. Ogden Hinckley Municipal Airport
A Plane Crash-Flying too low or flying too high
For outstanding
pilots the flying field can pay off. In
a tough market of today jewelry and
the electronics industry demand is down, but if you’re aspiring like Mr. Farr you get past a lot of the problem by flying to the
primary markets on the coast so to obtain big discounts.
Nearly
every move Mr. Farr made at the controls of the 1948 Piper Super cruiser which is used mainly for training students, was perfect. Mr. Farr 80 years old,
the owner of Farr jewelry and Salt Lake City Flying Service Inc., at one time
was a virtuoso stunt pilot. Now days he generally doesn’t look at instruments
of the dashboard, but simply watches where he is going. After the accident Mr. Farr said he noticed a
crosswind carrying my plane off course. As I started a corrective turn, I was
skidding (using too much rudder) and slipping (not using enough.)
In a huffy voice to the control tower, Mr. Farr guided the Piper back to its original course not trying to go around again, and at the same time forgetting to put the landing gear down.
In a huffy voice to the control tower, Mr. Farr guided the Piper back to its original course not trying to go around again, and at the same time forgetting to put the landing gear down.
My son, Brian was standing on the tarmac in
front of his hanger, quite by accident, at the Ogden airport December 5, 2010,
5:57 p.m., while all this was going on. He saw the low flying single engine
plane preparing to land with its wheels up. He knew he wouldn’t have time to warn
the pilot over the radio so he jumped into his skydive truck, that he was
standing next to, and raced toward the spot where the plane would be after it stopped. Brian
took pictures with his IPhone as he drove. When he arrived a few minutes later
at the plane, he opened the door and noticed the pilot appeared a bit dazed.
Brian asked,
"Do you know
your name?"
“Aaron Farr, What
should I do?”
“Are you hurt?”
“No.”
“Did you shut off
the gas?”
“No.”
“Shut off the gas
and get out of the plane.”
The next thing Brian did was to called the
Federal Aviation Association. The area was sealed off for four hours. In and
out going air traffic was prohibited, while the investigation took place.
Estimated damage at the time was $9,500.00. Finally the 1948 Piper Super
cruiser was pulled off to the edge of the run way. Sky diving Ogden started up
again continued jumping until dark. Brian later remarked.
“I wish I would
have thought to call Chanel 4 for the 10 PM interest story.”
The pilot eighty
year old Aaron Farr is the owner of Farr’s Jewelry. There was a little
confusion still to be investigated, such as communication with the control
tower, and a change in the normal flight pattern. Sometime later the National
Transportation Safety Board blamed the pilot for the belly flop. In its
investigation, the NTSB also determined visibility was diminished because of
ground fog and that after being advised about the conditions by an air traffic
controller, also had ignored his advice. The recorded air traffic control
communications box revealed that the pilot got an update that weather
conditions were deteriorating while he was en route to the airport. He was
advised that visibility was a quarter mile less than the published approach minimums--the
lowest a pilot can safely fly before determining it safe to land, and to try
again later or land somewhere else. Also, Farr did not stabilize his airspeed
or intercept the localizer once he was inside his final approach. He added that
the controller gave him clearance and told him to climb to maintain 2,000. ft.
"The next thing I remember is lying on the ground and having my clothes
cut off. The NTSB report points out that another pilot flying under the same
conditions choose to go to different airport. The fog was thick enough that
evening to obscure the wreckage, even around the crash site, as emergency
responders rushed to the scene. Residents have complained to the Roy and Ogden
city councils about the airport as this was the fourth such crash in 11 years
in a council meeting about a week after the crash, the residents' main point of
concern was a runway that the airport had expanded. When construction finished, it
was closer to their homes, prompting planes to depart and land at lower
altitudes closer to their homes.
The then Mayor
Godfrey apologized for the stress the residents felt but explained that the FAA
not the city, controls the airport. Mayor Joe Ritchie said he and City Manager
Criss Davis have met with airport manager Royal Eccles, as well as with Ogden
city officials, to discuss expanding the airport to increase commuter flights.
Ritchie said he feels confident all involved have the best interest of safety
for everyone in mind.
One man whose
house was damaged in a previous crash took a different tact and thanked Roy
City for keeping the public informed about the investigation.
The council also
explained that the airport preceded the creation of the subdivisions.
Farr declined to
comment on the report.
*10-21-2012 The first commercial jet left the Ogden airport
today at 3 p.m. carrying 186 passengers to Phoenix two days a week coming and
going.
To be continued…
DR. KARL WALLACE D.D.S. 10 years Little League
Football/Baseball Coach Washington Terrace, UT.
To read more Karl Wallace short stories go to: w.w.w.karlwalacebblog.blogspot.com
