TR, Climbed Matterhorn Pk, Crashed Cessna this weekend!

Search
Go

Discussion Topic

Return to Forum List
This thread has been locked
Messages 1 - 20 of total 28 in this topic << First  |  < Previous  |  Show All  |  Next >  |  Last >>
micronut

Trad climber
fresno, ca
Topic Author's Original Post - Apr 14, 2008 - 05:59pm PT
Yeah, no lie. We freakin blew the takeoff out of Bridgeport yesterday after a three day rockstar trip. What's the last thing you want to hear your pilot say as you approach the end of the runway, trying desperately to gain speed in a small cessna loaded with forur guys, four sets of tele skis and four big packs say? "Come on Baby....come on Baby....hold on!"
So yup, we blew the runway and ended up in the weeds.........then something in the right landing gear caught fire. Good to have two firefighters on board. Jeff grabbed the Red Bull sized extinguisher and doused the faring covering the landing gear as black smoke and legitimate flame shot up under the wing. disaster thus averted, we set about finding a way home. A nightmare ride North with a local ex-meth addict brought us to Reno. And oh yeah, we live in Fresno, so we rented a Ford Tempo and shot the horn, arriving at 3:30 am after a "14.99 Prime Rib Dinner" and a few hands of Blackjack at the Silver Palace downtown.
I'm not much of a gamblin man, but I figured a hand or two was in order after surviving my first plane crash. Oh yeah, Matterhorn Peak rocked. Great camp, fun climbing in the East Coulior, though she was a bit skinny, perfect bluebird summy, and fresh corn all the way home.
So here I sit with a bit of rental car lag, a sunburn and a story of the time we almost didn't walk away.
Good day to be alive if you ask me.
TradIsGood

Chalkless climber
the Gunks end of the country
Apr 14, 2008 - 06:08pm PT
Dude, were you drinking?

'Cause I think you were in the wrong plane.

Looks like a Piper Warrior to me.

Definitely not a Cessna.
Chiloe

Trad climber
Lee, NH
Apr 14, 2008 - 06:09pm PT
Now there's a trip. Good photos too.
Karen

Trad climber
So Cal Hell
Apr 14, 2008 - 06:15pm PT
That ain't no Cessna, Cessna's are high winged!!!!


Awesome ski trip however, nice!



















Are those Hammerhead bindings? if so, love em, gotta a pair on my K2's
Ricky D

Trad climber
Sierra Westside
Apr 14, 2008 - 06:18pm PT
No sh!t - there I was - thought I was going to die!

Looks like a great trip - was in Mammoth this past week myself - got the sunburn to prove it too!

Ditto on not looking like a Cessna - looks like a Piper to me. I've got many skydives out of Cessnas and all were high wing designs.

rhyang

Ice climber
SJC
Apr 14, 2008 - 06:19pm PT
Nice work ! Another one I should think about this season ..
micronut

Trad climber
fresno, ca
Topic Author's Reply - Apr 14, 2008 - 06:19pm PT
oh man, sorry about the plane type. Yeah, it might be a Warrior. They all look the same when the ground is flying by really, really fast. My hands are still shaking today. Kinda wacky.
TradIsGood

Chalkless climber
the Gunks end of the country
Apr 14, 2008 - 06:31pm PT
No problem. Next time you fly, ask the pilot to show you his weight and balance calculation. Ask him if the tanks are full and how much the fuel weighed.

Seriously that first picture looks like too much weight unless you are flying with fairly minimum fuel for small single prop airplanes.

Then check performance section in the aircraft flight manual (which is supposed to be in the plane). It should have a chart or other means for calculating runway length as function of temperature and barometric pressure.

If he won't do that, don't get in with 3 other guys.

:-)

Glad you walked away from it.
SteveW

Trad climber
State of confusion
Apr 14, 2008 - 06:40pm PT
Micronut
Wow! I'm glad you guys came out alive.
I'm sure I'd have needed a new change of pants after that.
Great trip, except for that!
spyork

Social climber
A prison of my own creation
Apr 14, 2008 - 06:47pm PT
For most people the first crash is the last crash.

