RV-6 Crash Concord CA and V-35B Clearwater FL. Crash 5 Feb 2024

[@GetBetterChannel]

I was an instructor at KCCR. He indeed always stayed in the pattern. The traffic controller allowed him to keep very tight turns inside the pattern of other aircraft. At least 30 landings every week and always power idle abeam the number and very early low altitude turns. This airplane just came back from 100 hour/annual inspection. The interesting part-3 days prior to this accident while doing touch n goes his engine got locked. He stopped on the runway and tower offered help. The airplane then went to maintenance but it was on the weekend. Knowing the maintenance guys as they worked with my flight school I am not sure they actually fixed the problem that quickly. Was the problem not fixed? Did he take the airplane regardless? Thousands of hours and over 10,000 landings cutting the power and gliding. Moral of the story-always always always pitch for airspeed first. Misha Tyukin have a video on KZbin from his 3rd solo at this airport with engine failure and a safe glide to the golf course. Remember-just because the engine died doesn’t mean you have to too. I wish well for the family and sorry for their lost.

[@ddegn]

Thanks for the extra information.

[@BAD_CONSUMER]

I don't like speculating on people's misfortune but this sounds like OCD. If there was an issue would be even have been willing to wait for a fix?

[@davidseslar5798]

@@BAD_CONSUMER Yet, here you are - speculating. Bad Commenter, too. 🤨

[@lardyify]

What does ‘engine got locked’ mean? Did it seize? On approach; on roll out? If you have info, please annunciate it clearly using standard terminology.

[@Mr59Kenzo]

guess he did like playing golf

[@nigelellis4793]

I fly at KCCR and this guy was dangerous. He would fly Saturday or Sunday morning for a couple of hours and was allowed to tie that pattern up. He would take off, immediate turning climb to about 800 feet and chop the power. He touched the ground for less than a second and back up again. I complained to ATC many times. If you were in the pattern he would be cutting in front of you. We also have noise abatement procedures at KCCR that he completely ignored. ATC told me there was nothing they can do!! I reported him for a near miss one when I was taxiing. I was on Juliet and he was landing on 32L. I had to hit the brakes as he turned in front of me at about 15 feet. The rumor is he got lost once while flying to a local airport a few miles away and his wife told him never to leave the pattern. Not sure if that was true but in all the years he was here he never left.

[@Ryan-mq2mi]

Thanks for the post. That would be frustrating. There's always things to learn

[@ushouldntjudgeme3683]

well nigellis4793, he won't be a problem for you anymore, fly safe.

[@MC75448]

I live in apartments next to where the Bonanza went down. I had just stepped out to walk my dog when it exited the sky at a high rate of speed and burst into flames. It was very traumatic. I used to fly out of KCLW often. That airport is near impossible to see at night unless you are very familiar with it. The runway lights are very dim, and you have to turn them on manually and there is about a 7-10 second DELAY. When you click the mic seven times, you have to wait a long time for them to turn on. It is very unsafe. The unlit airport looks like a dark void in the residential area at night and it's on unmonitored CTAF. With trees on either end, it's a very unforgiving airport. I prefer the towered and well-lit KPIE. It's such a tragedy this happened. Thank you Juan for what you do.

[@TheGregstorm]

Scenario: Dark. Engine starts to sputter. Pilot lowers head to check fuel selector or mixture, or whatever. Pops head up, instant spatial disorientation. Accelerated stall/spin.

[@sludge8506]

I hope your mental health gets better. The Clearwater Airpark has 50,000 operations annually, and has 125 aircraft based there. It has received awards for safety. This is the *only* crash at Clearwater that I can find. It’s an important part of the community.

[@pilotbenny]

yep i live in st pete and have flown into clw many times, last time i came in i had to go around because i couldnt get the lights on, finally on the downwind i got them on. only could find the airport because im so familiar with the area

[@JohnHallgren]

I also live in Clearwater (near Belcher and Sunset Point) and I certainly remember another multi fatality crash that occurred just NW of the airpark. Don’t recall date at all but it was in the front yard of a home under construction near or at the intersection of Montclair and Keene (when it was just a two lane road so many years ago) but since 74 when i moved here. I often drove by that spot on way to church. Although i have never been to that airpark that i recall, it’s definitely in a dark area at night with all the industrial area and golf course around it.

[@aidanacebo9529]

my CAP flight was based there, we took over ATC for inbound on Thursday evenings. I was 12 years old and twice was told to run it alone for 2+ hours. thankfully nothing went wrong. there were times it was only myself, the Major, and one other cadet. thankfully now they have a nice permanent facility and a good number of cadets. we had a trailer that was falling apart. they only replaced it when some poor cadet fell through the floor. I watched it happen.

[@Saltlick11]

Juan I used to base there. That guy did this every day in the morning. Steep climb, hard downwind, glide to numbers. Every day. A bit odd but that was his routine.

[@markiangooley]

Sounds obsessive, but I guess usually harmless…

[@FlamingoLegsFilms]

Was this the doctor (atleast was told he was a doctor) who did this years ago too? Never went out of the pattern just did touch and gos? I used to work at Sterling avionics and I think I remember that plane doing only touch and gos back then, like 5+ yrs ago.

[@Saltlick11]

Yup

[@masmainster]

Endless touch and goes, sounds really boring.

[@silverXnoise]

It strikes me as very reminiscent of the kinds of structured repetition that one often finds with folks who are on the autism spectrum, although at his age it’s entirely possible it wasn’t ever formally diagnosed.

