I went out to the airport at 8 this morning to reinstall the panels into the plane. On the road going out to the airport, I saw yellow tape and a police car. As I passed, I glanced off to the right and beheld the gut-wrenching scene of a plane hanging twisted in a tree.
The Piper Cherokee Lance (N9430K) crashed on takeoff yesterday morning from 31. Story here and here and here. After striking the tree, the plane caught fire. The two passengers were badly burned and broke bones getting to the ground. They're in critical condition at a hospital up in Richmond; that by itself says something about their condition -- a brand new hospital opened here a few months ago, but they were taken an hour farther up to Richmond for treatment.
The weather was nothing but nasty yesterday. Rain, low fast clouds, and 20 kt winds gusting to 38 at the time that I had checked it, early afternoon. I don't know the exact conditions at 11:30 am when they were leaving, but Husband and I stayed inside the house all day it was so miserable.
One of the things that continually amazes me in my capacity as EMS pilot is how some consider a hospital to be a hospital. They are NOT all equal. Some are literally first-aid stations.
ReplyDeleteBurns are a speciality. Critical burns are life threatening and need a specialist ASAP.
I bet that's why they transported them
for an hour.
No helicopters there, or was weather a factor?
I definitely believe you when you say all hospitals are not equal, and burns being a specialty of another hospital within reasonable difference (if that's the case with VCU's Medical Center) would indeed be a good reason... I was thinking of the new hospital here just because of all the marketing they've done over the past year about "state of the art" facilities and cardiac surgery center of excellence and all that jazz. But you're certainly right, and thanks for pointing that out.
ReplyDeleteAccording to the news, there were no helicopters on account of the weather.
(Tee hee... that should've said "...within reasonable distance...")
ReplyDeleteDon't let this discourage you from flying. I'm sure that in the final analysis the probable cause will be a common one: pilot error.
ReplyDeleteI've been to KJGG (my parents live nearby) - and it's not a long strip. You have to do your weight and balance calculations and check your performance charts. Just because an airplane has 4 seats doesn't mean you can use them all! In the case there were only 2 on board - but probably full tanks (heading to Florida) and lots of bags.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_selection