Mesa, AZLast Wednesday morning three residents of Arizona took off in a light plane, not knowing that they would never see their families again, smell the spring air again, feel the warm sun again. Instead, their small plane crashed shortly after take-off, killing all three on board.
Plane crashes are always horrific, even when passengers survive. However, while the commercial airline industry still has a good track record in view of the sheer number of flights that happen in any given day, the same cannot be true for light aircraft. Increasingly, more people indulge their passion for flying, and baby boomers with higher levels of disposable income than their parents, can afford to own their own planes.
It has been reported that a well-maintained plane is safe, but that a poorly maintained plane is a recipe for disaster. Same holds true for pilots who do not carry out due diligence with flight checks, weather conditions, and loading restrictions.
Reports indicate that the single-engine Lancair left the tarmac at Falcon Field at 7:09 am last Wednesday, April 23rd, with a destination of Wayne Airport in Orange County, California. Witnesses report seeing smoke coming from the engine not too long after takeoff, as did the air traffic controllers at the airfield. They cleared the pilot to turn back and make a landing at Falcon, but the plane never made it. Instead, the plane went down in an orange grove about a half-mile from the airfield, near Greenfield and McKellips roads.
The sense of tragedy was mitigated somewhat by the fact the plane missed a nearby shopping center, which would have delivered catastrophic results. The pilot, killed in the crash, is credited with keeping his wits about him and steering clear of the shopping center, in an effort to minimize loss of life.
The victims were identified as Brian White, 27 of Gilbert, Nicholas Boehle, 27 of Scottsdale and Lisa O'Neal, 28 of Phoenix.The single-engine plane burst into flames on impact, and while a few rescuers got to within 20 feet of the flaming wreckage, there was little they could do to help any potential survivors.
Friends of the pilot and co-pilot indicate that there was sufficient expertise on board, and vouch for their qualifications. Officials did not identify who was flying the plane at the time, but there is the suggestion that it was one of the two men in the plane.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) indicated that the plane was registered to a corporation in Scottsdale, although they did not identify which one. Both the FAA and the NTSB are investigating the crash.
Although it is too early to surmise just what may have happened, a trail of smoke from the plane so early in the flight probably suggests an engine problem. However, in spite of heroic efforts in avoiding the shopping center, it is not known if the pilot's inability to successfully land the plane in light of the circumstances would be deemed the fault of the pilot, and most certainly it is far too early in the investigative process to assess liability and lay blame.
The fact remains, however, that flying of any kind carries a certain risk, even when all the checks and balances are in place. That risk is heightened if there is a problem with the plane that is missed during standard maintenance reviews, or systems checks and load capacity restrictions, which are overlooked prior to flight.
The ultimate tragedy will be, if the three lives lost last Wednesday might have been prevented. At which point, someone will invariably have to answer for it.