Good Monday morning from Orlando Airport.
First of all, let me add my condolences to the family, friends, and associates of Eilon Krugman-Kadi and pray that God's peace will be with them all.
I was at the Tico show over the weekend and witnessed the crash. While I didn't know immediately that he was in trouble, it only took a few seconds to watch the maneuver unravel. The announcer said that it was going to be the first half of a Cuban 8 with 1 1/2 rolls on the downline.
Even though I watched every second of the maneuver the only parts of it I was able to reconstruct in my mind were the opening loop, the teardrop turnaround, the pull, the certainly unintentional entry into the clouds, the reappearance of the aircraft, and the loss of control, and crash. I could not have told anyone WHICH WAY the airplane rolled; only that after it came out of the clouds things got bad and it crashed north of the field behind some trees on a northwest bearing from show center.
It wasn't until I saw video of the entire maneuver and crash that I was able to see and POSSIBLY understand what MAY have led to the crash. It was, for me, not only a horrible incident to watch, but also an interesting study in eyewitness reports. So many reports called it a loop or a "looping maneuver" that I wonder if anyone was actually listening to the description by the announcer. He clearly was describing a Cuban Eight. While the Cuban Eight is 5/8 of a loop, the announcer started to say, as the L-39 entered the clouds, that there was going to be a roll and a half... I actually remember more of what I heard than what I saw.
Eyewitness reports can be, and probably are, inaccurate, particularly with people who are not totally familiar with how each and every maneuver that the specific pilot was supposed to fly it. At least one media report I read said that "thousands" witnessed the crash. The weather wasn't good that day and was forecast for beautiful weather on Saturday and Sunday so only a few hundred (no more than 300 my my estimate) were there. That number included vendors and volunteers. Another report said that people left the airfield "traumatized" by the crash. While no one was unaffected, there was remarkable calm - perhaps shock - after seeing the crash. I suggested to the announcer that he request that anyone who had video bring it to the stand so that the FAA could see it and possibly have the NTSB use it in the investigation. Several people did and they were NOT traumatized.
I will not speculate as to the cause of the crash. That's up to the NTSB. They're professionals. I can only say that I hated to begin my season with the loss of a precious life.
Regards,
Rob
QUOTE(commcart @ Mar 18 2007, 01:22 AM) [snapback]4309[/snapback]
Florida Today has a report and additional video here:
http://floridatoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/arti...EWS01/703170340Anthony
L-39 Lost At Tico
Mar 16 2007, 03:38 PM
