Small plane crashes, broadcast tower involved

[Dave Harman]

WAJR news reports a light plane crash at the Preston - Monongalia county border involving a broadcast tower. That would likely be the PBS tv / radio tower on the Sand Springs road, which stands a bit above 3,000 feet over sea level. At least one death reported, no word on tower damage yet.

[genlock]

What, again?

[Dave Harman]

Yes, again.

Just heard scanner traffic confirming that it DID hit the tower.

[genlock]

A twin-engine plane crashed into a broadcasting tower in Monongalia County this morning, killing one person, according to early reports.

The crash happened at about 10 a.m. on Sand Springs Road, according to our sister station, WBOY-TV. Officials on the scene said they don't know how many people were aboard the plane.

The tower is owned by PBS, the network is reporting. PBS is off the air in the Morgantown area. The tower also is used by WBOY.

Debris from the plane is hanging from the tower. Emergency crews from Monongalia and Preston counties are on the scene. Officials with the Federal Aviation Administration are on their way to the scene.

The plane is registered to O.Z. Gas Aviation, a Montana-based gas company, WBOY reported. The plane departed from an airport in Tidioute, Pa. at 9 a.m. and was scheduled to land in Nemacolin, Pa.

FAA officials told PBS the plane is a Hawker Beechcraft BE90.

The medical examiner is on the scene of the crash, WBOY is reporting.

WBOY has a crew on the scene. We will bring you more information when it becomes available.

[Waveguide]

Well just to add:
This is from WVNS web site, but just about all of the news services say the same thing.
*******
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (AP) -

Authorities say a small plane crashed in northern West Virginia after it hit a radio tower in Coopers Rock State Forest.

Jim Peters of the Federal Aviation Administration says the plane was a Hawker Beechcraft BE90. It crashed 7.5 miles east of Morgantown at 10:47 a.m. Friday.

Peters says it's unknown how many people were on board.

There is no immediate word on fatalities, but media outlets say a state medical examiner is on the scene.

West Virginia Public Broadcasting says one of its radio towers was hit.

Broadcasting director Bill Acker says a technician tells him the antenna at the top is gone.

That could disrupt public television service in the Morgantown area. Acker says it's too soon to tell if there's more damage or other services are affected.

(Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)
**************************
No grosser words than " the antenna at the top is gone!!!!"
Did the antenna end up sticking out the top of the Xmtr building??
(more news at 11.....)

[genlock]

Beechcraft BE-90 aka "King Air".

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beechcraft_King_Air

[Big Media]

Is it strobed or painted, I wonder. Wonder when it was last painted. I foresee a problem if the paint was faded.

[genlock]

I think it has conventional beacons and it is painted.
God knows when it was last painted.

[lastone]

PICS OF THE TOWER....PLEASE !

I can find no photos of the tower damage, not even from the chopper.

"The antenna on top is gone...." means it took a hell of a hit.

Is this thing near an airport or in a flight path?

[genlock]

Tower type is a Stainless g-5 or g-7.
Used to have an RCA pylon on top (think 50 ft telephone pole made of 1 inch thick steel).
May have been replaced by TCI antenna, about 40 feet long.
The TCI is not as tough.

That tower was hit years ago by another light twin that hit the guy wire and whipped the entire structure.
It was fixed (?) and returned to service. A whip like that might have cracked welds and otherwise weakened
the structure. Public radio is on that tower as well as a ham repeater and other 2-way services.
That is a hub point for wnpb translator microwave system, so I expect that is affected.
A lot of expensive decisions need to be made when the site is released by NTSB.

[genlock]

from the web somewhere:

Mike Nichols of Aphelion Aviation in Morgantown said the pilot had been flying in hazy conditions when he struck the towers, one of which was owned by West Virginia Public Broadcasting. The crash tore down part of one structure and the cables between them.

Read more here: http://www.sanluisobispo.com/2012/06/22 ... rylink=cpy

[engineer]

Tower type is a Stainless g-5 or g-7.
Used to have an RCA pylon on top (think 50 ft telephone pole made of 1 inch thick steel).
May have been replaced by TCI antenna, about 40 feet long.
The TCI is not as tough.

