Page 34 - Volumne 18 Number 5

by David MillerCrashing All Around MeMost of us fly an entire career and never actually see or hear an airplane crash. Once in a while, they happen on the same routes we fly, and maybe even on the same day. But the weekend of February 15th was a record-setter for me. Patty and I departed in our CJ1+ for Gunnison (KGUC) in snowy Colorado. I had delayed the trip by 24 hours, due to ceilings under 4,000 AGL, reported moderate icing, and an unstable air mass and stationary front over the state. It just didn’t feel right. On Friday, we departed with slightly-better Gunnison weather and a good VFR forecast at our alternate, Montrose (KMTJ).En route, at FL 400, with a 90-knot headwind, I constantly checked with Gunnison weather. Light to moderate icing was reported and ceilings remained around 5,000 AGL. Tops were at FL 250 as we descended on the GPS B approach and we accumulated some light ice, even though all our anti-ice and de-ice systems functioned normally. We broke out at about 4,500 AGL and made a good landing on a clear, dry runway 24. As I unloaded the airplane and wiped some ice off the nose, I briefly thought that I would not like to be flying anything much less capable in those conditions.Later, I heard about the crash.Twenty-one miles north of Gunnison, at about the same time I passed the FAF, a Cirrus SR22 pilot decided to declare an emergency, deployed the airplane’s parachute in icing conditions, and crashed. Luckily, the pilot was not injured.Sure, we were flying two very different airplanes. Mine, a multi- engine jet, with lots of power and significant icing protection. His, a single-engine fixed-gear, with more limited systems. But we were both flying in virtually identical weather.When it was time to return home on Sunday, the actual weather was worse than forecast. What I found at the airport was not the 12,000 BKN that I was expecting. Instead, it was 4,200 scattered, 5,000 overcast, with good visibilities but mountain tops obscured by snow showers, and lowering visibilities and ceilings to the southwest towards Telluride, about eighty miles away. In fact, KTEX was reporting 1 1/2 mile visibility in light snow and 1,000 broken as we taxied out. My personal takeoff minimums out of GunnisonWith 5,000-plus hours in his logbook, David Miller has been flying for business and pleasure for more than 40 years. Having owned and flown a variety of aircraft types, from turboprops to midsize jets, Miller, along with his wife Patty, now own and fly a Citation CJ1+. You can contact David at davidmiller1@sbcglobal.net.are 5,000 and five, due to high terrain, a non-radar environment, and a non-controlled airport. I just like to have an option or two if Mother Nature or Murphy’s Law decides to throw me a curve ball.As we took the active, everything was warmed up. Engine, wing, windshield, pitot, and tail deice were all ready for the likely encounter with ice. I assigned Patty the task of watching for accumulation. I briefed the obstacle departure and the hold at Blue Mesa VOR . Both I and the airplane were ready.We were in the soup about a minute after takeoff. Everything worked as planned and we were on top by FL 290. I made a note that the weather towards KTEX didn’t look good. I heard the pilot of a single on the Denver center frequency being admonished to climb back to his assigned altitude and I thought about how uncomfortable I would be in those conditions in a less-capable airplane. We sailed home in 1+36 on the back of an 80-kt tailwind.Then I saw the news. Four minutes after we departed KGUC, a Bonanza with three on board crashed one mile west of KTEX after takeoff, killing all on board.Every airplane and every pilot has strengths and weaknesses. It’s up to us to figure them out.Fly safe.ON FINAL32 • TWIN & TURBINE MAY 2014