Thanks Mike for correcting the scenario. Perhaps his head
was down in the cockpit for some reason and looked up and saw he
was too close in. Any frequency or transponder code changes
at that moment?

Seems unlikely he was over gross after flying
in from Portland... just to rule out a scenario.
What is the field elevation and pattern altitude?

Paul Lamar

Michael McGee wrote:

No last minute frequency or xponder changes, the last we heard from him was
when he transmitted "number four" as he was the last of the flight to turn
into downwind.  A few seconds later the #3 plane called saying Gary
crashed.  It happened really fast with no last transmission about anything
being wrong.

Field elevation 5200, pattern altitude 6200, 410nm from departure point
with one stop half way.  Easy range for an RV-6, we flew a straight line
all the way cruising about 155 kts.  My 150 hp fixed pitch was setting the
pace from Portland.  The other three were 180's so they were just loafing
along.  I don't know how he was loaded.  We were staying in the hotel so
there was no camping gear.

There was a good 100 yards separation between the first two planes in the
pattern and the second two.  Based on witnesses reports the planes weren't
lined up close enough that the wake vortices would be a problem.

Mike

Mike McGee, RV-4 N996RV, O320-E2G, Aurora, OR

 
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