"it Just Fell Out Of The Sky"

[thesidekickcat]

This may have been on the national news, but here is the local news on the airplane that crashed into a house shortly after takeoff from local airshow on it's way home to California. It was fully loaded with fuel for the trip, so burned the house it landed on completey, and also at least three neighboring houses were partially burned too and what is left of them is drenched in jet fuel. Thankfully there was no one on the ground injured although alot of scared neighbors. The lady that owned the house the plane usually was in the house as she even worked from home and said very possibly she would have been in an upstairs office working on computer. But, and this part is so amazing, she had gone on a garden tour with friends and was just coming home when she saw dark smoke billowing up from her area. WOW!

From the news accounts it appears the pilot may have been trying to reach a small field past the houses but didn't make it. The photos of it taking off showed trouble almost immediately.

It was near the end of a two day airshow, about 4:25 pm Sunday. So as it all sunk in that the pilot wasn't doing stunts and then when everyone saw the smoke and by then knew it was a bad ending for the 73 year old pilot, the airshow folks closed things down early.

So here's the Oregonian main page, with several stories and a photo gallery. Unfortunately it will be off the main page soon and if possible I'll try to come back with better links later. But this is a start.

Oregonian main page with lead stories of jet crash leaving airshow for home

I have been trying to bring up the only local tv channel site that doesn't require login to view stuff, but it is being overwhelmed with people trying to view the pictures and hear the 911 calls etc.

So here is the Katu 2 main website to try later to bring up the story and pictures.

Katu Ch 2 tv Portland Oregon

The good news is that only the pilot died, and that he died flying which was his lifelong passion, but oh how he must have worried the last few moments when he knew he wouldn't miss the houses. As one reporter said, he could have bailed out early but was trying to maneuver to a field where he wouldn't hit people. He couldn't go back to airshow with the crowd there, he had lots of houses and businesses, even some box stores and a mall, let alone one of the Intel campuses is nearby, all to avoid. So he gave his life trying to make it to a small field. And he was well trained in that plane, having been an flight instructor for it and others, plus many many hours of flying, and it was his own plane so knew it's capabilities well.

May God rest his soul. And prayers for his family and friends. And for the survivors of crash, and for all who saw it.

Pat

God bless everyone

Edited July 18, 2006 by thesidekickcat

[JDoors]

If someone HAS to put down in a residential/commercial area, it couldn't have gone much better than that (except for the pilot of course). He was 73? Wow.

[Bubba Bob]

It's amazing no on was home. Any indication of the cause of the crash?

[thesidekickcat]

All I have heard is that the preliminary report could come by end of week, but final one will be months away. Complicating matters is the fact of no "black box" in this plane, as is required for commercial and current military planes, that would help determine what went wrong. Today they are removing the wreckage to take it to a secure hangar for officials to piece together to see if they can find any clues.

Finally I was able to bring up the Katu Ch 2 website just a few minutes ago. Have tried repeatedly last night and earlier today but just overloaded servers I guess.

So here is the story from yesterday.

Katu Ch 2 News Plane Crash story

Here is the story from Sunday with a picture of pilot shortly before he took off.

Katu Ch2 Sunday news of plane crash with pic of pilot in plane before takeoff

And an earlier story...

Katu Ch 2 airplane crash

Sure am glad it did so little damage compared to what could have happened, and that no one injured on the ground. Sure am glad it didn't hit either of the nearby Intel campuses, we have enough to worry about just with current job cuts of alot of managers and a possible/probable general layoff in immediate future for Intel without a plane crash wiping out the plants themselves!!!

Pat

God bless everyone