Remember that midair over Wisconsin? [video]

atracnitrix

PODUNK
Here's some edited footage from several of the cameras the divers were wearing that day. Sorry if this has already been posted. I couldn't find anything in the original thread.

 
Tough to watch. Glad the adrenalin junkies got out, but im sure the pilots did not.
EDIT:
Easier to watch and hella cool now that I know they all survived.
 
Last edited:
I'm not positive, but I think everyone survived. It's not only amazing that the pilot of the broken wing plane survived, but also the guy that nearly got crunched between the two planes.

(Edit - everyone did survive, including the pilots.)
 
The kid I would assume landed (since his plane wasn't on fire and SOMEONE landed) looked like he was about 12. That's a story to tell the grandkids.
 
The kid I would assume landed (since his plane wasn't on fire and SOMEONE landed) looked like he was about 12. That's a story to tell the grandkids.
Yeah, I'm curious to find out if the blame will rest on both shoulders or if the NTSB will find one pilot dropped the ball on the seperation. I don't know anything about form flying, but somebody must have lost sight of somebody and continued.
 
Yeah, I'm curious to find out if the blame will rest on both shoulders or if the NTSB will find one pilot dropped the ball on the seperation. I don't know anything about form flying, but somebody must have lost sight of somebody and continued.

It seemed to me that they were both set on unloading on the right side (maybe the only way they could). In that scenario, I can see putting the more experienced pilot in the trail position and having him fly above the lead since that gives (slightly) better visibility than having the lead sitting in the trail's wing. Any way you look at it, though, flying in formation with someone you can't see is mostly on the trail pilot for failing to say "no, thanks" and breaking off once he lost sight of the lead, imho (remember, though, that I'm not a Trained Formation Pilot <tm>). Any way you look at it, the whole thing is damned peculiar, and not in an "oh, well, things happen!" kind of way. Like, who flies formation with an aircraft they can't really see and thinks "Ah, should be fine!"? Even I wouldn't do that!
 
I havnt seen this mentioned on this site so far, but to me it falls apart when the jumpers climb on the the wing. I fly jumpers occasionally, and having three divers hanging out there adds considerable weight on a 182. If one isn't prepared, it will certainly cause the airplane to go right, as well as lose altitude.
 
It doesn't help that the lower/forward aircraft was basically in the trailing aircraft's blind spot the entire sequence.
 
No, it doesn't.
He meant drag... but ya, it's not much.

The low airplane should have been in trail on the lead's left, enough that he could see the other one in his windscreen and not in the blind spot of the wing.
 
It seemed to me that they were both set on unloading on the right side (maybe the only way they could). In that scenario, I can see putting the more experienced pilot in the trail position and having him fly above the lead since that gives (slightly) better visibility than having the lead sitting in the trail's wing. Any way you look at it, though, flying in formation with someone you can't see is mostly on the trail pilot for failing to say "no, thanks" and breaking off once he lost sight of the lead, imho (remember, though, that I'm not a Trained Formation Pilot <tm>). Any way you look at it, the whole thing is damned peculiar, and not in an "oh, well, things happen!" kind of way. Like, who flies formation with an aircraft they can't really see and thinks "Ah, should be fine!"? Even I wouldn't do that!

I have only ever seen the video footage and have not read anything about the incident (other than the initial news reports.) On first view I assumed that they must have been flying in formation but based on the way the aircraft collide it seems that both aircraft were in each others blind spots? I agree with you though. Why not break off the formation once you've lost sight? Seems like something that's normally briefed before a formation is flown...
 
Sorry.. Late on a Saturday night and I worded my post wrong. It adds drag, it's not that much but let's say it was a newer pilot and didn't correct enough it would cause the airplane to drift right.

Obviously there are a handful of other critical errors here
 
I have flown jumpers in 182s and done that exact formation before, with up to 4 planes. It takes extreme concentration to fly the trail positions. When the jumpers climb out, it does create drag. If you don't compensate, you can slow down and even stall.

I have flown many an hour with skydivers and even have over 5 hours of free fall time myself. In fact, that is how I paid for my private, with money I earned as a skydiving instructor. I have a few ideas about what went wrong, but will just save them for now. And per FAR 105, all occupants of a plane engaged in parachuting activities is required to wear a rig, even Wuffos.
 
And per FAR 105, all occupants of a plane engaged in parachuting activities is required to wear a rig, even Wuffos.

Are you sure about that? I was always told the requirement to wear a rig was part of the door STC on the 182, not per FAR 105. Plus on the way up, tandem students aren't wearing parachutes, just a harness.
 
Are you sure about that? I was always told the requirement to wear a rig was part of the door STC on the 182, not per FAR 105. Plus on the way up, tandem students aren't wearing parachutes, just a harness.
Different gear but same topic, what's the regs say about skydivers and seat belts? There's a reg that states that seat belts need to be used during taxi, takeoff, and landing. How do skydivers get away with sitting on the floor?
 
Back
Top