[@thedevilinthecircuit1414]

He was 75 years old. Perhaps he so loved flying but wanted the security of having an airfield underneath him all the time. I've seen this mentality more than a few times with older folks--not just flyers. It's the 'stay close to home' thing. Rest in peace.

[@DrewLSsix]

I would think the more budget friendly route would be ultralight? Sure, people can and do travel with ultralights but it's pretty common to drag the kit out to a field and spend the day buzzing around the near side of the horizon. Many "legal" ultralights are effectively limited to 30-45 minutes of flight time anyway due to fuel/speed/efficiency factors. Though I suppose it's an entirely different experience than flying a "real" plane .

[@FlamingoLegsFilms]

Altitude is your friend flying though. Take off and landing are the most dangerous parts of flying. He just seemed to get a kick out of his touch and gos i guess.

[@jimbarchuk]

It's the rush of the zoom and the thrill of the glide. When you're that old, there's no time to mess around with square patterns. I fly model airplanes. There was one very old man would come with a son or two to handle things while he sat in a folding chair and flew. Aaaallll he did was scream straight up to the 400 ft legal limit, kill the throttle and deadstick down, zoom, deadstick, zoom, deadstick. Sons would fill the fuel and take care of other problems when they happened.

[@FINfinFINfinFINfin]

I share your thoughts. It's like the older guy with an offshore capable boat that doesn't want to lose sight of land.

[@brianpeele311]

I think you are missing the point here. He tried the impossible turn, looks like. Doesn’t matter your age, the maneuver is rarely successful

[@mcliffhanger]

Juan, thank you for a great channel. I always love your analysis and thoughtful comments. I can relate to the RV-6 pilot's operations. Many moons ago, in the early 90's, I flew and competed in a Pitts S-1. We were fortunate to have a box right on the field (ZBB, Canada) and I would fly and practice nearly all the time right there. I didn't like leaving the field and loved having a runway below me. I always found cross countries boring, and if I would be in a congested area like that, I wouldn't have left either. Short flights like circuits and aerobatics are harder on the equipment, but then you have to stay on top of that. I feel for the guy and his family. RIP

[@chrisnoname2725]

I used to fund flying much more fun while flying circuits otherwise you're mote just sitting and waiting to actually fly the plane again. Helicopters are boring once you get 2m above the ground

[@Sreybk]

My grandfather had one of these (a 1960 butterfly tail Bonanza) and we used to fly around when I was in Charlotte as a kid visiting. I looked up the tail number and it's now owned by a guy in California and was flown recently.

[@Californien27]

I live about 10 minutes from the crash site and drive by Buchanan airport regularly. I was shocked to see this crash on the local news.

[@FrankBoston]

I read that his wife wanted him to stay in the "pattern" because she was terrified he'd get killed if he went elsewhere. Heart wrenching . Do realize, I have no first hand knowledge, merely something I came across.

[@tmn32001]

Yes. This was a normal activity for this pilot. Not to say that he was encouraged, but the pattern work helped the traffic count for the airport.

[@kenthigginbotham9716]

He apparently took it upon himself to to do that rumor has it.

[@LIamaLlama554]

The engines nor the airframe are designed for this day in day out.

[@tmn32001]

Hard to argue against someone’s passion, because he must have gotten a lot of joy and satisfaction out of it. In my marathon training days, I used to run around the track for hours when it’s too dark to run on the streets. My GPS tracks looked exactly like his ADS-B track. I’m sure some must have thought I was nuts😀 My condolences to the family and may he find another RV-6 on the other side🙏

[@Ryan-mq2mi]

How does traffic count matter? Thanks

[@tmn32001]

@@Ryan-mq2miairports get funding based on traffic volume. Each touch and go, each landing, each takeoff is counted by ATC, 24/7.

[@spook963]

Thanks!

[@blancolirio]

Thanks!

[@boomer9900]

I had a fuel out experience. When I was living in California my job had me commuting between San Jose and Sacramento. The plane was a 8 or 10 seater, 2 pilots, 2 turboprop engines. We were over the mountains, eating donuts and having coffee and all the sudden both engines sputtered out. Then the dash lit up in red all over and the pilots were looking all over the gauges. There were some floaty feeling moments and then they got the engines restarted and we arrived on time. I asked the pilot what happened and he said that one of the tanks went dry. The whole experience was a little unsettling, especially since we were flying that plane back to San Jose that afternoon.

[@theusualyadayada]

Sounds like someone forgot to switch tanks?

[@scotthanson7888]

Many years ago on some tech company aircraft that shuffled employees to and from from SanJose to some Sacramento area work site a passenger voluntarily departed the aircraft at several thousand feet. The pilots had some idea something had happened, like Maby a exit door unlatched, but didn’t really understand until after they landed

[@mikescholz7824]

I used to see this guy a lot, he would always just do numerous touch and goes every time, as reported. He would take off on full power, go around, then would throttle down to idle as he made the last left turn to the approach to land, then full power on the next take off. RIP

[@BwInNewJersey]

Do

[@SuperchargedSupercharged]

It is hard to believe I have been watching you for 4 years now. Feel like I have learned a lot from you.

[@CaliforniaAviation]

Currently work at and fly out of CCR. Jack was based at the FBO I work for. Can definitely say, pattern work was all he did. Never really went anywhere. Was a good guy and for the short time I knew him, he was a nice guy. His patterns were always a thing to watch and once he went up he basically owned 19L or whatever short runway they were using. But you gotta think what kind of work he put that engine through constantly just staying in the pattern.

