DMD Posted October 10, 2007 Share Posted October 10, 2007 But I have to admit - how can ten skydivers die from a plane crash? Why wouldn't they...just.... jump out? Searchers find remaining bodies from skydiving plane crash Story Highlights Sheriff: Evidence suggests plane hit ground at about 70 mph YAKIMA, Washington (CNN) -- Searchers found the remains of the last three of 10 people killed in a plane crash in Washington state, officials said Tuesday. Searchers found the plane Monday night, along with the bodies of seven of the victims. The plane had been carrying nine skydivers and a pilot. Yakima County Sheriff Ken Irwin described the crash scene as horrific. "You have to remember that it was an airplane falling out of the sky," Irwin said after visiting the scene. The sheriff said evidence suggests the plane hit the ground at about 70 mph. Irwin said the crash site was fairly small -- about 100 feet by 60 feet. "From that you can ascertain that it probably went in just about straight down; it wasn't at much of an angle," he said. Officials did not name any victims, but relatives of some of the skydivers appeared at Tuesday's news conference and stressed what a tightknit group they were. "The people in the plane weren't just my friends; they were all my family," said Kelly Craig, whose brother, Casey, died in the crash. Addressing search and rescue teams, he added, "We love you guys. Thanks for coming out and helping." Watch the Craig family talk about the loss of Casey » Ivy Craig Green described her brother: "He was crazy, he was fun, he loved animals, he loved to build things, he loved his friends, and he loved to skydive." The Craigs said the deaths of Casey and his friends had nothing to do with skydiving. Jaaima Ritchey displayed a photograph of her sister, Hollie Raspberry, who she said was aboard the plane. "She was wonderful, and she was doing what she loved, and we're going to miss her more than anything," Ritchey said. The wreckage was in an area with steep terrain among heavy timber and brush, just 200 yards from where the last radar signal from the plane was detected, Yakima County Sheriff's Deputy Dan Cypher said Monday night. The plane, a single-engine Cessna 208 Caravan, fell off radar at 8 p.m. (11 p.m. ET) Sunday, about a half-hour after taking off from Boise, Idaho, bound for Shelton, Washington, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. See where the plane was found » The wreckage was found in the immediate area of the search focus, Cypher said. "The teams did smell fuel and followed the odor and came across the wreckage," he said. Weather conditions were good for the flight, officials said. The National Transportation Safety Board planned to begin an investigation Tuesday, the sheriff said. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jackshi17 Posted October 10, 2007 Share Posted October 10, 2007 (edited) Skydiving at night? At 8 PM this time of year it's dark right? I think they happen to be skydivers flying from Idaho to Washington and maybe they didn't have their gear on hand. Edited October 10, 2007 by jackshi17 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MojoMan Posted October 10, 2007 Share Posted October 10, 2007 Even if it were doing the day, depending on the attitude of the airplane and gs, you can get trapped against a wall, your seat, etc. and not able to get to the door. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cre8tiff Posted October 10, 2007 Share Posted October 10, 2007 Even if it were doing the day, depending on the attitude of the airplane and gs, you can get trapped against a wall, your seat, etc. and not able to get to the door. +1 Centrifugal force could keep you in place, especially in a steep dive, or uncontrolled spin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
H8tank Posted October 10, 2007 Share Posted October 10, 2007 The sheriff said evidence suggests the plane hit the ground at about 70 mph. Not pulling G's at that speed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nuke'em ttg Posted October 10, 2007 Share Posted October 10, 2007 Not pulling G's at that speed. but........chitting pants.......... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cre8tiff Posted October 10, 2007 Share Posted October 10, 2007 Not pulling G's at that speed. The sheriff said evidence suggests the plane hit the ground at about 70 mph. Irwin said the crash site was fairly small -- about 100 feet by 60 feet. "From that you can ascertain that it probably went in just about straight down; it wasn't at much of an angle," he said. So, the plane hit just about straight down at only 70 mph? Seems those two sentences do exactly fit together. Of course, I am no expert on plane crashes, as the sheriff seems to be. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MojoMan Posted October 10, 2007 Share Posted October 10, 2007 Not sure how you auger in at 70 mph. That's probably close to stall speed for that plane. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DMD Posted October 10, 2007 Author Share Posted October 10, 2007 Not sure how you auger in at 70 mph. That's probably close to stall speed for that plane. That's exactly what I was thinking and another reason why I wondered why they just couldn't jump out. 70 MPH is like Sopwith Camel speed - seems like enough time to know there was a problem and be able to react. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Country Posted October 10, 2007 Share Posted October 10, 2007 Even if it were doing the day, depending on the attitude of the airplane and gs, you can get trapped against a wall, your seat, etc. and not able to get to the door. Yeah, I really hate those planes with bad attitudes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coffeeman Posted October 10, 2007 Share Posted October 10, 2007 Yeah, I really hate those planes with bad attitudes. BC - you do know there is such a thing - and its separate and distinct from altitude - when discussing planes, right? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Country Posted October 10, 2007 Share Posted October 10, 2007 BC - you do know there is such a thing - and its separate and distinct from altitude - when discussing planes, right? Maybe that is why I always crashed in the flight simulator game Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Azazello1313 Posted October 10, 2007 Share Posted October 10, 2007 (edited) do you think they were polish? edit: i mean, Polish. Edited October 10, 2007 by Azazello1313 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DMD Posted October 10, 2007 Author Share Posted October 10, 2007 BC - you do know there is such a thing - and its separate and distinct from altitude - when discussing planes, right? They say your attitude determines your altitude, so it must have some bearing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coffeeman Posted October 10, 2007 Share Posted October 10, 2007 They say your attitude determines your altitude, so it must have some bearing. Amen brother, amen.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Savage Beatings Posted October 10, 2007 Share Posted October 10, 2007 I think I could survive jumping from a car at 70mph. Not sure what I would have done in the heat of the moment... your instinct is probably to just belt yourself in and hunker down, but I bet you would have a much better chance at surviving by jumping clear of the plane, curling up into a ball and just hoping for the best with your own impact with the ground (although depending upon the plane's elevation when you jump, you could probably pick up a lot more speed than 70mph). I'm sure there just wasn't enough time to even think of an alternative like that. Weird and sad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jackshi17 Posted October 10, 2007 Share Posted October 10, 2007 I read an article that stated they were returning home after a day of skydiving competition. I don't believe they were in their gear and it might not have been readily available in the cabin. They might even have been partying in the back and not ready to react to problem in plane. The full story will come out in the next couple of days. I do remember a similar thing happening in Hawaii many years ago where a plane carrying skydivers crashed into Pearl Harbor. They were suppose to jump into Aloha Stadium during a football game. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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