Nascar's Greg Biffle killed in plane crash
Discussion
Nope, my mistake, confirmed as Him, wife and 2 kids so far according to a family friend.
https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/37680456/plane-slams...
https://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/us-news/breaking-...
https://www.motorsport.com/nascar-cup/news/nascar-...
Edited by IanH755 on Thursday 18th December 19:49
butchstewie said:
Yeah not good.
A comment summarising the vid (not endorsing the accuracy of it):1. The pilot in command (PIC) was likely Biffle's regular pilot, Dennis Dutton., and the co-pilot was like the pilot's 20 year old son, Jack.
2. The FAA requires that the Citation 550 have a qualified (on the Citation 550) co-pilot on EVERY flight, unless the PIC has a waiver. As of a few days ago, Dutton's aviation license does not list a waiver to fly the Citation 550 solo.
3. The Citation 550 is very easy to overload... if full fuel, a couple of passengers and normal luggage would put it at its limit. We do not know if this flight.has full fuel. Maybe it had less. 7 passengers plus luggage might have been severely overweight.
4. Several ground witnesses said they saw something like luggage come out of the plane and hit the right (starboard) engine.
5. Dutton was Biffle's regular pilot. Biffle either did or did not know this was an illegal flight b/c there was no qualified co-pilot. If he did know, then he approved an illegal and dangerous flight. If he did not know the flight was illegal, then pilot Dutton was not only negligent, but dishonest, in not informing Biffle that a co-pilot was required by FAA regulation. My gut tells me Biffle knew, but figured an excellent retired airline pilot would be able to handle any emergency that might arise, and that the FAA regulation did not apply to him.
6. When the right engine failed, and emergency arose. Procedures for handling that emergency would be known by both pilot and co-pilot, and together they would calmly establish a plan to get the plane on the ground safely. Because there was no qualified co-pilot, the PIC was overwhelmed with tasks, having not even yet completed his normal checklist for takeoff.
7. The PIC decided to return to this remote airfield. Some speculate that it was b/c he knew he and more importantly his son (who some report wanted to eventually fly for an airline), would permanently lose his license if they were to declare an emergency and fhad they flown the mere 6 extra miles into the safer airport in Charlotte, where his illegal (both father an son) flight would have been exposed.
8. As experience C550 pilot @fernandorosales2418 writes below, Even if the plane were (somewhat) overweight, with neutral flaps and gear up, it should have been able with one engine to take an extended loopy turn to line up for re-landing at the same airport. But as we heard in the audio, flaps were NOT neutral, and gear was NOT up. This is a fatal mistake, combined with a tight final turn into runway approach. Overweight plus tight turn, plus flaps down ,plus gear down = almost certain crash. If the plane were severely overweight, it is possible that even sound re-landing decisions by the PIC would not have resulted in a safe landing. How much fuel was on board is the missing piece of information.
9. Flight plan is reported to have been Charlotte to Bradenton, which is 619 miles. It is possible that this flight was only fueled to 40-50%, given the 550's range of 1500-2000 miles depending on variant. I read the 550 has a 5,000 lb. fuel capacity. If it were only half full, that frees up 2,500 lbs for extra passengers and luggage. It is certainly possible the flight was NOT overweight.
10. Had there been a qualified co-pilot, rather and a 20 year old kid who was probably licensed for a single engine prop plane, in right seat, that co-pilot would have advised the PIC that it was way to early to have flaps and gear down, and that the approach turn needed to be wide. The PIC missed this. It was a mistake. A qualified C550 co-pilot almost surely would have calmed the PIC, taken some of the load, and helped the PIC to land this plane safely. That is why the FAA requires a qualified co-pilot on the Citation 550.
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