[@williamc5369]

Thanks for another informative video. One small point... Pilot controlled lighting normally is activated by seven clicks within a five-second period for the brightest intensity. The lights stay on at that level for 15 minutes. Some systems allow pilots to adjust the lighting intensity: three clicks for low, five clicks for medium, and seven clicks for high, once it’s been activated.

[@kasdanasal]

Thanks for the breakdown Juan, great and informative as always.

[@jwh3388]

Thank you Juan. I live in Concord and have seen this RV6 doing touch and goes as you described almost every day. I at least now know a lot more info than what local news has provided. I had the unfortunate experience of listening to the local police radio traffic on this crash as it happened. So I had a bit more info then the local news from the start

[@tomdchi12]

A reminder that I need to incorporate checking alternate fuel tanks in my engine out procedures/practice.

[@TWA727]

Hey Juan. Regarding the V35B accident in Clearwater, I live in Vero Beach where the pilot took off from. When I was training at Flight Safety International here in Vero, the instructors would use PIE as a good airport to fly Xcountry too. It is a congested area, as you have the airpark to the north, with PIE to the south, and TPA, across the bay to the east. One of the best things about flying in Florida, is that its flat, and there are a plothera of landing options available to a pilot in an emergency situation. Of course, it depends on the specific circumstances of each emergency regarding survival rates, and night flying reduces them dramatically. However, IMHO, contacting PIE tower might have saved him, if he had trouble finding the runway at CLW, or at the very least, they could have directed him to a field, road, hwy, or even the water. Just my 2cents. Another great video Juan, as usual. Great job., 👍

[@comlbbeau]

Regarding the Clearwater incident, it seems to me the "black hole" represented by the golf course would be a big help in identifying the location of the field amid all the residential and business illumination around the area.

[@DanielinLaTuna]

I’m guessing landing on a golf course can be dangerous? Because of all the traps that make golfing interesting? I’d agree that the “black hole” pretty much locates the airfield amongst the built up environment of housing and businesses

[@JohnHallgren]

@@DanielinLaTuna definitely landing on a golf course like that would be a problem….and the course forms a triangle on the southwest side of the runway which is the hypotenuse of that triangle. Even though I have driven multiple times on Keene Rd which is on the west edge of golf course, I don’t recall how many overhead wires there is but I know a private plane landed on it a few years ago reasonably successfully though it was in daylight. That’s a four lane divided road that’s well lit.

[@redbaron6805]

It should, but in this case, the runway lights are simply too dim to clearly see the airport at night, and many pilots has difficulties getting them to turn on in the first place. The consensus is that unless you had landed at that field before and basically knew exactly where it was, it was very difficult to locate it at night.

[@kentd4762]

Thank you for covering these accidents, Juan. Wonderful early analysis. Knowing how tough it can be to see some airfields at night, after seeing that Clearwater airport on Google maps, it looks like it would be incredibly difficult to pick out.

[@guitarhillbilly1482]

Pilots keep doing it and it will never Stop. Attempting a Turn back to the departure runway with Engine problems. Same result over and over : Stall/Spin into the ground. Guys like you and Gryder are just pounding your heads against a concrete wall. I really like your videos and all the different topics that you cover. Keep up the great work.👍👌

[@jameshennighan8193]

Yep....! The Impossible Turn.... It got Mc Spadden in the end, but then he always seemed to want to boast that he could do it........until the occasion that he didn't make it. Familiarity breeding Contempt.....? James Hennighan Yorkshire, England

[@Sludge73]

Thanks for the update. Looking forward to the next video

[@JinnaWatt]

Jacks been flying around Buchanan field for 20 years and adored his touch n goes. He was an incredibly kind man who adores flying but didnt go far from home. My boyfriend worked at the airport and flew with him and said he is an exceptional pilot. They did have a nickname for him as the NASCAR of Buchanan. Judging by the area, he didnt have enough space to safely land the plane as its nothing but buildings. Its WAY to populated and he did the turn to try and save human life. He did what he could.

[@connorhale599]

Every time we takeoff in a single engine aircraft, we're accepting the risks associated with that. What breaks my heart is the people hurt on the ground, they didn't agree to that risk and took the brunt of it. May they rest in peace.

[@crissd8283]

There is risk in life. If you want to make sure an airplane doesn't crash into you and kill you, a person can live in a bunker underground. Life is ment to have risk. A life lived free of all risk is not living. It is unfortunate that some innocent people were lost; however, we live in the safest time in all of history. Never before have we lived so long. Never before has our life expectancy been so great.

[@richclarkjr]

Took off behind him last Saturday. RIP pilot.

[@BigEightiesNewWave]

😧😪

[@mykofreder1682]

With a reclaimed aircraft and engines, the question is how long has it been sitting around, what did they replace and not replace to get it running. You can get it running but there are still old parts ready to fail because it sat around too long. Something sitting around, depending on how it is stored, can have moisture, dry rot, animals causing problems all over the place.

[@GWNorth-db8vn]

A vented crankcase will accumulate water from the atmosphere, especially if it's in a place where the temperature goes up and down. I've left a snowmobile engine in the shed for a couple of years and drained a coffee cup worth of water out of it.

[@huh4233]

Yellow tagged or green tagged goodies also.

[@G-ro4is]

If I remember correctly there was a crash caused by a some insects making a nest in the pitot tube

[@galacticminx]

@@GWNorth-db8vn Interesting. So I'm guessing the mechanism is something like this... water vapor enters when it's warm and humid, condensation forms inside when it cools down and drops of water go to the bottom of the sump where they can't evaporate again because of the layer of oil on top.

[@GWNorth-db8vn]

@@galacticminx - That's exactly how it works. It breathes in and out once a day. This is also why you have to fill a motorcycle tank to the very top before putting it away for the winter.

