quote:

I'm in Pilot sudden death camp.Today most charter clients are requesting Pilots that haven't had the shot

But wouldn't the passengers have been able to at least figure out how to use the radio?

News reports on NBC said the plane was flying at 34k ft. Is it normal for a plane like that to be flying at that altitude?

quote:

Originally posted by fiasconva:
News reports on NBC said the plane was flying at 34k ft. Is it normal for a plane like that to be flying at that altitude?

I believe the Maximum Operating Altitude for Cessna Citations is around 45,000 ft.

Further details. Apparently the pilot was spotted by the F-16 drivers as being unresponsive, supporting the hypoxia theory.

quote:

Originally posted by parabellum:
Everyone "freaks out" now over anything, conditioned to do so by our senasationalist tabloid news media.

Agreed. Growing up on the East Coast over the decades, the occasional sonic boom was recognized as such and accepted as part of life. No one "panicked" nor freaked out". How times, and people, have changed.

If a depressurization event did take place several things happen that are impossible to ignore.

1. At 10000 ft cabin altitude a warning light and LOUD horn activates.
2 At around 12000 ft +- cabin altitude the oxygen mask drop from overhead compartments.
3. At around 14000 ft +- cabin altitude the emergency pressurization should activate automatically.

Different manufacture's systems may very somewhat.

I'm curious if the F-16 Pilots saw oxygen mask hanging in the cabin and if the windows were iced over on the inside.

If they saw the mask's then we can assume depressurization occurred.
A copilot would have been helpful.
The whole thing is very tragic.

Way back in 1958 on TV, ace pilot Steve Canyon had to shoot down a B-47 headed to Russia with an incapacitated crew.

28. Operation Intercept.

A freak accident kills the pilot and co-pilot of a B-47 bomber heading for Russia. Gen. Connors: Nelson Leigh. Ingrid: Ingrid Goude. Maj. Williston: Jerry Paris.

Five-minute preview:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iUmK_z3izKo

quote:

Originally posted by 104RFAST:
I'm in Pilot sudden death camp.

There was at least one adult passenger, so, sudden death is not going to be the answer to the riddle.

Adina Azarian was a client of mine. My pest control firm did the inspections on the homes she was selling. Very nice woman.

quote:

Originally posted by Fly-Sig:

A rapid or explosive decompression requires the pilot do nothing except put on his O2 and establish communication with the other pilot.

There was only one pilot on this flight (Cessna 560 is one of the Citation series that is certified for single pilot operation).

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quote:

Originally posted by fiasconva:

News reports on NBC said the plane was flying at 34k ft. Is it normal for a plane like that to be flying at that altitude?

Yes. Higher altitudes are more fuel-efficient. This model Citation is capable of cruising at altitudes up to FL 450.

quote:

Originally posted by uvahawk:

quote:

Originally posted by parabellum:
Everyone "freaks out" now over anything, conditioned to do so by our senasationalist tabloid news media.

Agreed. Growing up on the East Coast over the decades, the occasional sonic boom was recognized as such and accepted as part of life. No one "panicked" nor freaked out". How times, and people, have changed.

ditto,
when VAANG flew out of RIC , once in a good while one would do the boom,

however here in the south side, we had RIC to the north, a couple of Quarries and then Ft Pickett to the south, when it was used to train Artillery,

so a boom was frequent

Still no information on the Pilot!
That's a little strange

Do you smell a conspracy?

Probably Biden. Or China. Or LGBTQ+. I don't know who we blaming today.

There is no conspiracy here. I knew the pilot. His name is out there if you look, as is his background. Sad day all around. He left a wife, son and a daughter.

His name is not being put out by the press because it's not sensational, unlike relatives of an NRA executive. They're muckraking reptiles.

accident investigations have a pretty good success rate explaining these things so comments before that is done is purely speculation. But I will bet real money that this is a depressurization event and the pilot was not complying with the relevant regulations on oxygen 14CFR135.89, oxygen mask requirements. The autopilot did its job headed the the airport desired and then when they didn't land picked what was in the backup. Who knows why DC was what was in the FMS.

Looks like it crashed in the St. Mary's Wilderness area. That is some rugged area in places. Mine shafts from the old days when they mined manganese and iron ore.

In 1987, I was turkey hunting that area and heard a mountain lion squeal. At the time, I also realized that I had a hernia.