Posted on 03/08/2023 9:50:16 AM PST by V_TWIN
WINTER HAVEN, Fla. — Four people are dead after two small planes collided near a Central Florida lake on Tuesday, according to the Polk County Sheriff's Office.
Winter Haven police and Winter Haven fire responded to Lake Hartridge at 2 p.m. when crews began a search by water and air.
(Excerpt) Read more at wesh.com ...
Not being a pilot, how do these type collisions happen?......................
So tragic. My condolences to the families.
Blind sighted.
Meanwhile, across the land on Interstates, 2-lanes, and city streets, thousands of people are killed or maimed in cars each week with no headlines. The media loves to have aircraft accidents to hate and make into headlines.
High wing airplanes have blind spots above. Low wing aircraft have blind spots below.
Airspace away from airports is wide open and clear. Airspace near airports is not, and planes tend to want to do the same things as they prepare to land or depart that airspace. Most airports do not have control towers and rely on individual airplanes making radio location reports on a common frequency. It doesn’t always work.
Lake Hartridge is right next to the Winter Haven airport, big enough for a two-plane crash to land in the middle of the lake.
Piper cub is highwing the Cherokee Piper 161 is low wing. If the cub is ascending and the Cherokee is descending they can’t see each other. Or it could be the sun. Could be distraction inside the cockpit while both drinking around the lake. A lot of things could have happened.
That’s a good question.....I guess the NTSB will figure it out but by then the drive by media will be long gone and the reason may never be reported.
I meant dinking not drinking
“Meanwhile, across the land on Interstates, 2-lanes, and city streets, thousands of people are killed or maimed in cars each week with no headlines. The media loves to have aircraft accidents to hate and make into headlines.”
Probably because stupid drivers die all the time, but aircraft, other those flown by Moslems, are very very safe, so deaths are rare.
When pilots decide to buzz their homes to say "hi."
Seriously.
Sounds like two pilots were doing it at once.
There’s a seaplane base near airport too.
....very sad story....my thoughts and prayers out to all...I have a number of hours in the J-3 series of “Cubs” - the pilot actually sits in the rear seat of that two-seater, the passenger in the front...visibility is not the best...and it is loud and mostly uncomfortable to fly in...but it was and is a classic airplane, for sure...
Mid air collisions flying VFR are rare but the do happen. Planes have large blind spots. If two aircraft are using the same air space each should know the other’s altitude. Radios are your friend.
VFR adds 500', so always 500' separation.
Always request flight following even in VFR.
Florida is the #1 spot in the world for flight training so there are a lot of idiots.
I did my Private, Commercial, pilot training, instrument, multi engine, ratings in Vero Beach FL.
A lot of stories.
Did my Seaplane rating in South Carolina.
In the air you have the whole sky above, below, ahead and behind to worry about. 360° in every direction.
And with a headwind you can actually fly backwards lol
Imagine that if you not only had to watch out for traffic at your level, you had to also watch out for traffic above you and below you. And then consider the widely varying speeds of aircraft. Even a “fender bender” is going to be fatal.
Always go to the right..
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