Plane crash in Kitty Hawk NC

Fearless Tower said:
No clue where you learned to fly, but if you limited yourself to a 12 kt max wind, you'd be hard pressed getting your tailwheel endorsement in New England.
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and most sw states
 
I was using the 32 mph. At 12 down the runway it's a piece of cake. Maybe it's the common one, ran out of gas. 12 mph crosswind, easy.
 
According to the sport pilot, while turning from the left base to the final leg of the approach for runway 2, with engine power reduced to "near" idle, a gust of wind came from the right and the airplane lost altitude. He attempted to recover the altitude loss by rolling the airplane to a wing level attitude and adding full power; however, the airplane impacted the top of a tree. The airplane subsequently impacted the ground in a nose-down attitude.

So how did that gust of wind hit him from the right??? Base heading would be approx 110 degrees in no wind conditions. Maybe 100 degrees with the winds that day.

Okay, I am low and slow, turning from a left base to final on rwy 2. Winds are gusting right down the runway blowing my tail around, which causes my right wing to speed up and left wing to slow down. My left wing drops from a stall. I try to pick it up with aileron instead of rudder. I add full power. I would probably end up in the trees too. Sure glad that ended better than most.
 
RV10flyer said:
According to the sport pilot, while turning from the left base to the final leg of the approach for runway 2, with engine power reduced to "near" idle, a gust of wind came from the right and the airplane lost altitude. He attempted to recover the altitude loss by rolling the airplane to a wing level attitude and adding full power; however, the airplane impacted the top of a tree. The airplane subsequently impacted the ground in a nose-down attitude.

So how did that gust of wind hit him from the right??? Base heading would be approx 110 degrees in no wind conditions. Maybe 100 degrees with the winds that day.

Okay, I am low and slow, turning from a left base to final on rwy 2. Winds are gusting right down the runway blowing my tail around, which causes my right wing to speed up and left wing to slow down. My left wing drops from a stall. I try to pick it up with aileron instead of rudder. I add full power. I would probably end up in the trees too. Sure glad that ended better than most.
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Maybe. Lots of guessing there. Always more pleasant to believe a pilot screwed up then there is weather out there that can smote the best of us. My guess would split the difference between sub optimal pilot reaction and airplane smoting weather.
 
I landed at FFA Saturday with very similar winds. On final 1/4-1/2 mile out, normal 70-75 kts, we started sinking fast. Added some power, then more, then more before back on glide path. I flew right over the accident site. Be careful landing here. I ask an RV-6 driver that landed just before me and he felt the same thing.
 
Who thought that was a good place to fly? :)


But then if believe some posters here, they didn't fly anyway.
 
Fearless Tower said:
Someone in post 4 made the unsupported statement that winds were gusting to 32 and Jimmy probably didn't click on the link to the Factual.
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32 mph wasn't a made up number it was reported by several local pilots at that airport and some nearby airports and I was just reporting that. "Variable gusting 30 to 40"
Thank you
 
During WW2, when Stearmans were used , they mowed a huge circle ( grass)with windsock in the middle. One always landed directly into the wind. Most FBO's, those who value their aircraft, do not allow instruction in a taildragger in winds over 10-12 knots. People who claim normal sop in direct 90 degree 30 mph crosswinds are on something.
 
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