[@asteverino8569]

Rest in peace all who lost their lives with these crashes. Regarding fuel tank mis-management. I have a truck with two fuel tanks. The feeling when the engine sputters and I flip the tank switch, then waiting for the engine to recover, seems a long time. I now imagine what it must be like while flying a small plane. 😮

[@chrisnoname2725]

I wish i had a selector on the trucks i drove. I used to nearly be out of fuel on the left tank by the end of the night , i had to keep my weight down moving loads of pigs.

[@DouglasCarnall]

>why did he never leave the pattern? 75 yo. I think he just loved that zoom. Cross-country's going to be all kinds of planning hassle. A hobbyist. 10 touch and goes and time for well-earned tea and cake

[@FlamingoLegsFilms]

He had been doing it for like 10 yrs or more. We were all very perplexed when I worked at the airport.

[@popsfereal]

Yep.

[@kenthigginbotham9716]

As a local the rumor was his wife hated flying and was fearful and insisted he only do pattern work? I have watched him do those laps several times. One day it was fun watching him do engine outs starting at midfield😢 Sad and not such a good memory now😢

[@mikeswanson6145]

I think a bit afraid of heights and serious OCD.

[@sirmonkey1985]

@@mikeswanson6145 met him before a long time ago.. OCD and he just enjoyed doing it, was his happy place.

[@christinewunder1672]

Thanks Juan for the update, reliable straight forward review.

[@outwiththem]

Yes, he advocates to never turnback. Even if you know how and are over the safe altitude. Crash straight ahead.. LOL.. Not me i know Vglide turnbacks. Done many. Learned them in 1996.

[@flyingfox8360]

can you cover the midair that happened in Waller Texas? It happened on 1-FEB between Pipistrel electro N984TP and Discus-2CT N27GG

[@scotabot7826]

Thank the Lord above there were no fatalities with either aircraft!!

[@John-nc4bl]

The word experimental turns some people off flying when they walk towards an aircraft and see that word on the aircraft.

[@aarondoty2210]

​@@John-nc4blIKR! I put a decal saying "experimental" on my Cessna. Is great!😂

[@pavelavietor1]

having a great time the old aviator, God Speed to those who enjoy aviation ❤

[@bishopdredd5349]

Some very good questions raised.

[@peterredfern1174]

Another couple of sad accidents,thank you for your reports Juan,safe flights as always mate,🙏🙏condolences to the families of the deceased,🙏🙏👋👍🇦🇺

[@jakecostello8400]

Hi @blanco Based in the Tampa area. That airport is a bitch to find at night. Surrounded by super bright lights with the beach cutting off any other references. He was right near KPIE.. still not sure why he didn’t just bring it down there while he had the chance..

[@grayrabbit2211]

I've never flown CLW at night, but that's no excuse for what happened. If he had just maintanied airspeed, he could have put the aircraft down in the drink and all 3 people would still be alive today. He was only about 1200' away from the bay from where he crashed. Straight-ahead would have made it.

[@jakecostello8400]

@@grayrabbit2211 not exactly justifying what happened just adding personal touch. one of my planes I fly is based out of SPG, the airport he was gonna Divert to. Crazy enough, he flew the bridge transition which as you know literally takes you direct over top of TPA and eventually Pie..

[@sludge8506]

The Clearwater Airpark has 50,000 operations annually, and has 125 aircraft based there. It has received awards for safety. This is the *only* crash at Clearwater that I can find. It’s an important part of the community.

[@theaviationastronomychannel]

Crazy story:Me & My Dad were flying our Beech Sundowner 180 from Georgia to Venice FL however,there was a storm that was in our way In Venice and it was not moving so we had to make a landing at Clearwater Airpark and it was raining hard also,the sun was going down at that time so it was getting dark but we made a go around on runway 34 due to how dim the runway lights were but managed to get her down safely on runway 35 one attempt later.We chose not fly home that night due to my stress and that the storm was not moving much so we spent a night at a hotel and next morning managed to get home safely.

[@joesterling4299]

@@sludge8506 "The Clearwater Airpark . . . has received awards for safety. " Not anymore. This is the sort of tragic incident that can turn a community mainstay into a pariah that people demonstrate to have removed. If this airpark is that close to a densely populated area, and is difficult to land in at night, then after this, my guess is that night flying/landing might get yanked. Maybe its very existence may be in for some rough times. I've been to Clearwater. Those "trailer parks" are not at all what the name suggests. They are nice homes owned by affluent retirees, who have some clout with the powers that be.

[@MaryK4242]

Thank you Juan.

[@fergman300]

This air field has two great public viewing areas… I’m there nearly every day for hours….along with others. It was always fun to watch him do his thing…. He would rocket up, chop the throttle to idle and glide it back in a steep decent bank and landing. The dude was awesome…. Thanks for the show RV flyer.

[@sludge8506]

I wish I could be there with you!! I live near a busy airport, but there isn’t a *good* viewing area. ☹️

[@Larsonaut]

Seems it was too risky

[@jimmydulin928]

An elderly couple came by my home airport, Aurora, Missouri, in their RV-6 from either California or Florida going all the way across the country. He had read my book and wanted instruction especially on the apparent brisk walk rate of closure approach. I was amazed at how well the airplane maneuvered generally and how well it maneuvered in the deceleration on short final coming into ground effect. He also practiced the basic level in low ground effect takeoff I teach, not for the zoom available from the free ground effect energy zoom reserve airspeed, but for the maneuverability available on the Vcc climb out with cruise airspeed. With zoom reserve airspeed available, he should have easily made the golf course. Vx or Vy or extreme zoom climb are almost never appropriate from very long runways. Low altitude orientation, including in the pattern, is that airspeed and not altitude is life. Both cruise climb and the power/pitch deceleration approach are easy on the engine since the throttle is never closed until touchdown.

