Air Troubles
Last nights crash of a LearJet55 in Northeast Philadelphia was shocking to say the least. Indeed many people were commenting that it appeared similar to a ICBM strike. That jet came down fast. And video clearly shows what looks like afterburner flare behind the engines also. LearJet's don't have afterburners. What is going on?
I was able to figure out the flight information before I heard it released on the news coverage. A JetRescue medical oxygen tank was found a quarter mile away, which led me to their website, and thustly was able to look up their flights. MTS56 was the flight in question. It climbed to about 1600 ft, then quickly plummeted. The FAA reported that only two souls were on board, but other sources say it was two pilots, two nurses, and a little girl who was a shriners hospital patient and her mother. Communications seemed normal during the takeoff until they just dissappeared.
I was pondering how this could happen. Instrument failure? Usually on take off a pilot is in command until they level out, so that would be odd. Plus most instrument systems on those expensive jets will attempt to pull up in such a steep dive. I doubt it was some sort of instrument malfunction. In this case I also doubt it was a sucidial pilot. The afternburner effect in the videos of the crash leads to a hint however. It is very likely that the ramp crew fueled the plane with AV gas instead of Jet Fuel. The heavier Jet Fuel would of sat at the bottom of the tank and fueled the engines fine while they were on the ground, but once the Jet nosed up and that AV Gas got into the system, it could of flared out the engines. Very sad.
The other issue in D.C. seemed to me to clearly be a sucidial helicopter pilot, or a dangerously cocky helicopter pilot who didn't understand that this isn't a flight simulator. There was no way he sould of been at 400ft. They are supposed to be limited to 200ft. Plus they had a visual and requested visual separation which they were approved for by the overly busy FAA controllers. So yeah, I would think suicidal pilot in this case. He knew what he was doing. Wouldn't be the first time a suicidal pilot took the lives of many.
These aren't related, and I don't believe there is any conspiracy of any sort. But it is a sad loss of life.