Possible breakup in flight of a Comanche 260?

by **Jay** » Sat Feb 21, 2009 5:59 pm

Hi Joe, how's that 180 flying?

There was some discussion of this one on the AOPA forums as well as on Delphi. Indications from the local press are that he was a private pilot, but rather low time and inexperienced one. The old owner of the airplane thought that he wasn't ready to fly a high performance airplane. He also evidently reported (on the radio) to the pilot who flew him out to pick up the Comanche that the door was partly open, and he talked about landing to close it. The last radar hits had him circling.

That part of the country is VERY sparsely populated, and at night it is pretty much a complete black hole. Such lights do exist out there are widely scattered on terrain of different elevations, giving a pilot no useful horizon whatsoever.

So, the initial facts indicate an inexperienced pilot with no Comanche time flying in what is for all practical purposes IMC with the distraction of the door open. I doubt that the airplane was to blame for this one.

Jay

by **David Pyle** » Sat Feb 21, 2009 9:26 pm

There is some new information discussed here. As of Jan. 2009 FAA records list Jewett as a student pilot with a 2007 medical.

It appears that those on the ground and the pilot who flew him to Caldwell could not prevent him from making the flight home with his new airplane. Bad judgement all round.

by **Jay** » Sun Feb 22, 2009 7:12 pm

The local press could well be wrong about him being a private pilot, but on the other hand it's not unusual for the FAA database to be six weeks behind.

Either way, he was a very inexperienced pilot to be taking on that flight in a strange (to him) airplane.

Jay

by **Joseph P. Judge** » Mon Feb 23, 2009 1:04 am

Hello All!

Jay the 180 is doing fine, Pat your airplane looks great, and David thanks for your input. I hope all of you and your Comanches are doing great as well.
Susan and I have been traveling and ran across this sad story the other day....such a waste of a great airplane. Keep your ears open and comment as needed.
We hope to see you all again soon!

Susan and Joe Judge
N5433P

by **IO720** » Mon Feb 23, 2009 6:51 pm

Of course, the final word on the cause of the accident has to come from the NTSB. But I'm concerned about the fact that this is the first Comanche that I know of that had an in-flight breakup, not being related to a thunderstorm. What else can cause a Comanche to fall apart in mid air?

Rick Mascari
N64400

by **David Pyle** » Mon Feb 23, 2009 7:40 pm

There has been Comanche owner speculation that spatial disorientation leading to loss of control can create a stall spin which stresses the tail and wings to the point they separate. It would be the same in a thunderstorm...but this is just my educated guess.

by **9089P** » Mon Feb 23, 2009 7:46 pm

Hi Rick,

Comanche lore has it that a Canadian reg. comanche had a wing come off many years ago although there were mitigating circumstances. The story goes that the aircraft had been landed off airport and ended up damaging both wings when they were used to stop the a/c by running them into some trees. The aircraft was "repaired" without taking the wings apart and was later subjected to significant +/- G aerobatics. At about 10K hours one of the wings came off.

I don't state any of this as fact, just letting you know the story is out there.

Good luck, Don

by **Jay** » Tue Mar 03, 2009 5:09 pm

by **David Pyle** » Tue Mar 03, 2009 5:28 pm

by **Jay** » Tue Mar 03, 2009 5:45 pm

by **N8632Y** » Sat Mar 07, 2009 1:43 pm

Possible breakup in flight of a Comanche 260?

Possible breakup in flight of a Comanche 260?

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