BajaNomad

Small plane makes emergency crash landing at Playa Naranjos

Pompano - 3-11-2011 at 02:06 PM

This happened a few days ago on the straight, but bumpy road into Playa Naranjos.

I was coming back from the Mulege Chili Contest last Sunday and had been told by a witness about this crash event, so stopped by to take a few photos.

The military was already in attendance, as you can see.

I am told by an eye witness that the plane had two passengers..a man and wife..and both escaped any serious injury in this mishap. Luckily they were wearing seatbelts..as they ended up Upside-Down in their wrecked plane.

I was told by the eyewitness that the plane had left the Serinadad strip and was enroute to Loreto before returning to home base in Pheonix, Arizona.

The couple has since returned to their home in Pheonix. A very scary event for them, I am sure. We are all glad they made it through what could have been a deadly and tragic event.


















I have heard many different stories on how this accident happened, but, of course, do not have any way to confirm the facts...so I will not state any. I prefer to not get into rumor or unconfirmed statements.

Just glad to report the folks in the plane are okay ...and home.

[Edited on 3-12-2011 by BajaNomad]

Frank - 3-11-2011 at 02:23 PM

Hard to believe they walked/limped away from that kind of wreckage. Thanks for the on the spot reporting.

capt. mike - 3-11-2011 at 02:45 PM

happened to one of the 35 birds attending the BPI raid on mulege for whales 2011 last weekend.
it's on the BPI board too.

ouch...
plastic planes.

mtgoat666 - 3-11-2011 at 02:48 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by capt. mike
happened to one of the 35 birds attending the BPI raid on mulege for whales 2011 last weekend.
it's on the BPI board too.

ouch...
plastic planes.


ouch is right. that is a spendy little turbo prop. hope they had insurance.
what was cause?

BajaRat - 3-11-2011 at 03:07 PM

c-ckpit looks good. TG

LancairDriver - 3-11-2011 at 05:41 PM

I spoke with the pilot and his wife right after the accident. He lost power at about 1,000ft so had very little time to do anything. I had also spent an hour or so discussing Lancair Aircraft as I have one identical to his and we discussed unique handling characteristics. He did a very good job with the situation he had to work with. The airplane lands fast on a paved strip and the rough road and berm he hit had as good an outcome as could possibly be expected. The carbon fiber construction is what saved them from injury. He said he had to de-pressurize the cabin while hanging upside down,so tearing off the wing took most of the energy of the crash. All in all they were the luckiest unlucky couple in Baja that day.

Pompano - 3-11-2011 at 06:00 PM

Thanks LandcairDriver...I was hoping you would chime in with what that first-hand information. I didn't want to state the information second-hand...even coming from you.

Good to talk to you. Safe flying to you.

Hook - 3-11-2011 at 06:53 PM

Very strange how the numbers on both sides appear to have been altered. Was that from the crash? Seems like a Photoshop job in the photos.

N number

bajaguy - 3-11-2011 at 07:11 PM

Intentionally blurred by the poster so you can't run the number through the FAA public database and discover the acft owner.............

Pressurized ?

O.G. - 3-11-2011 at 08:29 PM

He was already pressurized at 1000 ft AGL? I think his door jammed shut from the accident. This happened to me about 5 years ago.
Quote:
Originally posted by LancairDriver
I spoke with the pilot and his wife right after the accident. He lost power at about 1,000ft so had very little time to do anything. I had also spent an hour or so discussing Lancair Aircraft as I have one identical to his and we discussed unique handling characteristics. He did a very good job with the situation he had to work with. The airplane lands fast on a paved strip and the rough road and berm he hit had as good an outcome as could possibly be expected. The carbon fiber construction is what saved them from injury. He said he had to de-pressurize the cabin while hanging upside down,so tearing off the wing took most of the energy of the crash. All in all they were the luckiest unlucky couple in Baja that day.
:

Pompano - 3-11-2011 at 09:19 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Hook
Very strange how the numbers on both sides appear to have been altered. Was that from the crash? Seems like a Photoshop job in the photos.



