Cirrus

Thu Mar 15, 2007 12:46 pm

I just read a report of the Cirrus crash in N Y C with Cory Lidle. It was hard to imagine a crash in vmc weather with no mechanical failure, and not only a pilot, but a CFI on board. The report says they just ran out of room, they flew between buildings that were less than 1/2 mile wide, sort of like flying in a mt canyon. From the middle where they were, the had less than 1/4 mile to turnaround in with the crosswind of at least 15 mph. At their speed of 99 knots, it woud take more than a 53 degree bank to clear, IF they started the turn right away. The overlying controlled airspace as well as IMC ceiling kept them from flying above the buildings or farther on. The FAA's solution has been to make a rule that you must be in radio contact with the controller to fly there. So if someone ever got in that situation again, now you have the added burden of chatting with someone who is probably not a pilot and almost certainly has not flown a Cirrus. A shame.

Thu Mar 15, 2007 1:08 pm

Bill,

Yes you got the details right but I heard the speed readout was 110kt. The restriction they've made permanent is over the East river. Nobody I know of is complaining about that, as you can still fly from the mouth of the hudson, north up over the Verrazano, past Liberty and up past the GWB with plenty of room for opposite direction traffic. Route works vice versa and theres plenty of room for a 180 over Liberty or a few miles north of the GWB.

I've done many sightseeing flights and rather than go around Brooklyn, take a short cut across LGA. They were always accomodating as long as you can handle the radio well. From the east and north shore of LI I asked for; South stantion Throgs Neck Bridge, tower cab, and depending on landing traffic I'd either get central park or south down the east river.

The east side is very narrow and I never thought of doing it w/o talking to LGA as it comes up fast!

Pete