Plane Crash west of Loveland

[BinaryMode]

At 11:11 am it appears a CAP Cessna 182 N434CP crashed on Palisade Mountain just West of Loveland, Co.

Units on scene are; Engines 42, 43, 47, Tower 46, Water Tender 43, Air Craft Rescue 44, Canyon fire and Paramedic 341. As well as Larimer SAR and units from Estes Park. Comms are are Mutual Aid 1 and helicopter Lifeline-1 is communicating on Larimer EMS (9166).


ADS-B Exchange rewind of when crash happened. The elevation there is about 8,200' and this plane was just over that height as you can see in the following video: 12.76 MB file on MEGA

I'm hearing that the national guard will be helping with a black hawk and that there are three patients.

I'm still not quite sure this was a CAP plane crash, but I went back at least 5 hours in time at ADS-B Exchange and saw no other aircraft in the area.

UPDATE: Two code blacks one code yellow.

 

[BinaryMode]

I'm still not entirely sure this was in fact a CAP plane crash, though it looks like KDVR is reporting it as such. I was monitoring CAP this morning and at 08:19 it appears CAP WAS looking for a downed aircraft. What's odd is that I think CAP is using Mode-C squawking so they won't appear on ADS- B Exchange et al and this aircraft that crashed may have been using Mode-C as well. I'm going to go back several more hours in the ADS-B Exchange timeline and see if I can't spot some aircraft in that area last night. I'm also going to check liveatc.net audio archives. Attached is the CAP air traffic I captured this morning. 2.59 MB file on MEGA

 

[d119]

UPDATE: Two code blacks one code yellow.

Meaning...?

 

[BinaryMode]

Okay, in the archive for KFNL at liveatc.net in the 18:00 hour at 11:11:47, CAP 582 reported to KFNL tower an ELT on their second radio monitoring 121.5. CAP must have been doing training this morning. And they do show up on ADS-B Exchange using ADS-B squawking. I missed seeing CAP 582, but both CAP aircraft are there.

Very, very weird for a CAP plane to go down, and it was confusing to me. Because it's CAP themselves that look for downed aircraft, you know?

Meaning...?

EMERGENCY MEDICAL RESPONSE

Off topic, but I find it interesting that the plane went down at 11:11. The number 11 is an angel number in numerology. I see the number 11 all the time. Then again, that may be physiology or whatever you'd call it.

My condolences to the families.

 

[BinaryMode]

The last transmission of CAP 534 at 10:08 AM. Curiosity of liveatc.net

 

[DancingFey]

Prayers to all families. With respect to those involved, Yes, it was a CAP plane, from my understanding it was a scheduled training photography flight.

Off topic, but I find it interesting that the plane went down at 11:11. The number 11 is an angel number in numerology. I see the number 11 all the time. Then again, that may be physiology or whatever you'd call it.

My condolences to the families.

Yes, I agree that there was an angel aboard. As there wasn't three code blacks. The co-pilot is now in stable condition. We have to wait to find out what happened. If you knew the pilot or photographer my prayers are with you.

 

[wuzafuzz]

Press release from the CO Governor and Adjutant General.
Governor Polis, Major General Clellan Release Statements on Crash of Civil Air Patrol Plane | Colorado Governor Jared Polis

Sincerest condolences to families, friends, and fellow CAP members.


"Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of Earth

And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings;

Sunward I’ve climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth

Of sun-split clouds, –- and done a hundred things

You have not dreamed of –- wheeled and soared and swung

High in the sunlit silence. Hov’ring there,

I’ve chased the shouting wind along, and flung

My eager craft through footless halls of air . . . .



Up, up the long, delirious, burning blue

I’ve topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace

Where never lark, or even eagle flew —

And, while with silent, lifting mind I’ve trod

The high untrespassed sanctity of space,

Put out my hand, and touched the face of God."
by John Gillespie Magee Junior

 

[BinaryMode]

Just want to make a correction. I said: "Curiosity of liveatc.net." I of course meant to say courtesy of liveatc.net

The plane went down at 11:10 or 11:11 and the dispatch page went out at 11:20.

The code yellow patient was air lifted to the hospital.

Larimer SAR was up on the mountain yesterday reterving the code blacks and I think finally turned off the ELT. I'm betting damn near every GA and commercial plane in Northern Colorado could hear that eerie sounding alarm on 121.5. Very sad for the aviation community at large. The news here went world wide. Even the Times Of India has reported on it.

 

[BinaryMode]

The preliminary report can be found here.

The survivor stated that the flight consisted of flying large circles over mountain roads and a
valley, and the photography mission was completed. After completion of the mission, the pilot
flew the airplane to the south of the mission area. The survivor thought that the pilot was
returning to the FNL base. He stated that the airplane was maneuvering over trees, about
1,500 AGL, heading toward higher terrain (a ridgeline). Within seconds, he heard the pilot say,
“Oh [expletive].” The pilot lowered the nose and started to turn. He stated that the airplane
seemed to drop, and that the airplane encountered a downdraft.

I asked AI if there was a difference between wind shear and a downdraft. Here's the response:

A downdraft and a wind shear are related but distinct meteorological phenomena.

A downdraft is a downward current of air that can occur in various weather conditions, such as thunderstorms, fronts, or mountainous terrain. It is a localized area of sinking air that can cause turbulence, strong gusts, and even damage to structures.

Wind shear, on the other hand, refers to a change in wind speed or direction with height. It can occur in various forms, such as horizontal wind shear (a change in wind direction or speed with distance) or vertical wind shear (a change in wind speed or direction with height).

While downdrafts can contribute to wind shear, not all downdrafts are wind shear events. However, wind shear can sometimes lead to the formation of downdrafts. In other words, strong wind shear can cause the air to sink or rise rapidly, resulting in a downdraft.

To illustrate the difference:

* A downdraft is like a column of sinking air that can cause turbulence and strong gusts.
* Wind shear is like a change in wind speed or direction that can occur over a larger area, which can sometimes lead to the formation of downdrafts.

So, while related, a downdraft is not exactly the same as wind shear.

 

[scanner_nut]

Thank you for posting and updating this tragic incident. When I click on the link you provided, the link to the report is not visible. Here is the link to the preliminary report pdf - https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/195539/pdf

 

[BinaryMode]

They changed something because that link was valid, and I double checked it. How did you find the link to the PDF?

 

[scanner_nut]

They changed something because that link was valid, and I double checked it. How did you find the link to the PDF?

I agree, an update or change to the web site caused the issue. I did a search from the homepage for the accident report.

 

[radionx]

"I see the number 11 all the time. Then again, that may be physiology or whatever you'd call it."

Synchronicity. Look it up.