ping
I suppose his license was not refreshed.
A tragedy. I hope he didn't hit any of the black bears that are prevalent in the area. PETA would be quite upset.
79 seems old to me for a flight instructor. At some point the trade-off between experience and failing faculties begins to look like a losing proposition.
Would be interesting to know what contributed to a crash on take-off.
"Flying is a hobby that can kill you quickly." - AOPA magazine
Huh.... I wonder what happened.
Reminds me of some of my old flight instructors... They always thought I was tryin' to kill 'em. ;~D
http://www.ntsb.gov/ntsb/brief.asp?ev_id=20050304X00268&key=1
NTSB Identification: IAD05FA040
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Sunday, February 27, 2005 in West Milford, NJ
Aircraft: Cessna 182P, registration: N6685M
Injuries: 2 Fatal.
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 27, 2005, at 1305 eastern standard time, a Cessna 182P, N6685M, was destroyed when it impacted terrain following a loss of engine power during the initial climb from the Greenwood Lake Airport (4N1), West Milford, NJ. The certified flight instructor (CFI) and private pilot owner were fatally injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the local instructional flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
According to witness statements, prior to the accident flight the accident airplane was placed in a hangar for approximately 1 hour, to preflight and de-ice, and then placed outside. The pilot was observed to rock the wings up and down with his hands and to be carrying a fuel cup with a sample of fuel in it. After the preflight the pilot was observed to do a "lengthy" run-up, taxi into position at the threshold of runway 06, apply power for takeoff, and lift off approximately 400 to 500 feet later. After climbing to an approximate height of 50 feet at a point about 1,300 feet down the runway, a "puff" of blackish smoke was observed to come from the area of the engine cowl and swirl off of the right side of the airplane. The airplane was then observed to lose altitude and touch down approximately 20 feet from the end of the runway pavement, become airborne, and then sink below the level of the runway.
After striking several trees and a power line, the main wreckage came to rest next to a road approximately 362 feet northeast of the departure end of runway 06, and about 51 feet below it.
The accident occurred during the hours of daylight. The wreckage was located at 41 degrees, 07.953 minutes north latitude, 74 degrees, 20.418 minutes west longitude, at an elevation of about 757 feet msl.
According to Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) records, the flight instructor held an airline transport pilot certificate with multiple ratings including airplane single-engine-land. On his last FAA first-class medical certificate, dated January 31, 2005, he reported a total flight experience of 26,700 flight hours. The pilot held a private pilot certificate for airplane single-engine land. On his last FAA third-class medical certificate, dated January 13, 2005 he reported a total flight time of 600 flight hours.
According to maintenance records, the airplane was manufactured in 1975, was equipped with the original engine, which had been overhauled in 1988 at 3,122.5 hours of operation. The airplane received an annual inspection on May 10, 2004, and at the time of the inspection, had 4,231.5 hours of operation.
A weather observation taken about 38 minutes after the accident at the Sussex Airport (FWN), Sussex, New Jersey, located approximately 14 nautical miles west of the accident site, recorded the wind as variable at 6 knots, visibility 10 miles, sky clear, temperature 32 degrees Fahrenheit, dew point 7 degrees Fahrenheit, and an altimeter setting of 30.24 inches of mercury.
The debris path was about 20 feet long, and orientated on a heading of 086 degrees magnetic.
The main wreckage displayed varying degrees of impact damage, and a post-crash fire consumed the majority of the cockpit and cabin. The left wing, right wing, and tail section, along with all the associated flight control surfaces displayed different degrees of damage. The main wreckage was partially inverted, and the right wing had separated from the airframe. The flap actuator and surviving portions of the flap tracks correlated to the flaps up position, and the elevator trim correlated to approximately neutral. All the major components of the airplane were accounted for at the accident site, and flight control continuity was confirmed from the ailerons to the surviving inboard portions of the wings, and from the elevator and rudder panels to the approximate location of where the cabin was located.
Examination of the cockpit revealed that the throttle control was full in, the mixture control was full rich, and the propeller control was set to high RPM.
Continuity of the fuel lines from both tanks to the fuel selector and continuity of the fuel line from the fuel selector to the fuel strainer could not be confirmed because of impact and fire damage.
Examination of the propeller revealed that both propeller blades displayed minimal impact damage with the exception of one blade that exhibited slight bending in the rearward direction. Both blades had remained attached to the hub. However, the blades could be separately rotated from the low pitch setting to the high pitch setting by hand.
Examination of the engine revealed minimal impact and post-crash fire damage. Continuity of the intake system, exhaust system, valve train, and crankshaft was confirmed. The engine was then rotated by hand and thumb compression and spark continuity was noted on all six cylinders.
An examination of the fuel system from the firewall forward was conducted. The fuel line from the gascolator to the carburetor was removed, and a fuel sample was obtained for examination. The sample appeared to be dull, cloudy and visible contamination was evident. The carburetor was removed and disassembled to inspect the inside of the float bowl. The internal portion of the float bowl was clean, and free of sediment and debris. The gascolator bowl was removed and a large piece of ice with visible contaminants suspended in it were found attached to the fuel gascolator screen.
Portions of the fuel system were retained by the Safety Board for further examination.