Student Wins Flying Lessons - Crashes Plane

[FlyingPhotog]

Student, Instructor Survive Plane Crash Near Lyons
Pilot Had Won Flying Lesson Through An Essay Conest

POSTED: 6:46 pm MST November 14, 2004
UPDATED: 7:00 pm MST November 14, 2004

LYONS, Colo. -- A student who won flying lessons in an essay contest and his instructor crashed a single-engine Cessna early Sunday morning.

Benjamin Dotterweich, of Longmont, and pilot Ross Sutcliff walked away from the crash, which occurred near Lyons in the Heil Ranch Open Space, according to the Boulder County Sheriff's Office.

Dotterweich had won the lessons from Air West Co. after entering a contest at Silver Creek High School in Longmont.

It was his first lesson Sunday.

Dotterweich told sheriff's investigators it began with them climbing, descending and turning. The aircraft then climbed above low-lying clouds.

When it descended back through the clouds, the plane clipped some trees and crashed into a large tree, the sheriff's office said.

The men called authorities with a cellular phone at 9:41 a.m., which dispatchers used to find the downed plane at 11:41 a.m., the sheriff's office said.

The Federal Aviation Administration will investigate the crash.

[flyingcat]

Man are they lucky. I wonder if there will be a second lesson?

[sturla]

Man are they lucky. I wonder if there will be a second lesson?

Sure is - its called "Flight Theory" and is taught by the NTSB.

-Sturla

[ExpressJet145]

What a dumb incident, why decend through* the clouds when in VFR, and certain when the ground is right below. Thats what we have an altimiter for. Stupidity plays a huge role in this case.

[babypurin]

[DeltaASA16]

What a dumb incident, why decend through* the clouds when in VFR, and certain when the ground is right below. Thats what we have an altimiter for. Stupidity plays a huge role in this case.

Perhaps the CFI was demostrating an instrument approach to the student

Perhaps they lost an engine and had to decend through the clouds

There are a lot of variables, no pilot in his right mind would just fly through low lying clouds and plant the airplane into the ground

-Adam

[ExpressJet145]

In all do respect, who brings a student up in IFR to shoot an approach with his first hour or so? Seriously. It says they didnt loose an engine, but came out of the clouds and clipped a tree, then impacted a large one if my memory serves me correctly.

[chrisburns]

In all do respect, who brings a student up in IFR to shoot an approach with his first hour or so? Seriously. It says they didnt loose an engine, but came out of the clouds and clipped a tree, then impacted a large one if my memory serves me correctly.

Nobody, you dont shoot an IFR with a kid who probably didnt even know wtf a yoke is.

[DeltaASA16]

Nobody, you dont shoot an IFR with a kid who probably didnt even know wtf a yoke is.

Never heard of shooting an IFR

[screaming_emu]

lawyers everywhere are drooling

[FlyingPhotog]

Well the altimeter doesn't account for tree height does it? Maybe they should use a device like a fish finder you see in those fishing tournaments, where it tells you the distance of what is below you.

[indian airlines]

device like a fish finder

generally known as SONAR

[uy707]

Here is probably one who crashed his flying carreer on the professionnal side !
On the log, first entry, a crash !
Alain

[ptbodale]

A buddy of mine crashed on his first flight on his first job.

He was dropping parachuters and the engine quit (oil line came loose ands oil everwhere but in the engine). He put the acft down in a potato field. We call him Spud now.

Nobody was hurt.

[ExpressJet145]

A buddy of mine crashed on his first flight on his first job.

He was dropping parachuters and the engine quit (oil line came loose ands oil everwhere but in the engine). He put the acft down in a potato field. We call him Spud now.

Nobody was hurt.

LMAO. Spud.