Walt Longmire Posted May 14, 2019 Share Posted May 14, 2019 Reports of a DE Haviland Beaver and Otter both down near each other in the water in S.E. Alaska. 16 on board, 10 accounted for. Details coming in. Probably sight seeing planes. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pipedreams Posted May 14, 2019 Share Posted May 14, 2019 Just saw this on Fox. At least 6 missing after 2 Alaska floatplanes carrying cruise passengers collide in mid-air, officials say "Six people were unaccounted for Monday and 10 others were injured after two floatplanes carrying cruise passengers taking part in shore excursions collided in mid-air over Southeast Alaska, officials said." https://www.foxnews.com/us/alaska-floatplanes-down-coast-guard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tadbart Posted May 14, 2019 Share Posted May 14, 2019 Dammit. I hate to hear it. I've been in an Alaskan beaver, and lusted after an Otter. Godspeed to the survivors, the missing, and the SAR crews. This is a sad day. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Czervik Posted May 14, 2019 Share Posted May 14, 2019 Damn, sometimes "see, steer, and avoid" just doesn't happen as required. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Huaco Kid Posted May 14, 2019 Share Posted May 14, 2019 2 minutes ago, Al Czervik said: Damn, sometimes "see, steer, and avoid" just doesn't happen as required. Probably both chasing the same pod of whales. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Huaco Kid Posted May 14, 2019 Share Posted May 14, 2019 I don't know what the water temp is this time of year, but I'll guess that your life expectancy is about 45 seconds, after you dunk. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Huaco Kid Posted May 14, 2019 Share Posted May 14, 2019 I've landed in ice water before. I've read that if you just relax for a bit, your breathing will come back. I don't know. I never made it that long. I got out from shear panic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walt Longmire Posted May 14, 2019 Author Share Posted May 14, 2019 Most passengers are focused on watching for critters or checking out the view. When the pilots do it also, this is the result. I know several people that have died in mid air collisions. I spent lots of time riding in choppers to and from the oil platforms. The pilots liked to put me in the copilot seat because they knew I would be on high alert for 'enemy' aircraft. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tadbart Posted May 14, 2019 Share Posted May 14, 2019 Those views are unmatchable. I can see how even if someone sees it every day, it could still be distracting to the performance of vital tasks, like flying a plane. Also, you just about can't take a small plane flight in Alaska without seeing a crash site of some other small plane. Quite a few have augered into the side of a mountain due to sudden changes in visibility. Isn't there a saying about Alaskan pilots? If you haven't crashed yet, you will. Taking a ride in a Beaver on floats in Alaska convinced me that I was destined to be a private pilot. Returning home, and actually sitting behind the yoke, in clear skies, over flat ground, in comparatively safe and boring circumstances, returned me to my senses. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deputy tom Posted May 14, 2019 Share Posted May 14, 2019 Prayers sent for all involved. tom. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walt Longmire Posted May 14, 2019 Author Share Posted May 14, 2019 In the late 90's my brother and I knew a guy that held tables at many of the same gun shows we participated in. Handsome fellow in his prime years. Flew for a lodge during the summer. Fateful trip, he had a plane full of paying customers. Otter or Beaver, I don't remember which. Flying over a river when a Cub comes up underneath his plane. Prop chews up the underside of his plane. Both go down and all perish. Very remote area. It happens all too often up here. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OwlsNest465 Posted May 14, 2019 Share Posted May 14, 2019 Being a midair, I'm shocked anyone lived. Perhaps one of the aircraft was damaged, but flyable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walt Longmire Posted May 14, 2019 Author Share Posted May 14, 2019 2 minutes ago, OwlsNest465 said: Being a midair, I'm shocked anyone lived. Perhaps one of the aircraft was damaged, but flyable. Couldn't have been very 'flyable' since both crashed onto the water. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OwlsNest465 Posted May 14, 2019 Share Posted May 14, 2019 2 minutes ago, Walt Longmire said: Couldn't have been very 'flyable' since both crashed onto the water. I just went back and read the article, and searched and while there are no specifics that I can find... I'd bet money you're wrong. One plane actually crashed into the water, and every occupant was killed. 10 out of 11 people don't live in the other plane if it actually crashes into the water. Humans don't survive that sort of impact. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walt Longmire Posted May 14, 2019 Author Share Posted May 14, 2019 7 minutes ago, OwlsNest465 said: I just went back and read the article, and searched and while there are no specifics that I can find... I'd bet money you're wrong. One plane actually crashed into the water, and every occupant was killed. 10 out of 11 people don't live in the other plane if it actually crashes into the water. Humans don't survive that sort of impact. I guess you haven't lived in Alaska and been aware of very many plane crashes. Yeah if they screw on into the ground, no one is walking away. But a controlled crash into the water is another story. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walt Longmire Posted May 14, 2019 Author Share Posted May 14, 2019 The Beaver crashed on rocky shoreline partially submerged. The Otter crashed a mile away in the water. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OwlsNest465 Posted May 14, 2019 Share Posted May 14, 2019 35 minutes ago, Walt Longmire said: I guess you haven't lived in Alaska and been aware of very many plane crashes. Yeah if they screw on into the ground, no one is walking away. But a controlled crash into the water is another story. A controlled "crash" into the water is exactly what I meant. Which is why I said "damaged, but flyable." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tadbart Posted May 15, 2019 Share Posted May 15, 2019 Folks who got to see indescribable grandeur and beauty have died. Two iconic Alaskan planes have been lost. Likely, some nasty chemicals were spilled. Any way you slice it, the story sucks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walt Longmire Posted May 15, 2019 Author Share Posted May 15, 2019 Sounds like the Otter came down on top of the Beaver. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willie-pete Posted May 15, 2019 Share Posted May 15, 2019 Like one landing on top of the other taking off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walt Longmire Posted May 15, 2019 Author Share Posted May 15, 2019 2 hours ago, willie-pete said: Like one landing on top of the other taking off. They were both sight seeing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK_Stick Posted May 15, 2019 Share Posted May 15, 2019 2 hours ago, willie-pete said: Like one landing on top of the other taking off. Prolly. Or the Otter was landing and the beaver accelerated into the path of the Otter, as you have extremely limited visibility below and behind you, so a plane accelerating can stay in your blind spot or move into it without your ability to see it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tadbart Posted May 16, 2019 Share Posted May 16, 2019 Kinda hard to understand why these commercial planes aren't fitted with a TCAS system. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walt Longmire Posted May 16, 2019 Author Share Posted May 16, 2019 Injuries from the Otter included broken bones, lacerations, and life threatening injuries. Everyone in the Beaver was deceased. Both planes were headed in almost the same direction at 3000'. The Otter descended onto the Beaver. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zonny Posted May 16, 2019 Share Posted May 16, 2019 Princess Cruise passengers on an excursion I heard. Tragic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now