Has anyone noticed an increase in GA accidents/incidents?

greenspun.com : LUSENET : TimeBomb 2000 (Y2000) : One Thread

This may be related to ATC problems. Three events in less than two weeks. Plus,yesterday at Dekalb-Peachtree Airport a Cherokee Warrior crashed, killing the student pilot who was the only person aboard. He was shooting touch and go's and, shortly after taking off, at an altitude of only about 50 feet, he banked to the left to avoid a helicopter, struck the ground and cartwheeled. It is unclear whether the airplane stalled, although the crash happened in full view of a number of spectators having lunch at a restaurant overlooking the runway. It is also unclear whether the helicopter was where the tower had cleared it to be. This is the second incident at PDK within the last few months where a crash resulted from a pilot maneuvering to avoid a collision.

"Student pilot dies in DeKalb airport crash

Excerpt:

Unidentified man was trying to avoid helicopter when single-engine craft slammed into runway.

According to the witnesses, had he (the helicopter pilot) not veered, they (the plane and the helicopter)would have likely collided," Wilson said. "We have not found anything that leads us to believe there was a problem with the airplane."

Wilson had not talked with air traffic controllers, but he said the helicopter pilot, whom he refused to identify, had told investigators he had clearance to land. The pilot estimated he was flying about 60 knots when the crash occurred, Wilson said.

'He wasn't even aware that the aircraft was behind him until he heard the air traffic control calling for emergency vehicles,' Wilson said."

http://www.accessatlanta.com/partners/ajc/epaper/editions/today/local_news_13.html

-- Rachel Gibson (rgibson@hotmail.com), February 16, 2000


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