was twisted, and the horizontal stabilizer was bent.

The Automated Surface Observing Station (SGR), at 1753, reported that the winds were at 130 degrees at 11 knots, 7 statute miles visibility, overcast at 1,100 feet msl, temperature 22 degrees Celsius, dewpoint 20 degrees Celsius, with a barometric pressure reading of 29.99 inches of Mercury.

Index for Mar2004 | Index of months

looking at the weather data from SGR,, it was clearly VFR conditions there. however, where the accident took place it could have been much worse (a few miles away, maybe 10 at most). i've had times trying to fly into an airport on a VOR approach and not be able to get in b/c a low ceiling was passing over the airport and have to divert to galveston and hitch a ride back to my car at the airport i was trying to get into. then as we drove up, mike, the owner of the plane i was flying was taxiing up in his twin and had no trouble getting in. ceilings were above minimums. go figure. either way, i'm not trying to defend this guy, i still say he should have set down some place when the weather started deteriorating. one bonus for mike: the guy wrote a check to pay for the airplane and another to pay the farmer for the property damage! responsibility. wow. it's not dead in the U.S.A.!!

[farfromhome]

What a ride.Whooo Haaa!

[MaggieL]

Originally posted by BrianR

Where the heck is Maggie to comment on this?

Well, there isn't much to say...heard about this one back in January when it happened. Only question I have is why that dipswitch Salamone was allowed to *drive* much less fly. I'll be interested to hear if his previous DUIs had actually been reported on his flight physicals, as they are required to be.