Texas Air Show Disaster - 1980

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[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Texas Air Show Disaster - 1980

Posted: 8/21/2017 2:16:29 PM EDT

Experimental P68 flown by veteran stunt pilot West Winter crashes at an air show in Plainview TX in the early 80's. People that were there said his wife was announcing his routine on the PA and as he crashed she started screaming on PA. They said it was something they would never forget.

NTSB report Accident Number: FTW83FA424"The aircraft's speed at the time of the wing separation was 220 Kts.
VNE for the aircraft is 193 Kts. Initial pull up was @8g's.

Sound quality is really low.

Texas Air Show Disaster

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F4ove_5FUTY

You can hear his wife on the PA if you turn up the volume.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cWfwnbRfoP4

Posted: 8/21/2017 4:07:33 PM EDT

[#1]

Damn, now that's a show. That lasted long enough to give you time for a few different thoughts on the matter. You could actually contemplate it and what was about to happen before it finally did. Wes could've delivered his own eulogy before he impacted. He could've given his Oscar's speech. "And I'd like to thank my mom and dad for flying lessons, I wanna thank my girlfriend for the amazing sex last night, thanks to all you fans that bought a ticket, I'd also like to say "fuck you" to the FAA, by the way I always wanted to be cremated so I guess this'll work. Could you spread my ashes over... oh, I don't know, you guys vote on it and decide. Well, I guess I've said pretty much all I need to say. Now what should I talk about for the next 7 seconds? I know! I'll hum a show tune and you guys try and gue" SPLAT!

Posted: 8/21/2017 4:47:38 PM EDT

[#2]

Looks like he just started to pull the nose up when "snap" wings separated

Eta: looks like they went on with the show after a half hour delay for clean up

Following a half-hour delay, the 1983 air show continued. As announcer Bill McCullough of Levelland told the crowd, "We will go on with the show. I know my friend Wes would have wanted it that way."

Plainview Herald

Posted: 8/21/2017 4:57:29 PM EDT

[#3]

A high-wing twin engine plane seems a poor choice for aerobatics.

I was thinking he might have had time to jump but even if he had had a parachute, the likelihood of getting out of that thing while it was falling out of control seemed low, even if he had been high enough for a parachute to open.

Posted: 8/21/2017 5:05:49 PM EDT

[#4]

Quote History

Quoted:
Damn, now that's a show. That lasted long enough to give you time for a few different thoughts on the matter. You could actually contemplate it and what was about to happen before it finally did. Wes could've delivered his own eulogy before he impacted. He could've given his Oscar's speech. "And I'd like to thank my mom and dad for flying lessons, I wanna thank my girlfriend for the amazing sex last night, thanks to all you fans that bought a ticket, I'd also like to say "fuck you" to the FAA, by the way I always wanted to be cremated so I guess this'll work. Could you spread my ashes over... oh, I don't know, you guys vote on it and decide. Well, I guess I've said pretty much all I need to say. Now what should I talk about for the next 7 seconds? I know! I'll hum a show tune and you guys try and gue" SPLAT!

View Quote

I wonder if he said his goodbye on the radio, he had plenty of time to say something to his wife.

Posted: 8/21/2017 5:08:09 PM EDT

[#5]

Both wings snap at the same time????

Posted: 8/21/2017 5:13:44 PM EDT

[#6]

Quote History

Quoted:
Both wings snap at the same time????

View Quote

Well built plane... at least to the point were it failed evenly when over stressed. Vne = Velocity Never Exceed. I guess it should have read Vneyozdsoiwky = Velocity Never Exceed You OverZealous DipShit Or It Will Kill You.

Posted: 8/21/2017 5:16:53 PM EDT

[#7]

Quote History

Quoted:

Well built plane... at least to the point were it failed evenly when over stressed. Vne = Velocity Never Exceed. I guess it should have read Vneyozdsoiwky = Velocity Never Exceed You OverZealous DipShit Or It Will Kill You.

View Quote

Yup posted in OP, Vne was 193 kts, he was driving @ 220 kts when he went into aggressive climb...outboard wing sections detached, tail completely failed.

Posted: 8/21/2017 5:21:32 PM EDT

[#8]

Quote History

Quoted:
A high-wing twin engine plane seems a poor choice for aerobatics.

I was thinking he might have had time to jump but even if he had had a parachute, the likelihood of getting out of that thing while it was falling out of control seemed low, even if he had been high enough for a parachute to open.

