Fatal taylorcraft accident??...

[crispy critter]

Did anyone hear about a Taylorcrft crash in Michigan a few days ago. I was told the guy was Jerry zerby(or something like that). Also told he was in his 80's and had been doing instruction in his taylorcraft for many years. I wish I had more details but that's all I really know except that he had a 20 year old student who also passed in the accident.

This info was given to me by a gentleman who called me interested in an airplane I have for sale, never met him but he seems to be a pretty straight up guy.

[M Towsley]

Re: Fatal taylorcraft accident??...

http://www.sanluisobispo.com/2013/07/18/2587837/ntsb-to-give-details-on-fatal.html

http://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=157651

[dejh22]

Re: Fatal taylorcraft accident??...

It was N36466. http://eaa77.weebly.com/flying-club.html

[Robert Lees]

Re: Fatal taylorcraft accident??...

Oh dear.

81 yrs old, and still instructing?

[crispy critter]

Re: Fatal taylorcraft accident??...

If I'm not mistaken, he was a pretty well known guy with the EAA and had an airport and/or EAA hanger named after him....that's what the guy told me.

[cvavon]

Re: Fatal taylorcraft accident??...

Face book has video of plane tore up real bad, very sad.Here is link to video


http://www.wnem.com/video?clipId=9106931&autostart=true

[crispy critter]

Re: Fatal taylorcraft accident??...

It appears the engine was not running at impact. I noticed a quick picture of the prop and didn't see any indication of rotation damage.....carb ice maybe?

[Nefj40]

Re: Fatal taylorcraft accident??...

It appears the engine was not running at impact. I noticed a quick picture of the prop and didn't see any indication of rotation damage.....carb ice maybe?

You've probably forgotten more about flying than I'll ever know, but I doubt it was carb ice.

[vetdrem]

Re: Fatal taylorcraft accident??...

After listening to the NTSB investigator in the video, I would lean toward "base to final stall/spin"

Louie

[Hank Jarrett]

Re: Fatal taylorcraft accident??...

Yea, but from the looks of that prop it was not turning when they hit. The rest is a real mess. Not going to be easy to find airframe problems from the wreckage. A Taylorcraft will keep you alive if you can make a controlled impact in most cases. Trying to second guess what happened is counter productive at this point. From much experience doing crash investigations, whatever you hear from the media will be wrong. These things are hard to take.
Hank

[crispy critter]

Re: Fatal taylorcraft accident??...

Just by looking at the prop I find it hard to make myself believe the engine was running. Not sure why it wouldn't be but could've been a stall/spin or tree impact trying to make it back to the runway. As badly as its damaged we may never know.

[Ragwing nut]

Re: Fatal taylorcraft accident??...

if you watch the video they state near vertical impact and one wing more damaged than the other, clear case of stall/spin accident, but anyones guess as to what caused it.

[Marv]

Re: Fatal taylorcraft accident??...

I would guess the instructor pulled the throttle back pretending engine failure,so the student could practice making the runway and the engine actualy died. The stall spin, i would say is right on. Just a guess. Marv

[crispy critter]

Re: Fatal taylorcraft accident??...

Without actually being able to see the airplane in person and the location of the accident it is just that....a guess. The only people who know for sure, sadly, are no longer with us. Let's just hope the investigators can find a cause in hopes to give the families a little more closure.

God bless to those lost and their families. May you have beautiful warm sunsets and smooth tailwinds all the way on your long trip west.

[jim cooper]

Re: Fatal taylorcraft accident??...

I think the above inputs are indeed productive. Other pilots views of accidents make one think a little! Stall spin seems a good input and age of the instructor should be highlighted. In this case the golden rule of landing, that being making the runway from anywhere in the pattern was apparently not observed.( they didn't make it.) Also possible the aged instructor passed out and fell against the controls. Having flown light aircraft for 60 years ,I think they will ALL get you to the ground intact in most cases unless something happens at low altitude then you have to very lucky as well as skilled. After age 70, I never carried a passenger thinking that if something happened to me, I would only kill myself. One thing is for sure, a T Craft is a pretty simple airplane to fly and one must really work to screw up a landing, illness not withstanding.