[@clifflong1203]

Great channel! Enjoy your commentary!

[@Paughco]

Old guy mentality. I have a similar deal with my '50 Panhead. I've had it since 1962. Rode it all over the place. Now I just ride around the neighborhood. Gotta get back to riding it around the Snoqualmie Valley, then over to Seattle, etc.

[@David-zn5ur]

Riding around the Seattle area in 62 is by far a lot different today there and the surrounding area.

[@Ryan-mq2mi]

Nothing out here for you. No cohesion or sense of community, which translates on the roads even. It's every man for himself and it's dangerous. The conditions suck, the infrastructure, the traffic etc. I can't even get a single wave (a thank you) from anyone when I do courteous things for them. It's so weird to me. That was just - part of our culture. It's completely foreign to everyone and I wonder what they even think, because it looks like they're not thinking, at all. I'm on the verge of just driving like everyone else and giving that up. I've already stopped moving shopping carts that are at risk of rolling into people's cars, stopped picking up trash that's not mine, holding a door open, etc. I'm also a motorcycle rider, just got off one in southern california that was my daily and everything transpo for 7 years, so it's just my nature to be constantly looking out for others and looking/planning for outs should someone do something completely unexpected. And you can count on people doing the unexpected, running lights, turning left in front of you at an intersection (the #1 killer), just anything. Stay free and in the wind, and stay within your community. The big cities from LA to SF to SEA are just totally dystopic.

[@yclept9]

I've spent hours in the pattern perfecting same-place-every time wheel landings just because it's artistry after a while. Regular box pattern though. He could have been just enjoying what he had gotten extremely good at.

[@InMyBrz]

NOT THAT GOOD !

[@theabristlebroom4378]

@@InMyBrz He'd been doing that pattern almost every day for years. Shut yer yap.

[@straybullitt]

I've done the same. Hundreds of touch and goes, with the aircraft in every conceivable configuration. without ever leaving the pattern. 🤷‍♂️

[@alandaters8547]

Looking at some of the ttracks, it seems that he seldom used a box pattern and ignored large parts of the ravailable runway.. Always establishing final approach before the threshold and touching down near the normal touchdown point would have given him a lot more runwaylength to make a straight ahead landing after the engine failure. The dimensions and consistency of a box pattern for takeoff and landing practice have a safety value (especially in uncontrolled fields).

[@williegillie5712]

Boy the guys from rebuild rescue. Boy that one really hits home. Those guys seemed pretty thorough on their rebuild. As always Juan you are ahead of the game.

[@ianlambert8034]

If I have understood correctly, that was Sam in his personal Cougar which was not a rebuild. He had been flying it for years. As a regular follower of the rebuild rescue channel, I am shocked and saddened, and extend my condolences to Sam's wife and family, also to Jason,Joe, and all the rest of the team.

[@williegillie5712]

@@ianlambert8034 thanks for the info. Sam was a kindred spirit. A kind person and he will be missed greatly

[@renorailfanning5465]

In '80-'81, I was living in Florida. My dad and I were going to go flying out of Clearwater Municipal Airport. As we were driving to the airport, I saw a twin-engine airplane just after takeoff. I remember one of the propellers turning a little slower than the other. I mentioned it to my dad, but he didn't look because he was driving. We get to the airport, and it's closed because a twin-engine aircraft crashed. It was a Beech 65.

[@JohnHallgren]

I wonder….could that be the incident that I remember? As also live in Clearwater (near Belcher and Sunset Point) and I certainly remember another multi fatality crash that occurred just NW of the airpark. Don’t recall date at all but it was in the front yard of a home under construction near or at the intersection of Montclair and Keene (when it was just a two lane road so many years ago) but since 74 when i moved here. Using property appraiser site, the home at that location was built in 1981. I think it could have been a larger aircraft as it was (I fuzzily remember) maybe 3-4 fatalities?

[@renorailfanning5465]

@@JohnHallgren I found it on the NTSB website. It was north of the airport and happened on September 12, 1980. I think it was just short of a school or apartment complex. I do remember it missing a very dense dwelling...i.e a school or apartment complex.

[@renorailfanning5465]

@@JohnHallgren That's what I thought, but according the NTSB website, only the pilot died. Maybe some people on the ground died and it wasn't included in the report.

[@JohnHallgren]

@@renorailfanning5465 hey, it’s over forty years ago so memories could definitely be wrong…I just remember distinctly the location because it was visible from the road i use to drive to church. It’s at 1989 N Keene Road where Montclair Road goes off at angle. I possibly could have mixed up the multi engine and fatalities. I will look up what you found. Thank you.

[@JohnHallgren]

@@renorailfanning5465 not sure how you found it on NTSB website but I certainly can’t…unfortunately one can’t post links here so…

[@CraigGrant-sh3in]

It looks like the guy flying the pattern had dreams of being a pylon racer

[@CMDRSweeper]

I had to go back and check, the airplane from Rebuild Rescue looked familiar to me. Sure enough, way back when I started watching Blancolirio, i saw the "Free airplane" video in the recommended feed by KZbin, I never watched it however. Still a bit sad to see it turning out this way.