Not strange at all, Paul. I deliberately obscurred the numbers for just the reason bajaguy posted. Not Photoshopped at all...but Picasa-enhanced for better clariity and detail...at least for me.

[Edited on 3-12-2011 by Pompano]

BajaBlanca - 3-11-2011 at 09:39 PM

so lucky to survive .... bet they are counting their blessings !!

i believe i know why but will not speculate

capt. mike - 3-12-2011 at 07:51 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by mtgoat666
Quote:
Originally posted by capt. mike
happened to one of the 35 birds attending the BPI raid on mulege for whales 2011 last weekend.
it's on the BPI board too.

ouch...
plastic planes.


ouch is right. that is a spendy little turbo prop. hope they had insurance.
what was cause?


here - the DGAC will issue the report later - i have some 1st responder info that makes 100% sense.

i do have some strong opinions on this one though.

mtgoat666 - 3-12-2011 at 09:12 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by capt. mike
Quote:
Originally posted by mtgoat666
Quote:
Originally posted by capt. mike
happened to one of the 35 birds attending the BPI raid on mulege for whales 2011 last weekend.
it's on the BPI board too.

ouch...
plastic planes.


ouch is right. that is a spendy little turbo prop. hope they had insurance.
what was cause?


here - the DGAC will issue the report later - i have some 1st responder info that makes 100% sense.

i do have some strong opinions on this one though.


if you squint you can see plane number is 419. that info plugged to google seems to indicate the owner recently bought plane, and just week before had it repainted. probably mechanical problem from paint shop, or new-pilot error.

mtgoat666 - 3-12-2011 at 09:54 AM

here is the story off another website. sounds like it was new plane for the pilot, plane with new paint job, plane with recent build or rebuild. also, doesn't look like a very good plane for unpaved airstrips.

--------------

I'm sorry to say my new friends that N419DC never made it past her first week...
She was totally destroyed in a forced landing in Mexico on March 7, 2011.....

The good news is the owner 'Dan C.' (of the 419DC) and his wife Joyce, both very good friends of mine escaped injury. (Dan might have a broken rotator cuff, but only time will tell). They live fairly close to the Mexico border and shot down to Baja on a shakedown cruise. Dan had been flying 419DC all last week on familiarization and took Joyce down to 'see the whales' on her first trip in the new plane. (They moved up from a Columbia.)
On the way back, while over water, suddenly something made a loud noise in the engine compartment and the engine started losing power. Dan went through the checklists while Joyce radioed a mayday....(they had other aircraft traveling with them)......Dan made it to shore and set down on a very rural dirt road in the desert but a wing caught a large berm and the ship cartwheeled to a landing upside down. Locals helped pry the door open and Dan and Joyce tumbled out.

I have to say I saw the ship on the day it was delivered a couple weeks ago and it was the most fantastic paint job I have ever seen....in fact it was the most beautiful aircraft I had ever seen.......I was so awed by it I forgot to take photos!
Oh Well!..............TG Dan and Joyce are OK, I credit a solid airship and Dans skill (and Joyce's calmness) with saving their lives.....

capt. mike - 3-12-2011 at 09:59 AM

the pressure vessel is engine driven and constantly compensates as you climb and descend.

he was making sea level pressure at 1000 ft AGL so when his engine quit the craft stayed at 1000' cabin altitude once on the ground thereby making a pressure imbalance on the doors.

George can clarify this if i have it wrong.

i guess there is no bleed valve separate from the engine?
if you're cruising in the flight levels and lose power you would want to keep some pressure so you didn't get hypoxic early on. i'd think.
never flown with pressure system except as a passenger in a 414.

very lucky folks

capt. mike - 3-12-2011 at 10:08 AM

one in a million.

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