Four Dead in Private Plane Crash.

[Det-Sog]

That voice to text function can be a bitch sometimes

Especially when you are half awake on your 1st cup of coffee, then hit the "post reply" button instead of the microphone button and go for more coffee before reading what you wrote... Got me.

Will, I though this Alpha Joe was supposed to help with this kind of stuff...

[ABNAK]

When I said I'd go for it as a passenger, I mentioned if it wasn't a depressurization. If it was it'd be lights out for everyone. If it was a medical emergency you'd better be damn sure I'd at least try something. Maybe have watched too much TV but you definitely die one way, the other you just *might* pull it off (with a need for new underwear I am sure).

[ODgreenpizza]

How did this plane turn around over New York? Did the autopilot initiate some type of RTB function? In the Payne Stewart case it seems the autopilot just maintained speed/altitude/heading until fuel ran out.

[ryr8828]

When I said I'd go for it as a passenger, I mentioned if it wasn't a depressurization. If it was it'd be lights out for everyone. If it was a medical emergency you'd better be damn sure I'd at least try something. Maybe have watched too much TV but you definitely die one way, the other you just *might* pull it off (with a need for new underwear I am sure).

Dad taught me how to land the plane when I was in 8th grade just in case something happened to him in the air when we were in the plane. Lots of touch and goes at the local airport.
Only a cessna 182 but was really neat for me at that age.

My grandson joined the civil air patrol and got his pilot's license at 17 or 18.

[Gabriel556]

Autopilots have multiple modes, heading, level (altitude), Nav, and approach usually for modern autopilots. Without knowing what exactly was loaded into the Nav or what the flight plan was, it is likely an initial turn to a hold at the destination OR sometimes pilots load an approach to the departure airport at the end of the as cleared flight plan as a quick out in case they need an immediate return and weather may be a factor at the departure end. It could have also been an error entry because if the cabin pressure was climbing, hypoxia affects decision making. You should see trained pilots fumble 3rd grade math during altitude chamber testing. It’s wild.

[Disciple]

You should see trained pilots fumble 3rd grade math during altitude chamber testing. It’s wild.

Reminded me of this.

[chuckman]

Reminded me of this.

Although I was aircrew, none of my platforms required us to wear oxygen, but we did do the chamber just as an exercise in the explanation of altitude physiology. It is quite humbling.

[Coal Dragger]

Airline pilot here. As someone else mentioned, this brought back memories of the Payne Stewart crash. That one hurt, because I loved that guy and just watched him play in the tournament very shortly before the crash.

If I'm not mistaken, there was only one pilot on board the Cessna that crashed in Virginia. That model of citation I believe, is certified to be flown single pilot.

The depressurization is the only thing that makes sense to me. If the pilot had a heart attack and slumped over, the passengers would've noticed. One of them would've tried to do something, that either would have alerted air, traffic control, or made the plane crash more quickly. I'm thinking at a minimum one of the passengers would've got a radio call out. Just pick up the microphone and start talking, someone would've heard.

Now if the passengers were conscious, as soon as the F-16s pulled up next door, you would think the passengers will be waving out the window frantically. They weren't.

It's just sad. Lots can go wrong. As said, when you have a rapid depressurization, you only have a few seconds to get your mask on. It only works if you put it on in time, and this is assuming the oxygen bottle on the airplane was pressurized. Back in my corporate days, there were a timer to where I've cut the oxygen bottle, empty, or very low on the preflight. Not saying this is what happened, but you have to pay attention to these things.

The oxygen bottle for the Payne Stewart flight was turned off. It's part of the preflight. You have to check that before you takeoff. You can't turn the bottle on from inside the airplane. Even if you could, you won't have time in a rapid depressurization scenario. You'll be out by then.

As a dumb dumb with no aviation knowledge I have questions:

1.) Would it be possible to equip aircraft with cabin air pressure sensors that alert the crew of slow depressurization?

2.) In the even of a rapid depressurization that might incapacitate the crew is it possible to program an autopilot function that broadcasts an emergency and immediately dumps altitude in an effort to reach a survivable atmospheric pressure?

[hotbiggun42]

They were big Trump donars? This true?

[ace4059]

As a dumb dumb with no aviation knowledge I have questions:

1.) Would it be possible to equip aircraft with cabin air pressure sensors that alert the crew of slow depressurization?

2.) In the even of a rapid depressurization that might incapacitate the crew is it possible to program an autopilot function that broadcasts an emergency and immediately dumps altitude in an effort to reach a survivable atmospheric pressure?

Not a direct answer, but I know some of the new, smaller, and expensive aircraft have an emergency button that will automatically land the plane. It automatically sends a distress call, locates the closest airport with adequate runway, changes course, and lands all with the push of one button. I think it’s one small jet and a few turboprops like the TBM 940/960 have this optional feature. But you have to be conscious to push the button. Also a lot of the larger commercial jets have “auto land” capabilities but that requires a large amount on input from the pilots. That’s different from just a one button push for an emergency landing.

Then I know there are a few others when set to auto pilot, there is essentially an alerter. But instead of terms of a train where it would put it in suppression and stop a train, on these planes any button with flight control has to be pressed every x number minutes to “reset the alerter” or the plane is programmed to assume an unresponsive crew from a depressurization and descend to a lower altitude in hopes they regain consciousness. I think those are programmed to fly straight and level at 15k feet.

I’m sure others with more knowledge will chime in.