Bonanza Down Near Whiteman Airport (Pacoima) - 1 Fatality

VWGhiaBob

VWGhiaBob

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VWGhiaBob
This one hits home...a friend and colleague...Scott Watson of Disney. We were both "older" pilots having gotten our IFR's recently at the same time from the same instructor and we are both technology leaders in the entertainment industry.

He had an older Arrow and his pride and joy: an upgraded Bonanza out of KWHP (Whiteman Airport). He declared an emergency. Locals suspect he tried to land on the freeway, but it was bumper to bumper, so he landed on the terrain (which is generally not very forgiving in that area).

So sad and shocked today.

https://abc7.com/pilot-killed-in-sylmar-plane-crash-idd-disney-employee/3946461/
 
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ugh. anyone know if the audio tapes indicate what kind of problem? sad to see because of the big open field and even highway right there, although I'm sure the highway was probably busy. sorry VW.....
 
Just talked to my instructor...who was also Scott's instructor. He expects to be interviewed, as he was the most recent instructor. It's unclear right now...all we know is Scott declared an emergency and it looks like he was headed for the highway, but it was packed with traffic. He was conscious at the time of the crash, but he died while they were trying to get him out. Interesting there was no fire or signs of a fire in such a violent crash. He was a super-careful pilot, so fuel exhaustion is unlikely.
 
I'm sorry to hear about the loss of your friend. PM if you need to chat.
 
So Sad. He tried to do the right thing and took a big hit by the looks of how the airplane nose is crumpled.
 
Damn VWGhiaBob, I’m really sorry man.
 
VWGhiaBob said:
Just talked to my instructor...who was also Scott's instructor. He expects to be interviewed, as he was the most recent instructor. It's unclear right now...all we know is Scott declared an emergency and it looks like he was headed for the highway, but it was packed with traffic. He was conscious at the time of the crash, but he died while they were trying to get him out. Interesting there was no fire or signs of a fire in such a violent crash. He was a super-careful pilot, so fuel exhaustion is unlikely.
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Yet that appears to be what happened, tanks were breached on impact and bone dry. This according to rescue personnel. That doesn’t preclude some mechanical issue that caused fuel to disappear at a rate greater than planned in spite of his cautious nature.
 
As many ‘engine failures’ are, this one sounds like a fuel issue. Don’t know if he was out of fuel or just on the wrong tank. Sad event for sure.
 
Some Bo's have complex fuel systems. Wouldn't be the first. Whatever the cause, huge condolences.
 
A36TC with tip tanks, more complicated than a Cessna but not too bad. It’s the older -35’s that tended to always return fuel to the left tank that made for some important fuel tank changes to be timed accurately.
 
There are two tip tank setups. One with the standard 3 position fuel selector and transfer pumps, the other with a 5 position fuel selector and direct draw from the tips. With both, there are situations where you could pump fuel overboard, but considering that you have about 6hrs worth of fuel to start, that is really only an issue in max range operations. It's not complicated, you just have to remember not to do the one thing that allows you to inadvertently dump fuel.
 
From a reliable source: Witnesses, including a pilot who arrived at he scene within a couple of minutes, said there was no fire and no fuel smell. This is being treated as a fuel starvation incident. It's a mystery, because multiple witnesses saw Scott fill the tanks and check them visually before the 1.75 hour flight. There's even a record of the fill-up transaction. There's no apparent reason that all the tanks would have been dry by that time. If it had been an in-flight leak, most of us who know Scott (a super-meticulous pilot) believe he would have noticed something amiss on the gauges during regular in-flight checks. The investigation continues...
 
^damn. How does a 150 get out of sorts like that?!
 
VWGhiaBob said:
From a reliable source: Witnesses, including a pilot who arrived at he scene within a couple of minutes, said there was no fire and no fuel smell. This is being treated as a fuel starvation incident. It's a mystery, because multiple witnesses saw Scott fill the tanks and check them visually before the 1.75 hour flight. There's even a record of the fill-up transaction. There's no apparent reason that all the tanks would have been dry by that time. If it had been an in-flight leak, most of us who know Scott (a super-meticulous pilot) believe he would have noticed something amiss on the gauges during regular in-flight checks. The investigation continues...
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Have you heard any updates on this crash? I’d appreciate any news. Thanks.
Sheree
 
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