Greg Biffle Killed In Plane Crash

oldman

oldman

Well-known Member
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I was a little surprised not to see that no one posted Greg Biffle's plane crash that cost the lives of seven people, including his family. Greg drove for the Roush Racing Team. He also did a lot of humanitarian work during the North Carolina hurricane that reeked damage and many people needed help.

It was his plane, but we don't know who was flying it or why it was circling back to the airport after taking off. It's way too early to even venture a guess, but that never stopped me before from doing so, however, this time I am keeping it to myself.

I am OK with getting the Ford off the track, but not like this. No more #16.

Here are the details.

Biffle Plane Crash
 

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It’s been on my local news for a few days, including this morning.

I thought about posting about it, but truthfully, I am just wore out reading about other people’s tragedies and I didn’t want to post it.

I’ve got to where I don’t even follow up on whatever is posted on this forum because it just bothers me too much. I am not being disrespectful. To the contrary, I feel I am being more respectful by not continuing to read.

acknowledging the tragic events once is sufficient for me.😇😇
 
I've been following this story a bit. It sounds like there was some kind of mechanical malfunction that caused them to return to the runway and then possibly pilot error when trying to land.

At this point, they haven't made public who was flying the plane. There were three pilots onboard, but only one who was qualified and licensed to fly the jet. According to regulations, there should have also been a qualified co-pilot unless the pilot had a written exemption to be the sole pilot.

The runway doesn't have any air traffic control, so there was no communication to the ground when they experienced the emergency. There was also a light rain at the time, so poor visibility could have added to the confusion.
 

**Strictly Rumor**

Actually, I was in the barber shop the other day and some of the guys were talking about the
crash... they seemed to know him fairly well. They were very clear that the plane was in bad shape
(a regular P.O.S.), and both friends and family had been telling him that he needs a new one...
 
RambleTamble said:
I've been following this story a bit. It sounds like there was some kind of mechanical malfunction that caused them to return to the runway and then possibly pilot error when trying to land.

At this point, they haven't made public who was flying the plane. There were three pilots onboard, but only one who was qualified and licensed to fly the jet. According to regulations, there should have also been a qualified co-pilot unless the pilot had a written exemption to be the sole pilot.

The runway doesn't have any air traffic control, so there was no communication to the ground when they experienced the emergency. There was also a light rain at the time, so poor visibility could have added to the confusion.
Click to expand...
When an airport has no ATC, it’s called an “uncontrolled airport.” When taking off, the pilot will sometimes call the closest ATC airport and ask for clearance. The ATC can give a “clear for departure” by looking at his radar. Or, the pilot can use his own discretion by checking wind, weather conditions and using binoculars to check the sky for traffic. Same for landing.

After departure, the pilot can ask the nearest ATC for a squawk code and turn on the plane’s transponder so it can be seen on radar.

This crash was a pure tragedy and I pray for the family left behind. Greg was a good man.
 
I’m also curious as to why the pilot immediately attempted to return to the airport. There are reasons as to why a pilot would do this, but the pilot or the other person sitting upfront made no mention that there was an emergency.

It could have been an engine failure, a clogged fuel line, or any other fuel problem, the plane may not have been configured properly for T/O, there may have been an electrical or hydraulic failure occurring. Those are the problems that immediately come to mind.

I noticed that when Biffle’s plane took off, the plane began an immediate left turn, which is not unusual, but the plane hadn’t yet raised the wheels. That indicates to me that the pilot was in dire need to get back on the ground.
 
One theory of what went wrong is the luggage compartment door wasn't securely latched and opened during takeoff. Since the luggage compartment is in front of the plane, a piece of luggage could have flown out and into one of the jet engines. Apparently, that's occurred before in that type of jet.
 
squatting dog said:
I've been waiting until they release details from the cockpit recorder. (they found it and sent it to Washington). That should tell the story.
Click to expand...
The plane only had a cockpit voice recorder, which may tell a little about what happened, if the pilot spoke out loud. I hope the NTSB doesn’t release the tape if any of the passengers are screaming. I have heard those type of recordings and they are heartbreaking.

I read that the plane had an accelerated stall. That usually happens when panic sets in on the pilot. The NTSB probably won’t say that, but it’s usually true. I am guessing because there are a few ways this can happen, but in Biffle’s case, I would guess that he pushed the accelerators forward to gain speed and pulled back on the control panel to quickly gain altitude.

We will have to wait until the investigation is completed. In many cases, it takes close to a year or longer to complete the investigation. Let’s hope it doesn’t take that long.

Here is an very good update of the accident

Biffle’s Crash
 
squatting dog said:
I've been waiting until they release details from the cockpit recorder. (they found it and sent it to Washington). That should tell the story.
Click to expand...
The CVR alone will not tell the story. It may let us in on what the pilot was experiencing the moment the plane banked, but it’s not going to tell us what mechanically went wrong.

The NTSB will do a complete mechanical breakdown of every piece on that plane. It will be awhile until we hear what happened.
 
Because we were traveling this week I only read a bit about this accident. The article I read indicated that three persons on board were licensed pilot but no determination of who was in control. Either way, pilot air or some form of mechanical failure families have suffered a terrible loss. Unfortunately this season will bring rememberance of the event for years to come. Prayers to all impacted.
 
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