Superstitions (PHX) Plane Crash

Why would anyone fly an unpublished arc (You can do anything while VFR, but that doesn't make it safe) over unfamiliar terrain at night ? Sounds like a recipe for disaster if you ask me....

Uh, it is, doesn't just sound like it.

Out west, you gain a new appreciation for published terminal routes.
 
Very sad, especially when you hear there were kids on board. Looks like they were only maybe 30 feet below the peak. makes it that much worse. OCA's guys, they are on every sector of your sectional charts, follow them and be safe.
 
I have a 5 year old 396 in my panel that has a fit when terrain is near. My friends always ask why I don't disable Bitching Betty, this thread is the answer.

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But does any of that really matter when your wings are made of wood?

I kid, I kid :cwm27:
 
Very sad, especially when you hear there were kids on board. Looks like they were only maybe 30 feet below the peak. makes it that much worse. OCA's guys, they are on every sector of your sectional charts, follow them and be safe.
I'm betting it'll turn out to be something completely avoidable. Possibly misread his altitude or maybe was just farther a long than he thought. Bad night for that to happen as there was no moon and it was pitch black. The only reason we could even see any of the mountain was because of the fire.
 
I'm betting it'll turn out to be something completely avoidable. Possibly misread his altitude or maybe was just farther a long than he thought. Bad night for that to happen as there was no moon and it was pitch black. The only reason we could even see any of the mountain was because of the fire.

My altitude was off by about 800-feet on two trips I made a year ago because the altimeter was bad. I just assumed it was a transponder issue and kept flying while stopping alt squawk per ATC's request. Never once occurred to me that the altimeter could be off since it checked out on the ground. Scary - thank god its flat where I live.
 
Wreckage is pretty well destroyed with how it hit the mountain, and burnt out now. Apparently, as the news reports said, the pilot and two others went to KFFZ to pick up 3 children to take to KSAD for Thanksgiving. The pilot is apparently the father of the three children and his ex-wife lived in the Mesa area. She had just dropped their three kids off at the airport, and 10 or so minutes later, they're gone. Sad.
 
This news story breaks my heart. Nearly a whole family gone just like that. I couldn't even begin to imagine what the poor mother is going through.
 
Uh, it is, doesn't just sound like it.

Out west, you gain a new appreciation for published terminal routes.

I know first hand. I won't fly VFR at night around here (away from the home airport) unless I'm at or above min. IFR alts among a few other things, but overall, IFR on published altitudes/ routes is cheap insurance.
 
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