Inyo County Possible Aircraft Down near Owens Lake

[rstrose]

details sketchy but possible safe ejection by fighter pilot out of china lake per reporter in the Bishop Area

bishop chp cad looks like this
Incident: 00062 Type: Aircraft Emergency Location: Us395 / Cottonwood Rd TBM/LatLon: 36.443552 -118.034563
Detail Information
4:15 PM 26 [76] 72-S3 REQ START MILLERS FOR AMBULANCE AND PATROL VEH WHO ARE STUCK [Shared]
4:15 PM 25 [75] 72-S3 AND PILOT ARE 97 W/ AMBULANCE WHO IS STUCK [Shared]
4:14 PM 24 [74] 1039 ICSO [Shared]
4:13 PM 23 [71] 1039 ICSO W/LINE 69 THEY ALSO ADVS CLPD IS UNAVAIL FOR AIR RESCUE [Shared]
4:09 PM 22 [69] 72-S3 ADVS 97 W/ PILOT WHO WAS SOLO OCCUPANT / NOTIFY LONE PINE FIRE THEY HAVE RESTAGED CLOSER TO 395 HAVE THEM ROLL THAT WAY W/ AMBULANCE [Shared]
4:08 PM 21 [68] 1039 ICSO [Shared]
4:05 PM 20 [66] 1039 ICSO / THEY ARE LL W/ CHINA LAKE WHO WILL ATTEMPT TO GET SOMEONE LAUNCHED BUT THEY ARE STILL CHECKING [Shared]
4:04 PM 19 [65] LN 63 PER 72-S3 SEEING THIS THROUGH BINOS [Shared]
4:03 PM 18 [62] 72-S3 REQ ROLL FRESNO AIR OPS TO CHECK FOR PILOT AND APSSENGER / 72-7''S VEH IS STUCK IN THE SAND WILL BE IN THE VEH W/ 72-S3 [Shared]
3:56 PM 17 [59] 1039 ICSO LN 58 [Shared]
3:53 PM 16 [57] 72-S3 COPEIS LN 55 [Shared]
3:52 PM 15 [55] PILOT SAW EMERGENCY VEHS SO HE WAS WALKING TOWARDS THEM [Shared]
3:50 PM 14 [52] 1039 ICSO / THEY CAN CHECK W/CLPD TO SEE IF THEY CAN RESPOND [Shared]
3:48 PM 13 [51] 72-S3 REQ CHECK TO SEE IF ANY HELICOPTERS ARE AVAIL FOR RESCUE [Shared]
3:47 PM 12 [46] 1039 72- C [Shared]
3:46 PM 11 [45] 1039 ICSO W/ LNS 41-44 [Shared]
3:45 PM 10 [44] 1039 CLPD - THEY HAVE NOT RCVD ANY INFO ON A PLANE DOWN BUT THEY WILL INVESTIGATE [Shared]
3:42 PM 9 [40] 1039 ENTAC [Shared]
3:39 PM 8 [34] [Appended, 15:40:59] [2] SMOKE AND FLAMES
3:37 PM 7 [14] [Appended, 15:38:19] [5] BLACK SMOKE AND FLAMES
3:37 PM 6 [8] BLK SMOKE AND FLAMES
3:37 PM 5 [15] [Appended, 15:38:19] [4] PARACHUTE LANDED S/O THE PLANE
3:36 PM 4 [2] NOW SEEING SMOKE AND FLAMES ON VALLEY FLOOR
3:36 PM 3 [22] [Appended, 15:39:16] [6] BRUSH ON FIRE
3:36 PM 2 [1] RP SAW PARACHUTE COMING DOWN ABOVE THE FIRE
3:35 PM 1 [24] [Appended, 15:39:16] [4] BLACK SMOKE
Unit Information
3:39 PM 4 Unit Assigned
3:39 PM 3 Unit Enroute
3:41 PM 2 Unit Assigned
3:41 PM 1 Unit Enroute

 

[mark5388916]

According to the Inyo Register, it was a 144th FW F-16 from Fresno. Pilot survives jet crash at Owens Dry Lake | The Inyo Register

 

[gariac]

NOTAM for crash.

!FDC 2/9035 ZLA CA.. FLIGHT RESTRICTIONS 6 SE LONE PINE, CA. EFFECTIVE
IMMEDIATELY UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE. PURSUANT TO 14 CFR SECTION
91.137(A)(2) TEMPORARY FLIGHT RESTRICTIONS ARE IN EFFECT WITHIN A 3
NAUTICAL MILE RADIUS OF 362905N/1180112W OR THE BISHOP /BIH/ VOR/DME 148
DEGREE RADIAL AT 56.0 NAUTICAL MILES AT AND BELOW 3000 FEET AGL TO
PROVIDE A SAFE ENVIRONMENT FOR ACCIDENT INVESTIGAT- ION AND RECOVERY.
R2508 CCF TELEPHONE 661-277-2508 IS IN CHARGE OF THE OPERATION. LOS
ANGELES /ZLA/ ARTCC TELEPHONE 661-265-8205 IS THE FAA COORDINATION FACILITY.

 

[SCPD]

The notation CLPD must refer to China Lake (CL) but the letters PD don't make sense. The facility has a law enforcement organization, but why would it be involved in an aircraft down situation? Other than that I understand all the CAD shorthand. Miller's Towing is based in Lone Pine and has about a dozen or more trucks of all sizes that can handle heavy and complex tow jobs.

The area is in a military ops area (R2508) that is used frequently and makes National Park Service, Forest Service and BLM aircraft operations more complicated. Military and natural resource aircraft use National Air Guard, 168.625 with Tone 2 (123.0) to announce their activity within the area, similar to a CTAF frequency. I used to listen to them doing so by monitering the UHF downlink of the Air Guard remote base on Silver Peak east of Bishop. The military aircraft seemed to have gone with digital voice several years ago and I haven't heard anything since.

The NPS, USFS and BLM have quite a problem with military pilots hot shoting at very low elevations in very inappropriate locations such as flying below 500 feet over Half Dome and Tioga Pass in Yosemite NP. Some years back I was driving on U.S. 395 southbound between Independence and Lone Pine when a large roar came out of nowhere followed by the car being buffeted by strong winds and finally the sight of a military jet flying directly over the highway at a low enough elevation that I could see where locations on the bottom of the wings had lettering painted. I held on for dear life and figured I was about to be killed by a semi about to hit me and I could not shut the adrenaline valve for a minute of so. I had to pull off the highway at the next opportunity to calm down.

 

[MtnBiker2005]

http://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=152093