Oshkosh Tragedy

[Matt Chapman]

a lot of people tell me what I do is pretty dangerous. True. That said, the most dangerous thing about performing at Oshkosh is getting in and out before and after the show and getting to and from the hangers. They do an amazing job of getting all those planes in and out and up and down all week. Controllers can only do so much, the rest is up to the pilot to do the right thing and be VERY aware of what is going on around you. This is the highest pressure a pilot will experiance in his life, landing at OSH. # 1 rule...ALWAYS FLY YOUR PLANE 1st! everything else is second.
Very sad to see this stuff. It really takes away from the worlds greatest avaition event.
everyone out there be safe!

[Hambone]

this is not the first incident at oshkosh.... i remeber when i was there one year two planes collided one taking off and one taxing back...... it is dangerous if you don't pay attention...which is very easy to do when you are at a major event like that one.... prayers go out to the families....

[cloudshaker]

	Quote: Originally Posted by Matt Chapman
	a lot of people tell me what I do is pretty dangerous. True. That said, the most dangerous thing about performing at Oshkosh is getting in and out before and after the show and getting to and from the hangers. They do an amazing job of getting all those planes in and out and up and down all week. Controllers can only do so much, the rest is up to the pilot to do the right thing and be VERY aware of what is going on around you. This is the highest pressure a pilot will experiance in his life, landing at OSH. # 1 rule...ALWAYS FLY YOUR PLANE 1st! everything else is second. Very sad to see this stuff. It really takes away from the worlds greatest avaition event. everyone out there be safe!

Well said Matt,
I am only R/C and have no idea of the pressures of full scale, I had suggested a larger manditory taxing distance between aircraft without knowledge of airfield operations , but you are correct in the fact that it would still come down to the individual pilot to assure safe operation of his aircraft. I think the same is true in R/C but the consequences can be much greater in full scale operation. I love the full scale airshows, thats what led me eventually to R/C. I think overall if you look at the history, Full scale pilots do a phenominal job at safety. It is sad when this happens but it serves to remind others the importance of staying on guard, and maybe brings safety forefront in the minds of all pilots. At least thats what I hope and a tragedy such as this may help to save others in the long run. Thanks for all you do .

[Ben Diss]

This is why I don't go to OSH anymore. One year a flying acquaintance died when he wrecked his Glassair. A couple years later I was front and center for the Corsair vs. Bearcat fiasco. Caught that hold tragedy frame-by-frame. That was the last time I made the trip.

-Ben

[Toro]

Its a shame, and a tragedy that there is a consistancy in loss of life at the event. Looking at it from a 3rd person would say some safety issues need to be looked at and re-vamped. When you get that many different types of airplanes together there is bound to be different levels of experience, and one must know his own limits. I feel for the aviation community, and the families that have experienced this. I know from being a full scale pilot also, that it is SOOO easy to get distracted when you see something that is just plain bitchen, and a lapse of attention for even a second can spell disaster as in the case above.

thoughts to the family for their loss, but as they say "the show must go on"

T

[teryn]

it was an accident. you are never going to make it perfectly safe. There is about as much danger at Oshkosh as there is walking down the street. To think you are going to make it any safer is ridiculous. Sitting there putting more and more restrictions and rules on people is not the answer. People that go to Oshkosh know that they are at some slight risk (much less than driving a car) and need to accept that before going.

[scotte]

I am very sorry to hear about such an unfortunate event. I am an aircraft maintainence instructor in the Air Force, and while I don't know much about airfield ops, I do know a think or two about flightline/taxiway safety. I work primairly on large aircraft (B-1B) and can say (from expierence) that you MUST stay AT LEAST 200 ft to the rear of an operating turbine engine. In the Air Force this is considered absolute, no matter if you are in a vehicle or not. I do not know what the following distance regulations are for civil aircraft, but would like to think that 200 ft would be a nice round number to shoot for.

On the other hand, how many other venues are there where soo many civil, and military aircraft are in such proximity to each other. I have never been to OSHKOSH, but from what I hear, there really isn't much "breathing room" to begin with. I agree completely with Mr. Chapman in that pilots are responsible for manuvering their aircraft, both in the air and on the ground, however I also agree that this is a very unfortunate accident. We could sit here and debate right and wrong, add or take away restrictions, but in the end it will always be the pilot's responsibility to have situational awareness. I really hate that this happened, it is never a good thing to have to learn from accidents like this, but lessons learned here WILL definately save lives in the future. Tragic would be the word to describe this.

SSgt Scott Eidson

[Toro]

Teryn,

HOW U Been ? ? ? I do believe that OSHKOSH is safe. I also believe that for every accident there is a chain of events that eventually link together and cause something to happen. I dont believe more rules is the answer.... I do believe though that examination of procedures, and perhaps re-structure of policy could be in order. We can what if, you should have, I would have, this subject until the cows come home... The bottom line is there are people a whole lot smarter than I who are definately going to be looking at, and examining all the events that lead up to this, and will eventually come to a conclusion that ultimately will make it just that much safer...

TERYN !!!! YOU BETTER BE ENTERING THE VID CONTEST.... I'll see you @ the shootout !!

[teryn]

	Quote:
	TERYN !!!! YOU BETTER BE ENTERING THE VID CONTEST.... I'll see you @ the shootout !!

Toro, I'm doing well...I'm ready for the Shootout....I'll have time to hang out this year and have the electrics ready for the aftershow activities...Looking forward to it!

[mrhp]

dangerous?.........like the choke sw.? lol

[OverTemp]

Props are dangerous things... I'm a military pilot and I'm always spinning 4 x 13.5', 1,100 lbs props at 1,021 RPM... they'll do some serious damage. No offense to any Army guys on here, but one of our biggest worries is a grunt walking right through one (even though the bottoms are 6-6.5' off the ground, it has happened). We have to maintain strict control of the area around the aircraft to prevent tragedy.

That being said, one of our biggest dangers in an emergency is getting run over by the fire vehicles that come out to help us Just can't win.

[Spocky]

I have seen first hand a Extra 300 taxi into 'Air Marshalls' car at our local Avalon Airshow. One of the scariest things i have ever seen, the three blade prop simply peeled the roof off the car.
Amazing nobody was killed, simple lack of communication at a major Airshow complex.

Didnt seem to be the pilots fault, he cant see the first 50 metres in front of the plane and the 'Air Marshall' must have thought he could beat the plane across the taxiway.