View Quote

Guess you never saw the 100's of shows that Bob Hoover put on in a Shrike Commander?

The airplane has nothing to do with it, it the control inputs from the pilot that make the difference when combined with good judgement.

Personally I won't bother watching some clown doing bank and yanks when I can see someone else doing graceful aerobatics. Frank Tallman in his Grumman Duck comes to mind.

Posted: 8/21/2017 5:30:21 PM EDT

[#9]

I was at the air races in reno for the one in 2011 and the screams of people are ones that you will never forget.

?WARNING? Reno air races airplane crash 2011 (GRAPHIC Video)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oMAxcULldm0

Posted: 8/21/2017 6:16:29 PM EDT

[#10]

Quote History

Quoted:
Both wings snap at the same time????

View Quote

Appropriate sig line is very appropriate!

Posted: 8/21/2017 6:28:53 PM EDT

[#11]

Quote History

Quoted:
Damn, now that's a show. That lasted long enough to give you time for a few different thoughts on the matter. You could actually contemplate it and what was about to happen before it finally did. Wes could've delivered his own eulogy before he impacted. He could've given his Oscar's speech. "Oh Snap!!!! And I'd like to thank my mom and dad for flying lessons, I wanna thank my girlfriend for the amazing sex last night, thanks to all you fans that bought a ticket, I'd also like to say "fuck you" to the FAA, by the way I always wanted to be cremated so I guess this'll work. Could you spread my ashes over... oh, I don't know, you guys vote on it and decide. Well, I guess I've said pretty much all I need to say. Now what should I talk about for the next 7 seconds? I know! I'll hum a show tune and you guys try and gue" SPLAT!

View Quote

Posted: 8/21/2017 6:30:36 PM EDT

[#12]

Quote History

Quoted:

Well built plane... at least to the point were it failed evenly when over stressed. Vne = Velocity Never Exceed. I guess it should have read Vneyozdsoiwky = Velocity Never Exceed You OverZealous DipShit Or It Will Kill You.

View Quote

Yep, food for thought here for those folks who seem to always think "The engineers were way too conservative, this thing is good for 15-20% more than they rated it!"

Posted: 8/21/2017 6:36:43 PM EDT

[#13]

Quote History

Quoted:
Yep, food for thought here for those folks who seem to always think "The engineers were way too conservative, this thing is good for 15-20% more than they rated it!"

View Quote View All Quotes

View All Quotes

Quote History

Quoted:

Quoted:

Well built plane... at least to the point were it failed evenly when over stressed. Vne = Velocity Never Exceed. I guess it should have read Vneyozdsoiwky = Velocity Never Exceed You OverZealous DipShit Or It Will Kill You.

Yep, food for thought here for those folks who seem to always think "The engineers were way too conservative, this thing is good for 15-20% more than they rated it!"

I try to tell my customers that when I say the machine can run at 2,000 ppm, that means it can not run at 2,050 ppm. Luckily, my machines do not kill people if they fail, just production numbers.

Posted: 8/21/2017 6:46:39 PM EDT

[#14]

I actually just watched that video a few days ago. Old pilots and bold pilots, as the saying goes...

Quote History

Quoted:
I was at the air races in reno for the one in 2011 and the screams of people are ones that you will never forget.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oMAxcULldm0

View Quote

Less than a month after that I was almost hit by a giant scale RC Stiletto Mustang coming down the same way

Posted: 8/21/2017 6:47:16 PM EDT

[#15]

Funny, that video came up on my youtube suggested videos last week.

This one was interesting, although no death and mayhem you can see how demonstrations have been toned down.

SAC (Strategic Air Command) Demonstration team Offutt AFB Pt1

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QxTqfS0HUxE

Posted: 8/21/2017 6:50:43 PM EDT

[#16]

Quote History

Quoted:

Guess you never saw the 100's of shows that Bob Hoover put on in a Shrike Commander?

The airplane has nothing to do with it, it the control inputs from the pilot that make the difference when combined with good judgement.

Personally I won't bother watching some clown doing bank and yanks when I can see someone else doing graceful aerobatics. Frank Tallman in his Grumman Duck comes to mind.

View Quote

That's the first thing I thought of.. I had the privilege of watching Mr. Hoover wring the ever-loving crap out of that a/c on a couple occasions. I think at one point he did a 32-point snap roll.

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Texas Air Show Disaster - 1980

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