Intel, NVidia employees killed in Tri-Pacer crash

[flyingcheesehead]

My brother sent me this link - He works for NVidia, and the pilot was the lead engineer for one of the boards he's worked on.

NEWBERG, Ore. -- A small, single-engine plane crashed near Newberg in Yamhill County early Wednesday morning, killing a man and woman from Salem, federal investigators said. No one on the ground was hurt.

Pilot Steven L. Fordyce, 49, and passenger Pamela J. Lusardi, 53, were killed in the crash, Yamhill County Sheriff Jack Crabtree said. Both Fordyce and Lusardi were Salem residents. The plane was registered to Fordyce.

Fordyce and Lusardi regularly commuted from Salem to Hillsboro together, investigators said. Lusardi worked at Intel and Fordyce worked for graphics firm NVidea.

The 1959 PA22 Piper plane went down just after 7:30 a.m. at 16461 NE Mountain Home Road, near the intersection of NE Bell Road. It dove nose-first into a front yard and almost hit someone walking his dog, witnesses told KGW. Firefighters called it a "violent, horrendous crash."

First responders described weather conditions at the time as "foggy, cold and rainy," with low visibility.

"The crash site is near the summit of Chehalem Mountain, at approximately 1,000 feet of elevation," said Crabtree, adding that conditions were "not suitable for visual flying at the time of the crash."

http://www.kgw.com/news-local/stories/kgw_040109_news_plane_crash.9143a29d.html

The plane was N9996D, a 1959 PA22-150 Tri-Pacer.

The pilot was not instrument rated. They were on the way to work (get-there-itis, anyone?), flying from KSLE to KHIO, and the crash site was between KMMV, KUAO, and KHIO, very close to the UBG VOR and 2S6 airport at around 1430Z. Weather:

KSLE 011356Z 16006KT 6SM -RA BR BKN032 OVC060 04/02 A3015 RMK AO2 SLP211 P0001 T00390022 $
KSLE 011456Z 15007KT 5SM -RA BR SCT023 BKN028 OVC045 04/03 A3013 RMK AO2 SLP205 P0000 60002 T00440028 58016
KMMV 011353Z AUTO 14005KT 10SM BKN025 OVC080 04/03 A3016 RMK AO2 RAE51 SLP214 P0000 T00390028
KMMV 011429Z AUTO 16005KT 7SM -RA SCT023 BKN034 OVC060 04/03 A3015 RMK AO2 RAB1358 P0000
KMMV 011453Z AUTO 18006KT 10SM -RA BKN050 OVC060 04/03 A3014 RMK AO2 RAB1358 SLP208 P0000 60000 T00440028 56017
KUAO 011353Z AUTO 18006KT 7SM -RA BKN021 OVC028 04/03 A3016 RMK AO2 SLP214 P0003 T00390028
KUAO 011453Z AUTO 17008KT 6SM -RA BR SCT026 OVC034 04/03 A3015 RMK AO2 SLP210 P0001 60006 T00390028 56016
KHIO 011353Z 16005KT 7SM -RA SCT017 BKN027 OVC049 03/02 A3014 RMK AO2 SLP209 P0002 T00330022
KHIO 011453Z 16006KT 3SM -RA BR SCT017 OVC027 04/03 A3013 RMK AO2 SLP203 P0001 60004 T00390028 58015

Legal VFR, but pretty icky. Notice the deteriorating conditions at the destination, too.

Google Maps link to the crash site
SkyVector link to the crash site

 

[Kelvin]

Very sad indeed...more fuel to the "get the IA rating" fire...

 

[AdamB]

Sad indeed!
My thoughts are with the families.

 

[flyingcheesehead]

Very sad indeed...more fuel to the "get the IA rating" fire...

Definitely. I have never once regretted all the time, money and effort that went into getting the instrument rating. If you're ever going to use GA for travel, it's the best investment you can make.

 

[Ghery]

Picture in the paper shows a very foggy scene. VFR into IMC in all probability. Most unfortunate. And I did not know the Intel employee that was with him.

More ammunition for finishing my IR when I get my medical back.