Horrible Horrible GA accident in North Carolina Mountains

[Wolfala]

A Columbia 300 crashed in VMC 2 days ago while on approach to Mountain Air Country Club. It bounced and hit a SR-22, tearing the SR-22's engine from its mounts and sending it careening into a Cessna 414. All 3 aircraft exploded, and the 3 passengers of the Columbia 300 were killed.

Kathleen Campbell Freeble, 59, of St. Petersburg, Fla., died along with her husband, Dr. Charles R. Freeble III, also 59, and pilot Dr. Freddy A. Camuzzi, 60, of Largo, Fla.

Camuzzi was a urologist with Florida Urological Institute in St. Petersburg. He is survived by his wife and three children.

Freeble, a cardiologist with St. Anthony’s Hospital in St. Petersburg, and his wife are survived by a daughter.

[VVV]

Wow, that is sad.
Talk about killing 2 birds with one stone.
My condolences to victims families.

[Wolfala]

Email from yesterday.


I believe it was a relatively new member at the club. He was a home owner, traveling with 2 friends. His wife did not fly with him. They may have been just flying in for the day. The owner was a physician and one of the passengers a physician as well.

He landed hot and could not get the plane on the ground, forced it down with such force that he broke off the nose wheel pants. This may have been a hard landing instead but his momentum would suggest that he was way too fast. He then clipped the bank of the runway on the left side and attempted to go round. At this point he lost total control of the plane and slammed into the Cirrus and the 421. His plane ended up as ash. Probably all the resin from the fiberglass. The 421 was still recognizable. There was a Pilatus close by that became scorched and the windows distorted. Clearly he will need some intense scrutiny and replacement of windows before he flies pressurized again.

I landed at Mountain Air a few weeks ago for a lunch fly in with some other COPA members.

I can tell you this airport demands a lot of respect when landing. To fast and you see what can happen, but to slow can also be a problem, a little down draft when to slow on approach can be fatal.

Such a horrible accident, it really makes you think, I hope a lot of pilots read about this accident, I bet it will save more lives in the end than those that were lost. But boy what a price to pay for learning

[Hap]

My Brother-in-law has been flying since 1968.  He's just getting old enough now that passing his physical maybe a problem in the future.

My Sister, his wife, and I talk about air crashes from time to time when they make the news.

Sad news all the way around.

She's quite point blank about pilot error, and the care it takes to fly well and safely.

Condolences,

hap