[@dave30076]

I think this one MAY have been different. The free airplane I saw them working on was a large Cessna (414, maybe?). I watched a bunch of videos on that, but I felt like they were creating unnecessary drama (re-enactments, for example). I watched until they did a test run on the runway, and allegedly had an engine fire. I think they re-created/re-enacted it for a video, which turned me off.

[@CMDRSweeper]

@@dave30076 Blancolirio just confirmed it, my memory was incorrect, he found the exact video I thought of and it seems it was a Cessna 401 and the full story behind the ordeal. So you were indeed correct.

[@Wayne_Robinson]

A fast plane in an area with rich scenery and interesting places to visit seemed lost on the RV pilot. It was definitely an odd obsession.

[@berserksamurai]

I hope you cover N315GW -- it was a Lockwood AirCam that crashed 20 miles away from where I live and it involved locally known big ranchers

[@WNCHIGH]

V35B vernier controls might have been in play. During this pilot’s task loading, he may have inadvertently grabbed & reduced mixture instead of throttle. Juan can you perhaps explain the tactile differences in the Throttle, Mixture, Prop cockpit knobs.

[@DrJohn493]

The accident at Concord is indeed sad, but when I see the Google image of the airport and surrounding area it screams that the airport is surrounded by incompatible land uses as a likely result of heavy handed developers and very poor local zoning. Same for Clearwater.

[@LatitudeSky]

It's the same in many places. GA airport near me has been an airfield for almost 100 years and used to be the only thing for miles. Now it's a hot area for expensive homes because it's close to a major city with high quality of life. So new residents flock in, knowing full well there's been an airport there forever, and yet they still complain endlessly. And developers chasing cash have crammed into every possible space around the airport.

[@Ryan-mq2mi]

Are there no warnings? (Besides eyeballing it). Also, wouldn't you be managing if only for the center of gravity continuity?

[@LaraSierra28]

My dad and I flew into Concord regularly in the 1960s-70s. Development was relatively sparse at that time and the airport really stood out. As with many airports, housing and commercial building slowly crowded in.

[@robertkennedy7816]

I survived a stall/spin accident in an RV6. There has been numerous stall/spin accidents and typically the pilot does not survive. While the RV6 is a good performer it will snap instantaneously if manoeuvred at a relatively high airspeed especially in engine failure situation. I can attest to this characteristic from personal experience. RV6 pilots would be advised to recognize this characteristic.

[@stay_at_home_astronaut]

I ran a tank dry, on approach to Vero Beach, in my G35 Bonanza at night, on the VOR-A approach. I switched tanks, and before I could even get the boost pump switched on the engine was back to running smoothly. Gotta love the pressure carb system. (I suppose nowadays we would call it a throttle body fuel injector system.)

[@TheGospelQuartetParadise]

That RV-6 crash was very close to I-680 which passes right by Buchanan Field. I had the occasion to pass by on 680 three days in a row mid-January while going to and from Sacramento. Juan, you mentioned the pilot was from Berkeley. Wonder why he didn't use Oakland's North Field, or Hayward. His plane must have been hangared in Concord. Rest in peace to the pilot who lost his life, and to the three people who perished in Florida. Prayers go out to their families.

[@blueroninrob]

Regarding the Bonanza accident in Clearwater, if the ADS-B Exchange data is accurate, the pilot set his transponder to 7700 just after turning south at around 900 feet altitude, very close to Clearwater Harbor. He then headed inland and gained 600 feet or so before apparently losing control of the aircraft just short of Tampa Bay and fairly close to KPIE. He had options. I hope to never be in the position he was in, but it's another reminder to fly the plane above all else.

[@leokimvideo]

The Florida Trailer Park Bonanza crash made the news in Australia. Maybe because there were good photos. All fairly old Aircraft, nothing lasts forever

[@yucannthahvitt]

That brings something else up. In America at least, GA is dying. It’s extremely expensive and gets moreso every year at a higher rate than inflation. Because of how expensive new GA planes are, they aren’t replacing the old ones at the same rate as the old planes are crashed, scrapped or otherwise retired. GA as a hobby is basically untenable for most of the middle class already at this point, and it’s only getting worse.

[@jimslimm6090]

@leokimvideo It is semi-amusing that news media in your country is the same as here in the USA. If there are no entertaining deaths locally, they will look nationwide or worldwide to find something sensational to report on. We might be guilty of being here in some small part for watching this; but, I like to think most of us are here to learn and get reinforcement as to what can go wrong and why .

[@GoingVroom]

Listening to the tower audio for 30AK, the pilot was turning inside of a piper that was ahead of him turning for a downwind departure. N8229F. I don't see an altitude conflict, but maybe he climbed to hard with a step turn to beat the piper and stall-spun it. If the engine died in the turn, and he delayed or was unable to recover into a glide, that'd do it to. Good lesson for everyone to never push the limits in the pattern. There's a golf course at the end of 19L too. Such a shame. Condolences to his family.

[@kurtak9452]

Great debriefings Juan.....

[@dlgearswinger]

One thing to note Clearwater has no rotating beacon.

[@TheBuldog2000]

Great report tough stuff! Thank you 🙏 and 😅

[@jd1029]

Great analysis and data as always! Any updates on the atmospheric river and watershed from your view?

[@lowandslow]

Looks like Juan is getting a little frustrated. No quick answers about the engine issues but I noticed these recent ones were pilots in their 70's, I think one problem is they don't practice engine outs or even think about engine failures. Complacency. The Rebuild Rescue thing is whole different can of worms, I got lots of issues with that outfit.

[@InMyBrz]

ME TOO, especially Jason, his personality has always bothered me

[@billmoran3812]

As my generation ages, we are seeing older pilots who have become way too complacent. They get set in their ways and don’t want to train for emergencies. No one wants to admit they have become no longer skilled enough to fly. Biennial flight reviews aren’t effective enough to catch these pilots.

