Rockwell Plane Crash near Superstition Peak 5,024

[BEEBEE]

Pinal County Sheriff's Office spokesman Elias Johnson confirmed a plane went down in the mountain range and caused a small fire.

Johnson said the size of the plane and number of people involved is...
Read more: http://www.abc15.com/dpp/news/region_so ... z1eaKUmIg1

- Doesn't look like anyone survived the crash
- Small twin-engine plane Rockwell Aero Commander 690 turboprop
- departed from Mesa's Falcon Field when it crashed
- Authorities started getting calls reporting an explosion at about 6:30 p.m.
- unclear how many passengers were aboard the plane or who owned the aircraft
- 24-inch tires found at the crash site
- witnesses told tv stations they heard a plane trying to rev its engines to climb higher before apparently hitting the mountains
- elevation is about 5,000 feet at the Superstition Mountains' highest point

Map: Map approximate location of Rockwell AC69 plane crash Superstition Mountains - Lost Dutchman State Park - Siphon Draw - Flatiron

[BEEBEE]

I can see the flames from my house. I went out to walk around the neighborhood for my evening walk and saw it and was like tonight is a new moon thats a fire.

[Trishness]

Yeah, it's up in Siphon Draw.

[kevinweitzel75]

And unfortunately the Supes take another.

[Trishness]

There is a good sized fire up there as I can see it from my house without binoculars. I'm a couple of miles away <as the crow flies> from that area. Looks like it is way up in the draw, almost at the top. Hope no one was hiking up there......I have known people that hike up there at night this time of year.

[Thoreau]

I don't envy the rescue crews on this one.

[Thoreau]

PCSO audio feed
http://www.radioreference.com/apps/audi ... eedId=2103

147.12 (mesa repeater) seems to have a few people tracking the incident.

[BEEBEE]

I live up on the north end of Signal Butte I can still see the glow. I was listening to DPS air rescue and could hear the officer on the ground. He reported the aircraft pancaked in and the wreckage was on an upper and lower mesa. The officer was not comfortable with climbing up to the upper mesa in the dark. He said the wreckage was almost completely consumed. It's very sad. I doubt there will be any survivors.

[Trishness]

This is very sad indeed.

I'm on Ironwood and have a pretty decent view of Siphon Draw. The fire seems to flare up and then simmer down some even 2 hours after the plane went down.

[PatrickL]

Just caught this on the news. Very sad.

[kevinweitzel75]

News just reported that a 12 person crew has started the 6 hour hike.

[WilliamnWendi]

Just caught this on the news too. Very sad. Strange I was gonna try and locate the wreckage that was already up there this weekend, sad to hear the Supe's took another one especially this Thanksgiving eve.

[joebartels]

approximate location of Superstition Mountain Rockwell Aero Commander 690 turboprop plane crash
http://hikearizona.com/map.php?QX=1231

[Dave1]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aero_Commander_500_family


http://www.skybrary.aero/index.php/AC90

[Trishness]

http://www.azcentral.com/photo/News/Other/20816


seems to be at/or around Peak 5024 east of Flatiron. Maybe they were trying to clear the mountain and just didn't quite make it. So sorry for the families

Latest news is that there were 3 adults and several children on board. No survivors.
The plane left Falcon Field going to Safford? Several witnesses stated they heard the planes engines rev as if they were trying to gain altitude and then crashed into the mountain.

[RickVincent]

Has anyone heard if there were any hikers or backpackers up there? Sounds like this crash was very close to the often used camping spot near the towering spires just below 5024.

[BEEBEE]

Due to the airspace design on the east end of the valley aircraft not on an instrument flight plan stay low to remain outside of the Phoenix Class B airspace and then once clear they can climb up to a higher altitude. Its likely this plane was not on a flight plan (VFR) and was not able to get or did not request clearance to enter the Class B airspace and was planning on remaining below what is referred to as the shelf which has a base of 5,000 feet above sea level and a top of 9,000 feet above sea level and ran into the terrain. The term for this type of accident in aviation is called CFIT Controlled Flight Into Terrain and it an all too common killer. A few years back a similar accident occurred with a plane that departed Scottsdale airport and impacted the McDowell Mountains on its western face. Since the night was moonless the ridge line was not silhouetted and would have been difficult to see with out onboard equipment such as TAWS, EGPWS or SVT. It’s also not likely that the pilot was talking to ATC as the controller would have been issuing an altitude alert that the aircraft was heading to higher terrain. It is going to be a very sad Thanksgiving for the people whom the family on this aircraft belonged to.

[WilliamnWendi]

I remember a while back that needed ATC upgrades are in dispute. Would they, if they had been rolled out, given more pilots access to flight plans to eliminate these kind of thing?

[BEEBEE]

There is no requirement for pilots on non instrument flights to file a flight plan except in special circumstances. My previous post is speculation based on what I know about the accident today however if he was on an instrument flight plan the likelihood of this type of accident occurring is much lower. When the NTSB reports comes out it will explain what they feel is the cause based on the facts they collect. If there was no mechanical failure involved CFIT is the likely cause.

[hvydrt]

I am planning to hike superstition (5057) from Carney Springs on saturday. Anyone know if this area is closed due to the crash? I am not from the area and not sure how close 5024 is to 5057 and what areas are closed.