Fatal Avid Crash

[akflyer 1427]

http://www.wtae.com/news/small-plane-crashes-at-washington-county-airport/24920852

 

Well this just sucks.  I am not sure if he was a member here or not.  

 

 

[dynomike 91]

that does suck ,one hell of a hill to roll down.

[SuberAvid 617]

Man; like loosing part of the family.

[thebriman 69]

I seem to remember him posting on the Yahoo group, but I've not seen him on here.  Tragic loss for his folks and the aviation community.  Lets take his accident as a reminder to be as safe as we can while we fly.    

[EDMO 1078]

None of us wants to be in a photo like that - Did anyone ever hear the how and why ?  Maybe on Yahoo?

My wife sure don't need to see that photo.  Sorry for his family.

EDMO

[akflyer 1427]

the why is not out yet..

 

[lostman 198]

I would sure guess he wasn't trying to land on the hill the plane rolled down. Looks like he either lost an engine or had something else catastrophic happen to him. Even with an engine loss doesn't seem like he would have had that kind of impact. There is always the possibility of a physical incapacitation happening.

 

Anyway it happened, it's a shame and I feel for the family. Sounds like he was just a good guy doing what he loved in life in general. This is the second reminder in the past week that life is short. I lost a friend of mine when he and another friend were biking to work. Both of them were hit and killed instantly by a truck at 6AM. I don't want to go out on my way to work, but at least he was biking which he was very avid with and loved doing. Shame, between the two of them I think they left 6 or 8 children, their wives are really good friends and they lived next to each other as neighbors as well. Live life while you can my friends! I always see Leni's signature and it's a great reminder, our time here is short, and none of us know when we'll be gone and how we are leaving.

[allonsye 85]

I tried to find info on this for the benefit from a safety standpoint in hopes of preventing a like tragety.  Hopefully we will have the benefit of report in the near future  Appears he was a fairly new pilot and had purchased this Avid last Nov. Yes, true, seems he was a really great guy. Sad how these things are in life. I think all of us know of someone or have lost a loved one.  It causes me to wonder, gee, they were so young, contributed so much and had so much more to give. Now they are gone and you just can't get over it but you are grateful that you had them in your life's journey and try to accept that its not to you to judge how long a life should be lived. My condolences.

[ChrisBolkan 130]

I've seen that plane before by the color. I think on barnstormers.

[skypics 89]

I didn't see any mention of it being and Avid and what I coud see on the photos didn't look like an Avid.

 

John M

[akflyer 1427]

I didn't see any mention of it being and Avid and what I coud see on the photos didn't look like an Avid.

 

John M

 

WASHINGTON, Pa. —A former Ukrainian champion figure skater who died Tuesday after crashing a small plane at the Washington County Airport is being remembered for his contributions to the sport.

• Photos: Plane crash at Washington County Airport
  

  A pilot suffered serious injuries Tuesday afternoon after a small plane crashed at the Washington County Airport.

  More

Igor Novodran, 52, of Upper St. Clair, died at UPMC Presbyterian hospital late Tuesday. No one else was in the plane.

Novodran was widely known as a figure skating coach at the Robert Morris University Island Sports Center on Neville Island.

VIDEO: Watch Amber Nicotra's report

"He was a great coach to kids that he coached in Pittsburgh and very driven," said Beth Sutton, skating director at the RMU Island Sports Center. "Igor had a really good heart and should be remembered as a good guy and a great coach."

According to emergency dispatchers, the single-engine plane was attempting to land about 2 p.m. when it crashed onto its roof and rolled down a hillside.

"The gentleman was out practicing touch-and-go landings. (He) started somewhere around 2 o’clock. Shortly after 2 o’clock, we had word that the aircraft was down. We found the aircraft where it sits now, down below the runway. It appears that he was in a turn coming back towards the runway. We didn’t see it, so we’re not exactly sure what happened," said the airport's executive director, Scott Gray.

Fire crews said the front of the 1998 Avid Bandit aircraft was destroyed and the cockpit badly damaged.

[EDMO 1078]

ChrisB,

      One of our members in Alaska bought a plane with those same colors - maybe it had been listed on Barnstormers.

EDMO

[Av8r3400 1179]

"...turn coming back toward the runway..."

 

The classic "impossible turn", stall-spin scenario?  Very sad.  God's speed to a fellow aviator and his family.

[dholly 718]

From FAA Registry:

 

Aircraft Description

 

Serial Number 1509E

Status Valid

Manufacturer Name WATERS PETER T

Certificate Issue Date 11/18/2013

Model AVID BANDIT

Expiration Date 11/30/2016

Type Aircraft Fixed Wing Single-Engine

Type Engine Reciprocating

Pending Number Change None

Dealer No

Date Change Authorized None

Mode S Code (base 8 / oct) 52012473

MFR Year 1998

Mode S Code (base 16 / hex) A8153B

Type Registration Individual

Fractional Owner NO

 

Airworthiness

 

Engine Manufacturer BOMBARDIER

Classification Experimental

Engine Model ROTAX (ALL)

Category Amateur Built

A/W Date 07/31/1998

 

[edit] So based on cert issue date, there may have been some truth this was a recent purchase or a new plane to the pilot. That is not to insinuate that he may have been a poor or inexperienced pilot, I certainly won't speculate. FWIW, I also see he did have another E-AB plane currently registered. A 1992 built Lyc 0-290 powered EAA Biplane Model P, sounds fun whatever that little bugger is.

Edited 25 Mar 2014 by dholly

[mtgsxr 0]

wow.. sad.  I was looking to buy that plane last October.  He beat me to it.