[@sanfranciscobay]

$245,000 in GoFundMe donations. Crazy how much money strangers are willing to donate to something they know little about.

[@jimdavis1939]

Well said, that place is an accident waiting to happen.

[@ronv947]

Couldn't agree more. I.manage a group of older pilots. I only do 1 yr BFR to this group, if rhat. Rhe older it seems they want to fly faster, but their minds are well behind and think everything FINE! The 2 I had to stop flying, BE-35 with turbo alley engine and a late model SR22T. As CFII, maybe we should be doing more careful Flight eviews.

[@GeminiSeven43]

Why did he not reverse his pattern once in a while to get some right hand turn experience?

[@rickwiggins283]

Big NASCAR fan maybe?

[@nathangreer8219]

When I fly the Luscombe, I generally just fly T & G s. I only have 50 TW hours and just want the practice.

[@kenthigginbotham9716]

What year Luscombe?

[@nathangreer8219]

@@kenthigginbotham9716 59 8F

[@ronv947]

Did I just meet you recently at GOO?

[@nathangreer8219]

@@ronv947 no. Sorry!

[@rickrickard2788]

I posted on a few of the news sites about the crash into the mobile home park. The guy had water, straight out in front of him, which appears he could have easily glided to and made, instead of making that turn. That's what really troubled me. I also posted about AQP, and what Dan Gryder does with it, and that maybe the news agencies should speak with him about this. That pilot sounded scared & a bit panicked. I have to believe he never even thought of the water as an option, which is truly sad- because there was nothing but homes below, where he made his turn. Learning and practicing AQP, could have saved 3 lives.

[@aviation3530]

The man in in the RV has been doing that up & down for yearssss

[@John-nc4bl]

The word experimental turns some people off flying when they walk towards an aircraft and see that word on the aircraft.

[@gregentclemory9285]

I live within smelling distance of the Clearwater Bonanza crash. The thing that crossed my mind after about an hour of watching the coverage online was how quickly we were able to use tools like Flightradar24 and others to establish the aircraft, owners, flight path, altitude, speed etc etc.

[@thedownwardmachine]

Thank you for covering the Concord incident. I sympathize with his family but I have to say, one can do worse than to die suddenly late in your life doing what you love.

[@davidpowell7614]

The RV6 pilot was known to do that type of tight circuit all the time; numerous comments below! From the tracks shown by Juan, it looked like he was leaving runway behind himself everytime? Same question as asked about the Tennessee Fly Girl; when is it time to ask what’s going on with someone’s flying?

[@galacticminx]

Yeah that didn't look right, almost like he was doing his touch and goes right at the end of the runway. Maybe the map was misaligned a bit?

[@coasternut3091]

Spins need to be in PPL training The video of that Bonanza crash looks like he was going super fast

[@galacticminx]

Even with spin training, they don't demonstrate how a spin can happen when in a steep turn well above "stall speed." I put that in quotes because it's not a speed, it's an angle of attack. I believe it keeps happening to pilots when trying to make a sharp turn in an emergency because they don't realize how easily they can end up upside down before having time to say WTF? Another factor is using rudder to help the turn. Too much rudder makes it more likely to drop the inside (low) wing. Instead of straight and level, perhaps it should be demonstrated (at a safe altitude) what happens when you pull back too hard while at a steep bank angle.

[@doctorartphd6463]

Thank you, Juan.

[@larryweitzman5163]

Juan, I'm sure you know this but the RV's use a NACA 23000 series airfoil (23012, 23013, 23015) which is very similar to the Beech V35B, 33 18, 90, 55) airfoil (23012-23016). Also Douglas used it in the DC-4,6,&7.

[@John-nc4bl]

The word experimental turns some people off flying when they walk towards an aircraft and see that word on the aircraft.

[@LIamaLlama554]

@@John-nc4blas well it should.

[@stevebroander2119]

Good Job Juan, thanks for the info. I'm very interested in hearing about the Rebuild Rescue accident, It was very sad to hear about Sam's Passing. I'm sure Jason and the rest of the RBR crew are just Devastated.

[@schecter6l6]

Juan? Glad to see you are doing the Cougar crash with Sam. I know doing these types of VMC crashes is difficult however if you could go over some structural clues as to how the plane might have been configured before impact. Also things like damage to tail prop feather and impact sequence as well as left wing departure. Which engine that looks most likely to have failed. The entire rebuild was done in 3 or 4 40 min videos and are still up on YT so any clues or sketchy work done that you notice. there is a lot to go on this one. Thanks for all you do!!

[@dalecombs9706]

I was a flight instructor for a large flying school. We would put thousands of hours in the traffic pattern practicing landings. In those days we would replace the fleet with new planes direct from the factory every two years with over 4000 hours on the airframe. We replaced these 4-cylinder Lycoming engines every 2000 hours. I can only remember one engine failure in the four years I was there. We would abuse these engines and they never missed a beat. I can remember starting an engine in freezing temperatures and as soon as we got to the end of the runway, we would takeoff. Never would we let the oil temperature needle come off the peg. I would suspect possibly fuel starvation. I have an RV and they have two tanks. You have to select each one separately. It is possible with the type of flying he may have either forgot to switch tanks or unported the fuel on one tank. With the theory of keeping the plane over the runway, this is possibly the most dangerous type of flying because you're at low altitudes and low airspeeds most all the time. If you are going to practice these types of landings, find an uncontrolled field with lots of surrounding empty fields.

