Be safe everybody, it can happen to the best

I while ago, I posted info about a Mountain flying clinic we were having in Townsend. It was a great weekend.....until link

The Mountain flying guru himself, Sparky Imeson. I had just met him and his wife the night before, then was drinking coffee with him earlier Sunday. I wasn't scheduled to fly with him, but my buddy was. We started looking for them yesterday afternoon.

We were shocked, then amazed.

Do you know what happened?

The link doesn't give the cause of the crash.

Frank

GPS enabled PLB (406 MHz) ...

Would have provided near instant location info to rescuers.

I will speculate that the reason the article doesn't state the cause is because the reporter has integrity and is waiting to find out the truth.

but I will say, they were partaking in a Mountain Flying safety seminar. They were in J.C.'s Husky. Sparky Imeson was the instructor. They left before lunch, for an hour or so flight. but could be up to 2 hrs. 3 hours past, we knew something was out of the ordinary. Last time they were seen was when they lifted off the grass strip. I was in the Citabria,when they departed. Weather at Townsend was perfect, but HOT. 88*F, calm, vis~100miles, a few clouds building over the mountains.

the plane was burnt, but looked like they pancaked in. The rest is speculation at this point. I'm sure we will get the real info soon. Sparky's wife is/was staying with my good friend at the airport.

ronlee said:

Would have provided near instant location info to rescuers.

Click to expand...

And from what I understand he had one. Don't know if it was damaged in the wreck or what.

Survived!

Update:

http://www.helenair.com/articles/2007/06/04/helena_top/000aanewplane.txt

Survival

catmandu said:

Survived!

Update:

http://www.helenair.com/articles/2007/06/04/helena_top/000aanewplane.txt

Click to expand...

That's the kind of news I like to read! Fantastic! I hope they have a full and speedy recovery from their injuries.

More info, we can all learn from

I just got home from the hospital after a real short visit with J.C., who was the pilot of the downed plane here on Sunday. Here is the unofficial version of some of the errors made and some of the things that helped them survive. J.C. is still on morphine with lots of injuries, so this is all subject to change.

at a little after 1000, J.C. and Sparky briefed their training flight. Sparky had just come back from a flight with a different pilot. Conditions were ideal, CAVU & calm. He removed his survival vest. J.C. thought about his vest and helmet he usually wears while mountain flying, but discounted putting it on(it was within reach if he needed it).
They took off from the grass strip around 1030. A few minutes later he transmitted in the blind(no one received) that they were heading west of Canyon Ferry lake into the Elkhorn Mountains. He wanted to know more about canyon flying and thermals, so they turned toward Beaver Creek drainage. They had flown up 1 drainage, with a slight downdraft, as they got deeper, they turned across and flew out riding the opposite updraft. Next they proceeded to fly up the next drainage. The conditons seemed the same very slight downdraft towards the head of the canyon. J.C. said they made a normal lowspeed turn to the opposite side, ready to ride the updraft out of the canyon, (remember they are low and slow). the next thing he knew they were in a severe downdraft, it instantly stalled the plane. He nosed forward to fly the plane and knew they were going to impact the steep rocky terrain, as they would not be flying out of the draft. He had no time to pick a spot, it pick them. He kept the plane straight at impact and flew it until it stopped. He knew they hit hard and was amazed they were alive. His BAS harness had saved him, dazed he realized his foot was getting hot....FIRE! They managed to get clear of the plane, broke backs, head injury for Sparky, broken leg & sternum for J.C. The fire consumed the plane and every piece of survival gear in <20 minutes. Time is now ~1130

Surviving

now to survive
after ~45minutes, Sparky decided he was well enough to try to walk out, they were <6miles to a small town. J.C. tried to convince him to stay near the crash site. J.C. kept a journal noteing the time. At 1645 the first plane searching for them flew overhead. He struggled to stand in order to signal the plane, it flew on. He figures maybe he should get closer to the wreckage. This is when he realizes the plane is no longer blue and white, but burnt to a crisp. They had gone down in the new growth of an old forest fire. Lots of charred logs among the new green. The planes could not see him. In order to be seen, He made the decision to stand up incase a plane came back soon. 4-5 planes made passes almost directly over him that evening.

All they had gotten out if the plane was what he was wearing.... jeans and a tshirt. Luckily it was one of the nicest nights Montana has had this spring. As the sun, went down it got cold, he gather small bows from the pines to make a bed. The pain was tolerable, but with the broken sternum, he had no strength. He painfully pulled charred rocks from the burn area and clutched them for warmth. The morning brought more planes and helicopters. He said he could hear them flying every canyon.

~0930, after many aircraft and helicopter had flown right over him. A Silver State helicopter from the local training school, noticed something shiney. It had already passed this area earlier, but now the sun angle was such that a piece of the prop/spinner(one of the only unburnt pieces) lit up and caught the attention of the searchers. SAVED!

news link

Weather

Do you know what conditions created a strong enough downdraft to cause this accident?

Montana weather is fickle. Conditions were Hot(80*F), calm, CAVU at the airport(8U8). The morning was absolutely beautiful, they launched about 1030. Around noon, I noticed the cumulus buildup (Bases probably 15K or higher) over the mountains, thinking I'll have a bumpy ride taking the Citabria back to KHLN. The midday heating, coupled with the moisture in the mountains can cause some rapid changes in the immediate area. Then later in the day, as the sun/shade changes, things can get better. The rule is on the ground and tied down by 1100. The area they were had intersecting canyons, this can contribute to the changing and unpredictable conditions.

Neither pilot was from this area. Most local pilots are wary of this area. Sparky was just in that basin <1hrs prior...different conditions. J.C. noted the downdraft was instant and severe. Welcome to the mountains.

very useful info

What is really interesting about this incident is that it helps explain so many other accidents. Flying in the mountains around here I've experienced similar conditions, but thankfully I always had enough altitude to avoid bending anything.

Sparky's class was Great

I took his ground school in Bozeman the Friday before the crash, and he was a super instructor. His instruction was well paced, funny and super informative. I asked him after the class if he would give me instruction in my RV6A when it was done. His eyes lit up and he said "absolutely!" and then went on to relate on how they were a real nice backcountry plane and his experience flying one of his students in his RV6. Now I can say I took a class from the guy who wrote the bible!

I hope he and the other pilot recover completely from this crash.

Hans

road to recovery

They should make a full recovery, but they are pretty banged up. Sparky's laceration above his eyes looks like it took out his eyebrows, plus broken back, toes and I think a tooth or two.
J.C. was looking pretty good when I saw him around noon. He also has broken back, sternum, leg. BUT they are back with us.