That tower was hit years ago by another light twin that hit the guy wire and whipped the entire structure.
It was fixed (?) and returned to service. A whip like that might have cracked welds and otherwise weakened
the structure. Public radio is on that tower as well as a ham repeater and other 2-way services.
That is a hub point for wnpb translator microwave system, so I expect that is affected.
A lot of expensive decisions need to be made when the site is released by NTSB.

Both times this tower was hit was due to pilot error. 99% of the time when a moving object contacts a non-moving object, the moving object is at fault. I'm very sorry the pilot lost his life, but if he was below 500' in that terrain, on a hazy morning, he was asking for trouble. Eventually the plane would have hit something else such as a ridge line, high tension lines, etc. WNPB radio is still on the air. I'm not sure about the TV station. Some reports have indicated the TV antenna is gone.

[Big Media]

99% of the time when a moving object contacts a non-moving object, the moving object is at fault.

Truer words have never been spoken. Stupid birds.

[EZ103.3FM]

If my wife was here (she's been a private pilot for about a year and a half and is working on her instrument rating) I would get on the AOPA site and get a screenshot of the sectional for that area to show you what info pilots have from the maps and navigation charts they have to work with. Also, she has our iPad with her with the ForeFlight app she's evaluating to use instead of buying an aviation GPS unit.

My wife's instructor says more and more pilots are doing things with aviation GPS units and not doing the planning they used to have to do, which involves pouring over the sectional charts, planning a route and identifying intermediate points to see if they're on course, on time and burning fuel at the expected rate during a trip. Not spending as much time going over the route means there's less looking at the locations and heights of towers, antennas, natural features, etc.

That's a quick opinion from someone (me) who knows very little, but you have to find a way to explain how accidents happen involving fully functioning aircraft flying into huge stationary objects.

[Dave Harman]

I think that the reports (if accurate) that the plane reached an altitude of 10-thousand feet after taking off are pretty interesting. One has to wonder if he thought he was closer to the Morgantown airport than he actually was, and was descending for a landing - or, because of the haze, he just didn't know. It's also reported that he contacted the Morgantown control tower and was picked up on radar briefly before the crash.

[EZ103.3FM]

Even though my wife is out of town and I can't get her AOPA ID for that site, I found another site with sectional charts.

This link should have the Morgantown Airport in the center. I-68 is the 4 lane highway running east-west just above where it says 'Morgantown-Hart *MGW'. Coopers Rock State Forest is north of I-68. http://skyvector.com/?ll=39.61639193665 ... =22&zoom=1

This link is just to the legend of a sectional chart so you can see the symbol for towers. There are a couple of single towers indicated just north of I-68 with the 'less than 1000 ft' above ground level symbol, and a group of towers less than 1000 ft. further north near the PA state line (just below where it says 'windmills'. http://skyvector.com/?ll=40.16727056732 ... 120&zoom=1

Someone who knows the towers in the area can talk about which tower or towers were involved in this crash.

[genlock]

I think the towers in question are at 3118 amsl and 518 above ground.

[genlock]

39° 41.748' N 79° 45.733' W On Google earth.

Generally right off the end of the Nemacolin runway.
12 miles or so.

[EZ103.3FM]

39° 41.748' N 79° 45.733' W On Google earth.

Generally right off the end of the Nemacolin runway.
12 miles or so.

This view includes the Nemacolin Airport. http://skyvector.com/?ll=39.70397473705 ... =22&zoom=1

It must be the multiple tower symbol in the middle of the sectional part - just below the word 'windmills' that's just above the PA-WV line.

[genlock]

Yes, the site is a little over 2 miles (crow) north of the I-68.
About 3+ mile out of PA.
Very nice high location, isolated. Clearly marked on chart.
I wonder if it shows up on avation gps?
Nemacolin runway axis same as one of MGW axis.