[@gustafchurn8282]

I used to love doing touch n go’s in my flying days! Not strange, but excellent thought skills…😵‍💫😬💸

[@johnstreet797]

I'm sure all of us, including you, would like to hear about the fun, uneventful flight which ended in a safe landing. My old mossback dive instructor told us to end every dive at the surface.

[@CruceEntertainment]

He finally left the pattern

[@gavanwhatever8196]

Before covid, I had this plan to come to the States to build an RV-6A. My major concern was getting it finished before the class B visa expired. In the end I decided the risk was too great that the visa wouldn't be extended before I finished the plane. 2 years and 1000 hours just for the flying surfaces pretty much reinforces my concern!

[@robertboeker6731]

Which runway is he landing on? How does his pattern not put him over the numbers? Is he just touching the far end of the runway with mains then ripping right back up to do a blue angel pattern to touch the mains 75% down the runway again?

[@nhwilkinosn]

I bet he was running full rich the whole time too.That poor engine was ridden HARD and put away wet every day

[@David-p7z9n]

Runs cooler full rich, especially with takeoff power and climbing A&P/IA

[@DPCTechnology]

Crap, I hadn't heard about Sam. That's so sad. :(

[@grouperkng1]

I live next to PIE and the emergency equipment it took to get everything sorted was unreal. 4 trailers damaged 3 fatalities. Clearwater airpark is well north of the airpark that is a tiny tiny airport where banner planes fly from and PIE is south & super. Then you have Albert in St Pete that is a small airport as well.

[@michaelsullivan3553]

That’s pretty much all my wife and I do , we practice landings at C56 , Bult field south of Chicago ……. Later today will discuss with my Al mechanic if it’s really that tough on the engine , makes sense but in 40 yrs never heard that , fly safely friends

[@Hjerte_Verke]

Engine abuse any way you look at it, outside of racing, and those engines only last one race.

[@dennisduran8500]

See the Sun Valley Mall plane crash just down the street from this crash in Concord, CA. 1985. I was just down the street also in 1985. Tragic 😢

[@philleng480]

These airparks surrounded by heavily built up areas look so sketchy, just nowhere to go in the case of an emergency landing (wasn't in either of these cases but the principal is the issue). Thanks Juan.

[@paulsherman51]

Money out of politics. Need so much stronger regulation and adherance to permits and building codes. Wonder who/what bankrolled development of those communities near the airports? Who got rich? For the park in Florida, I dare not guess.

[@networkit]

We're at Buchanan often with son to watch planes and saw him many times doing touch and go's over the years.. RIP

[@aengberg1]

I've been shot down for saying this many times, but I'll say it again: ALWAYS plan for an engine failure on take off or while doing patterns. Know before you go what your options are if things go pear shaped. Yes, even in a small GA aircraft.

[@drenk7]

I had a pilot friend flying a conventional tail Bonanza who ran out of fuel, on takeoff.. This is because he trusted the fuel gauges. Fortunately he landed straight ahead into a soy bean field. I asked him does he check his fuel vents on a preflight? His answer was he didn’t know where they were. Not a good preflight.

[@milt7348]

Stay safe and we'll see you next time.

[@ckhoshkhou]

A friend had a 6A and he suffered engine failure at 200ft on takeoff. Fortunately there was plenty of runway remaining to land on. On inspection he found that the airbox had partially delaminated and had been sucked up into the carb.

[@gregentclemory9285]

Juan, I think looking at that data that the Bonanza pilot had a high speed stall, for whatever reason. BTW, that air park is there with a golf course and is a big black triangle at night which stands out amongst the rest of the area packed with houses.

[@evanmitton5007]

Good question Juan about GA A&P Retirement, I am out this year at 62 and so are many others.I enjoy your channel.

[@samhill3496]

Good presentation. Lot of never to be answered questions

[@kevina8172]

Just down the street. Been in there (Clearwater) many times. As a 4K be35 pilot my first thought is fuel mismanaged. But this be35 has a three position fuel valve even with tips. LR off. Not like the older ones

[@rmp5s]

Never in my life would I think someone would have an airplane...they'd go through all the trouble of buying the thing, maintaining it, getting all the licenses, all that...just to fly in little circles over the airfield. That is the weirdest thing ever...

[@wadepatton2433]

Old minds think differently. I agree that I could/would never engage is such repetitive behavior, but then some folks are more tolerant of routines and habituation. RIP

[@rmp5s]

@@wadepatton2433 That's a LOT to go through for a "routine", man. No way to know why he did it. It's BEYOND strange to me.

[@stevebalt5234]

2:30 Anyone else find it impressive that Juan opened the Google Street View image from *precisely* the same spot from which the news photo was taken?

[@MsEyelinered]

Minor correction, Concord is in the Bay Area, not north of it.

[@williamthethespian]

So many questions; so little chance finding the answers. Thanks for the reports.

[@williampotter2098]

I think there is a good chance of finding the answer to this one. Based on an above comment from a local pilot, the engine recently had issues. The NTSB will tear it down to find any discrepancies. They will interview people. He told SOMEONE why he only flew in the pattern although that isn't really the cause. The why doesn't matter but whether that hurt the engine will be discussed. RIP. Was probably a nice guy. I pity the commenters who find a need to make jokes.

[@07blackdog]

Remember the recent B-17 crash? Wouldn't surprise me if fouled spark plugs were at play in the first crash; based on that type of throttle on/throttle off running of the engine.

[@lewisparker4488]

What engine was he using? At 75 he has probably been most local places and he found the pattern work less boreing than cross country droning.