Commuter Plane Crash @ Charlotte NC Airport (BREAKING)

www.msnbc.com ^ | 8 Jan 03 | MSNBC

[TankerKC]

Breaking news. Charlotte to Greenville flight--19 on board. Crashed on takeoff into a US Airways hangar.

More to follow...

[sweetliberty]

That can't be the correct time. I got up at just a few minutes past 8 Central time. I turned the TV on just a few minutes later and they were already reporting this crash which would mean that it had to have taken off at least an hour earlier than that Eastern time.

[sweetliberty]

Oops! I got it backwards. I need more coffee! Never mind!

[SunnyUsa]

"My parents were flying out of Charlotte this morning at 8:00 eastern and I can't get in touch with them."

I'm hoping you were able to contact them by now...and let us know.

Tragic air crashes like this, a routine flight, it really strikes fear into everyone's heart esp when their loved ones are frequent flyers.

Prayers said for you....

[Carolinamom]

Prayers for you and for your soon learning of your parents' whereabouts. If they left at 8am, then they may be still enroute to Arizona. Do you know their flight number? Have you called the Arizona airport? Perhaps you can learn about their incoming flight there. Please let us know when you do learn anything. I'm sure that you know that freepers really care.

[Guenevere]

#100...for mercy sakes....call or email them.
They, or lat least one, might know more info.

Do it....for your own peace of mind.

[Betty Jane]

Why were there only two crew members on board? There should have been three; pilot, co-pilot and flight attendent. I thought all were required.

[PleaseNoMore]

*grin* I knew I heard the guy at the press conference right!! Whew!

[SunnyUsa]

My parents have been living near Charlotte and were flying to Arizona. well hopefully you should have peace of mind then, this was a commuter flight going a shorter distance (greenville?)

I understand the fear, I truely do...

[Howlin]

I'm glad you guys said that about her; she's an ambulance chaser, IMO. Always at that phone, ready to speculate.

[getmeouttaPalmBeachCounty_FL]

How horribly sad this is... My heart hurts for these families who've lost their loved ones here. I will pray for you all.

But, isn't that something? Glad I'm not the only one whose thoughts travel that way.

[Hillary's Lovely Legs]

Flight tracking

Looks like your parents were on United 795 with a transfer to Phoenix via Chicago flight 1128. That was the only flight I can find around 8am to Arizona. The flight has arrived in Chicago and will be leaving for Arizona in an hour. You can track all flights live with the link that I sent you. Your parents would have been on a much larger plane than a small commuter.

[FrogMom]

This is a little commuter plane, only holding 19 passengers. The cockpit is two seats in the front of the aircraft with a plastic accordian door to separate it from the rest of the aircraft. Two crew only.

[Howlin]

I cannot be sure of this, but I don't believe a flight to Arizona would go through GSP. I believe American Airlines carries that traffic.

They are saying that that was NOT a connecting flight! It was going ONLY to GSP and then back to CLT later in the day.

[Dead Dog]

Hey, this looks on the surface to be a Vmc incident. However it doesn't all add up.

What you said is true for some light piston twins, but a turbo prop has much better power loading. Being that the weather was cold, and in NC, they didn't have a density altitude problem. I'm not an expert on the Beech 1900, but I question wether or not a Vmc issue is really present. Most modern twins have a Vmc below Vs (especially clean). Not to mention how rare it is to lose a turbo prop due to a mechanical.

I would guess either a suicide, medical incapacitation of the pilot, control failure(? freaking rare, but they have been rigged wrong/opposite), structural failure or the dreaded T word.

[alisasny]

Bravo, very good work....

[getmeouttaPalmBeachCounty_FL]

I heard them say "two" as well. I'm guessing they might be wrong, but then again...years ago, I flew on a commuter with no more than 20 or so seats, and the co-pilot *came back* and passed out soda cans. I kept thinking...what is wrong with this picture?

Anyway...can anyone tell me why Trace Gallagher keeps saying "angle of attack?" My head keeps envisioning a dogfight. I'd ask the dh, but he's currently in the air.

[MindBender26]

Angle of attack is the difference (in degrees) between the extended line through the longitudinal section of the wing and the relative wind passing over the wing. (Picture would be worth 100,000 words here)

The slower the aircraft gets, the higher the angle of attack.

If the angle of attack gets too large, wing (aircraft) stalls and, in the case where one engine is making power and other is not, aircraft turns upside down in goes into inverted spin. Is unrecoverable from a low altitude. If at 10,000 feet, a very, very good pilot might recover.

From 500, AMF.

[grania]

That was such a nice thing that you did for mbnak.

[agincourt1415]

News article said the aircraft hit the ground Inverted.

It's a mystery. VMC comes to mind, but yeah a Turbo Failure could be a problem or perhaps a Runaway Prop.

Now a Prop reversal would cause a real problem.

Whatever it was, a sudden, unexpected, something, happened at the worst possible time.

[Dead Dog]

Now a Prop reversal would cause a real problem.

>That is a thought. Does anyone know off hand what the FAR (part 23?) req. for twin engine transports as far as VMC, Vs, single engine climb ect? I would guess they have to be able to be controlable and climb on one engine at gross up to a certain density altitude, and that Vmc would be under their climb AS.