Baron/C180 Mid Air.

Wulfenite · 03-24-2004, 21:30

Tragic Stuff.

http://www.avweb.com/newswire/10_13a.../186939-1.html

MarcDW · 03-25-2004, 16:06

He should play the lottery after this!

elgoatropo · 03-30-2004, 12:48

Says the 180 broke up in flight. Seems strange for landing gear strike, but severe yaw from collision of right main with baron may have over-stressed airframe, especially if he was pushing yellow arc in descent.

I have flown around Edwards, Antelope Valley - Good place to get VFR flight following, or better yet, File!

Looking at the third image, there might be damage to the vertical stab. If that is the case, that would explain loss of control of the 180, since it is right in line with the 180's right horizontal stab.

Wulfenite · 03-30-2004, 13:52

My thought was the 180 might have survived if it was a 182.

If you look at the photo, the mains on the 180 insert right at the junction of the motor, firewall, wing strut, and directly below the main spar. There's not much "crumple zone" there. If the gear leg or the connection where the leg attaches to the air frame do not give way (which looks likely based on the photos) the load is immediately transferend to a very critical portion of the airframe. The Skylane looks like it would transfer the load to a less critica portion of the airframe.

elgoatropo · 03-31-2004, 06:51

I see what you are saying. I still like taildraggers better.

Wulfenite · 03-31-2004, 08:29

Yeah, Cessna definately hit grand-slam home runs with the 180, 185 and 195 models.