Grats on surviving to write the TR!
micronut

Trad climber
fresno, ca
Topic Author's Reply - Apr 14, 2008 - 07:00pm PT
Yeah Trad, our guy was a great pilot and had his act together. We owe him our skins for making the call to put her down when he did. We were not going to clear the power lines at the end of the runway! He had concerns about the temps in Bridgeport rising so quickly and let us know it might be a bit sloppy getting out of Dodge. We were smooth as silk from Fresno to Bridgeport a couple days before, and from Bridgeport out later, but we had nice cool temps. He was really bugged by the way the whole thing went down, cause he's not a cowboy of a pilot and flys high strips in the mountains a good bit. We had some kooky winds and he said he probably could have given it a couple more flaps, but didn't want to risk loading us up and giving it another go. I was freaked anyway, and was willing to walk to Fresno by that time. Seriously spooky, and I'm thankful to be here sussing the whole thing out at sea level.
Mighty Hiker

Social climber
Vancouver, B.C.
Apr 14, 2008 - 07:06pm PT
I'm very impressed that you took a photo in the aircraft, while this was all going on. Or was that on the flight to Bridgeport?

Anyway, glad it worked out - small planes, and helicopters, don't mix well with mountains. As the solo thread said, some of the most dangerous approaches are in vehicles.
Zander

Trad climber
Berkeley
Apr 14, 2008 - 07:06pm PT
Woah Micronut,
Thanks for the TR, Nice that you could.
The Materhorn looks stunning.
Zander
sneville

climber
Apr 14, 2008 - 07:17pm PT
The plane looks like a cherokee 6, did it have four normal seats and two little seats? If it was a warrior or even an archer you better go buy a lotto ticket b/c you just escaped death. There is no way that either one of those planes would be able to take all four of you with gear unless each guy weight 120lbs. My guess is that the brake was so hot from the pilot trying to stop it caught the grass on fire. Check the performance charts next time. Mountains look nice though. Good to hear you walked away.
Karl Baba

Trad climber
Yosemite, Ca
Apr 14, 2008 - 07:39pm PT
TIG wrote

"No problem. Next time you fly, ask the pilot to show you his weight and balance calculation. Ask him if the tanks are full and how much the fuel weighed.

Seriously that first picture looks like too much weight unless you are flying with fairly minimum fuel for small single prop airplanes.

Then check performance section in the aircraft flight manual (which is supposed to be in the plane). It should have a chart or other means for calculating runway length as function of temperature and barometric pressure. "

I tried to follow your advice but the American Eagle Stewardess wouldn't let me talk to the pilot until I insisted and then he called homeland security and they took me and felt me up! I gave him your name as the ringleader of the plot.

That pile of meat above looked like Jeff Dalmer's fridge!

;_0

Karl


sempervirens

Trad climber
Trinity County
Apr 14, 2008 - 07:41pm PT
Good story! this is dumb... but, where do you go to see the photos? I can't find 'em.
Thanks.
le_bruce

climber
Oakland: what's not to love?
Apr 14, 2008 - 08:03pm PT
Micronut - great pics and nice send!

While I hear you about your pilot not being the irresponsible type, he did put you and your boys into a life-threatening situation. And as in most general aviation accidents, avoidably so, by the sound of it.

Weight and balance, density altitude, takeoff and landing performance - all of this is 101 stuff, and can let you know whether you're going to get off the ground and climb safely or not, given your runway length and any obstacles (like power lines). Sounds like he might have had some doubts before making the go decision.

With three other souls on board, going for it w/o being sure of your numbers is beyond irresponsible. Many situations similar to yours have ended fatally - just peruse the NTSB aviation accident database for a macabre substantiation of this fact.

Not saying this to be down on your friend (or was this a paid service?). I just hope that the pilot is being harder on himself than you're being on him!

Any case, glad no one got hurt (except the plane).
Willoughby

Social climber
Truckee, CA
Apr 14, 2008 - 09:05pm PT
Glad you boys came out unscathed. What's more scary, at least to me, is how devoid of snow that E. Coulior is. This should be prime season for skiing that thing. I'd heard that winds fouled-up/stripped-out a lot of the higher shots, but that's just friggin' ridiculous. I've also heard that V-Notch and U-Notch are already ice climbs. Tragic...
Tarbuster

climber
right here, right now
Apr 14, 2008 - 11:55pm PT
Jeepers!
There's a thread title that begs a look.
TradIsGood

Chalkless climber
the Gunks end of the country
Apr 15, 2008 - 10:42am PT
LOL.

Karl, I hope for your sake the feeler was the stewardess and not the pilot (or the pilot was female - there are a few of them around).


micronut,
Do you have any pictures of the plane with the N-number on the side?
Messages 1 - 20 of total 28 in this topic << First  |  < Previous  |  Show All  |  Next >  |  Last >>
Return to Forum List
 
Our Guidebooks
spacerCheck 'em out!
SuperTopo Guidebooks

guidebook icon
Try a free sample topo!

 
SuperTopo on the Web

Recent Route Beta