Solo student's mishap

[pmanton]

Perhaps this young lady needs another avocation. She's possibly used up all her luck.


http://billingsgazette.com/news/sta...cle_0e389231-f179-567b-b6fa-3275b93e7293.html

Pictures from crash site
http://billingsgazette.com/news/sta...n_ba9e3da4-487a-53ed-9cce-d563ffb98e56.html#0




http://www.pacificnorthwestflying.com/index.php?action=reporttm;topic=11043.0;msg=92738

 

[Jim Logajan]

I doubt the instructor sent her there. She flew off in the wrong direction.

Having said that, there are a lot of mountains in that part of Montana.

Really interesting to watch her recount her experience on the video in the original article. She appears to have been told to use pilotage and was trying to match things with her sectional. By her account she was attempting to fly from Greybull, WY (KGEY) to Forth Smith, MT (5U7) on her last leg and had been told to "follow the water through a mountain range; Yellowtail dam" - which looks to me meant the Bighorn River north (~330 mag heading) through the Bighorn Mts, but it appears she mistook the Greybull River west (~250 mag heading) with her intended pilotage route.

Glad she had the presence of mind to maintain airspeed.

 

[Jim Logajan]

FNA.

Pilotage alone is a really stupid idea for several reasons; not the least is what happened -- an elevated risk of getting lost without realizing it. Fuel exhaustion is also possible on a long flight.

It's supposed to be pilotage and ded reckoning. With that, you know what heading to turn to.

I'm assuming she used primarily pilotage by how she phrased things; that may be an incorrect assumption on my part. If she was also cross-checking her course by compass and time, hard to say what caused her to not do that on the final leg. Maybe found that pilotage was working great for her and stopped cross-checking. More speculation on my part, though.

The instructor TOLD her what route to take? That's not consistent with a SOLO cross-country.

I don't know if her instructor actually told her the route to take. A CFI is supposed to review student cross country flight plans. The way she phrased her statement in the video makes me think she got advice on what to expect or look for during that leg. Not a big deal if the CFI suggests changes to the plan.

If Jim is right about her route, she could only get that high if she aimed right at the highest peak. That's charted at 13167. The more obvious mountains you get to by following the river are more like 11500. Still not trivial at all in a 172, but that 1600 feet could make a lot of difference.

My speculation of her route was based on the locations named and checking against sectionals and Google maps. I was curious of her flight path because two brothers of mine had actually been hiking the Big Horn mountains 10 days ago. Turns out they had hiked well south of her planned route.

 

[Jim Logajan]

Not a plain 172 as I can see the CS prop, yet it doesn't look like a 172XP due to the flat spring gear and big old round cowl inlet. 182 maybe?

An N number search indicates a 172. There is another video on the web page linked below which indicates she did have a survival vest with her and that she did take it from the plane after the crash. I'm not sure who the woman is; could be her CFI or her mother.

http://www.kathrynsreport.com/2013/08/cessna-r172e-n516ma-accident-occurred.html