Not a good day of flying in NC yesterday

Grum.Man

Grum.Man

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Grum.Man
Two plane crashes, one injury one fatality.

Looks like Bob Barrows wrecked his Bearhawk LSA at Topsail Island yesterday.

https://www.witn.com/content/news/H...ting-Onslow-County-plane-crash-508911621.html

Plane left from my home town airport en-route to the airport where my airplane is based but never made it. Got a call from of the airport regulars saying the cops and civil air patrol were swarming around the airport looking for the missing plane. Older gentleman asked a friend to fly the plane to 8A7 for avionics work. Plane's owner showed up in his car to get the pilot that never showed. Found the wreckage about 6pm 10 miles or so south of the direct flight path. Some friends that aided in the search said there wasn't much left that was recognizable as an aircraft.

https://www.wsoctv.com/news/local/m...rrives-at-destination-officials-say/942452332
 
Lowflynjack said:
Hasn't been a good few days for aviation. We had two crashes in TX, two in NC, and of course the flying wing in CA. Airplane crashes are only good for the media. I know at least 10 people died in the planes I just mentioned. 10 people dying in 2 days in 3 cars would never make the national news, but if it's an airplane, suddenly planes are falling from the skies.

Sorry for you loss @Ted DuPuis Unfortunately the aviation world is small and those of us that have been in it a long time have known people who didn't make it.
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Had a 180 groundloop here make the news. Plane & pilot are fine, just will need an engine teardown. But yeah a LOT of bad news this week.
 
@Grum.Man do you know if Bob was a forum member?
 
Ted DuPuis said:
@Grum.Man do you know if Bob was a forum member?
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Do not believe so. I know he was active on the Bearhawk forums helping builders on his designs. Be interesting to hear his story when he recovers. He isn't the type to fly his designs on the edge of the envelope and has a TON of flight time in his designs.
 
Copied from the Bearhawk forum:

"Yesterday arriving to a grass strip near Wilmington NC to visit his daughter, Bob hit a wire on approach. His daughter is a nurse and was at the airport when it happened. His LSA went in nose first. You can search for the pictures.

Bob has a broken leg and broken foot, and was in surgery last night. And is bruised up. I heard the extent of his injuries late last night after surgery but no updates yet today.

Some of the BH community nearby are offering to go get his LSA and take it home. One lesson learned is that the steel tube structure Bob designs in his planes - is a really good thing. An aluminum airplane would not have protected Bob as well.

I will post more info when I hear about how he is doing. Mark"
 
Grum.Man said:
Do not believe so. I know he was active on the Bearhawk forums helping builders on his designs. Be interesting to hear his story when he recovers. He isn't the type to fly his designs on the edge of the envelope and has a TON of flight time in his designs.
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Ok. If you don't mind I'm going to split up the posts some to make a "Gone West" thread for Guy and keep Bob's in Hangar Talk.
 
Grum.Man said:
Must have miss judged his clearance.


View attachment 73646
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I thought the wires were closer to the trees coming that way, unless they've been cut in the last year or two. They were a surprise my first visit, obscured by the treetops on final. It's hard to see in your picture above, but the displaced landing threshold is a far piece down the runway, the extra yellow cones are hard to make out. The right-side marker is visible in this picture just before the shadows end. I don't have a picture of the power lines, but there's a big substation to the right of the runway--I've had Power Co. folks in hardhats line up to watch my departure.

Holly Ridge 1.JPG
 
I've created a thread for Guy Maher in the "Gone West" forum. Please make any posts relating to his crash there.
 
MooneyDriver78 said:
I wonder if he had a 4 point harness, impact looks like it would be deadly?


Tom
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Watch the embedded TV news story, theres a picture showing power line height. They are below the tops of the pine trees. His injuries are to legs & feet. Must have had at least a good shoulder belt. Wonder if he hit the lines or the trees? There's no sign of broken cables or shredded pine boughs.
 
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