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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsI just watched a small plane crash in Big Bear Lake!
I didn't actually see it hit the water. My wife and I heard a small plane that just didn't sound right. So we looked out the window and when it went down the lake toward the airport it was VERY low, and slowly descending. It disappeared from our view behind a place on the lake called Eagle Point, and ditched just west of a place called Stanfield Cutoff in very shallow water a few seconds later.
There were three passengers and the pilot on board. Three waded to shore with no injuries, one is being transported to Bear Valley Hospital with a possible head injury but is awake, alert, and ambulatory. Thank Goodness no one was seriously hurt.
Wow.
bluedigger
(17,086 posts)Good to hear they all made it.
gateley
(62,683 posts)Response to cherokeeprogressive (Original post)
devilgrrl This message was self-deleted by its author.
RebelOne
(30,947 posts)I have also had dreams of big commerical planes going down. Very scary.
Response to RebelOne (Reply #5)
devilgrrl This message was self-deleted by its author.
darkangel218
(13,985 posts)I have also developed fear of flying after 9-11
Cleita
(75,480 posts)is okay.
etherealtruth
(22,165 posts)Glad to hear all are OK
GiveMeFreedom
(976 posts)When the pilot and passengers walk away from a landing it is considered a good landing. I agree.
A great landing is ... when you get to use the airplane again. Peace.
Spent 4 years in a P-3 Orion sub hunter, all the landings were great ones!
AnotherDreamWeaver
(2,850 posts)Had some good times...
Major Nikon
(36,827 posts)So I'm told.
I have over 3,000 hours piloting single engine aircraft and so far have always managed to keep the dirty side down.
Poll_Blind
(23,864 posts)...always bad news in triplicate.
PB
Major Nikon
(36,827 posts)You just usually only hear about the ones that do.
Poll_Blind
(23,864 posts)I seem to read about small plane crashes so much....
PB
Major Nikon
(36,827 posts)In the past few years they have had a plane land on a mini-van, and in another incident had a plane land on top of another. Nobody was killed.
http://www.wptv.com/dpp/news/local_news/water_cooler/plane-hits-suv-video-northwest-regional-airport-roanoke-texas-mishap-caught-on-camera
cherokeeprogressive
(24,853 posts)This is from the local newspaper; The Big Bear Grizzly.
It wasn't scary for me, in fact we heard it, watched it, and pretty much figured it was simply someone flying low as if they had friends on the lake in a boat or something. I never imagined it would actually ditch. Later, I called up the community website (socalmountains.com) and in their chatbox were all kinds of alerts about it.
As for the passengers and pilot... the plane was flying slow and level, descending very slowly, and was in a slight nose-up attitude. I believe they call that a high AOA or angle of attack. Here's my guess: The pilot had to be completely in control and calm as it's fairly windy today up here at 7,000 feet and even planes that are operating properly are all over the place on their approach to the airport. I've read it's one of the more "interesting" places to land in Southern California. The approach was very smooth. Hopefully he or she was able to impart some of their own calmness to the passengers and by the time it went into the water had their trust and support and everyone was calm and understood what they needed to do as soon as the plane came to rest.
Kudos to YOU, Mr. or Ms. Pilot. A large amount of GA pilots would have panicked and simply caused their airplanes to fall from the sky.
The plane was out of the water two hours after the incident. Amazing.
AnotherDreamWeaver
(2,850 posts)Major Nikon
(36,827 posts)My first guess would be they might have had engine problems after takeoff and opted for a shallow part of the lake after not being able to make it back to the airport.
PCIntern
(25,539 posts)The approach to the airport (which was right acrows the river)was directly over the campus and I do believe that the most common phrase uttered on campus was "Shit, that plane is LOW!!". We had a few 707s just miss the math sciences tower....and I mean JUST miss, maybe 50 feet, maybe not quite. On edit and the original point of my post which of course I forgot about: I had dreams for years afterwards and when I watched the 9/11 nightmare, I thought to myself that I'd had dreams which resembled this horror unfolding before my eyes.