So we are flying along from Ohio to Florida last Thursday afternoon and as a common practice I keep our second radio tuned to 121.5 for emegency. So sure enough there comes a Mayday call from a pilot of a Commander 114 as we are in the area of Columbia, SC. As I turned down Atlanta Center and turned up the volume on the pilot of the distressed Commander two things immediately came to mind. This guy was really both extremely distraught and has a unfortunate lack of flying experience.

As you could imagine all hell broke loose on the radio with no less the ten pilots and centers and approaches trying to respond to the 114. Finally Augusta approach control took charge and asked the pilot the nature of his emergency.

114 Pilot: I have no elevator control and I can only control my altitude with the use of the throttle.
Augusta: What is your location?

114: I am roughly 3 miles south of ....... (I don't recall where he stated he was but nothing I was familiar with)

Augusta: State your intentions

114: I don't want to hurt anybody.

Augusta: You are 5 miles to our southeast fly heading of 280.

114: I don't want to hurt anybody and please keep me away from any city.

Augusta: Fly heading .... that will put you on a left base for our runway 35 our longest runway.

Unknown pilot chimes in: I would not put him on a base turn he needs a long approach.

Augusta: How long approach should we put him on?

Unknown pilot: 3 miles

Augusta: 114 how many souls and how much fuel.

114: One person and 2 1/2 hours of fuel.

Another pilot chimes in with some ideas as to the problem and Augusta shuts down the airport for the 114 and puts the incoming Baron, Lear and Piedmont into holds. The Piedmont Pilot having just turned into approach asked the nature of the hold.

Augusta: We have a Commander and has declared an emergency and is attempting to land on RW35. Can you accept RW26?

Piedmont Pilot: No too small for us but I do have allot of experience in a 114.

Augusta: We will advise if assistance is necessary.

114: I have the airport, unable to lower my gear and I need some time to relax.

Augusta: Fly heading ...

Subsequently the 114 attempted a number of approaches into Augusta attempting to land on the belly and as we traveled to the south we lost our radio contact with Augusta but a few things were pretty clear. Augusta was doing there best to get the pilot down safely but that being said I was clear that neither of the controllers that were handling the plane were pilots so they had zero advise to offer only headings.

There were several pilots that were CFI's in a King Air as well as the Piedmont Captain and a number of other pilots as well myself that had offered assistance in a very limited fashion in checking various aircraft controls, etc. Nothing seemed to help and this guy was getting more distraught as the time went on.

We lost radio contact with Augusta as we approached Jacksonville but my heart and prayers went out to him as a fellow pilot in what appeared to be a helpless situation.

Fast forward to this morning when I read on Avweb that the guy parachuted into a field near Augusta. What the hell is this? This guy whom could not control his plane enough to even follow simple headings was able to dawn a chute and jump out? What?

I don't know all of the situation but I heard 45 minutes of it clearly and it sounds something is fishy down in south Georgia. I have been flying around for about thirty years and I have never seen a GA aircraft or jet yet that has a chute onboard.

Interesting

Gary

http://chronicle.augusta.com/latest-new ... icials-say

Some Piper Meridians have parachutes too.

I thought the same thing you did.

I have over 1,400 hrs in 114's,(owned 2)am still a member of the Commander Owners Group, and everyone there has the same Idea,can't sell it, I'll collect the ins?,he must have read the article on the Meridian guy,what ever happened to that jerk,did he go to Jail, I hope so! (HUH! got lot's of time in those too(N600YE) and never ever considered carrying a chute,much less jumping out,man I'm 2 for 3 in planes that lose stuff and pilot's bail out,Where's that sales flyer on Parachutes)

Is that guy out of jail yet?

Chester, adjouning Cell's ?

He got 4 years federal for the plane crash (actually, for calling the coast-guard while his vessel was not in actual distress) and is on trial right now for securities fraud.

Chester, do you need a chute to race? I'm glad that guy went to Jail, hope he stays for all 4 years, what an Idiot.

No chute required to race... unless your aircraft requires a chute to fly. The T-28 guys strap into chutes when they race (I think), but I think that's because they are the seat cushions.
And I suppose if after teh race you plan to go to a designated practice area/aerobatic box, and do aerobatics in your aerobatic approved aircraft, all before landing at the return airport at the race conclusion... then you would have to wear a parachute... but that's about as unlikely as your meridian/114 having some sort of catastrophic failure requiring a fake emergency call while you bail out and hop on a motorcycle you have stashed to escape your ponsi scheme.

Just googled him, on Oct 7th he got another 10 years of state time in Indiana for fraud.

, If the Commander guy pulled the same stunt at least they will have a case to use as a sample,10 years would be good,then again Commanders do have Brass bushings in there tails that are known to break and cause a problem(rudder and Stabilizer),I replaced them just prior to selling N4995W,bet the FAA fine tooth comb will be looking there.

I wonder what the explanation as to why he was hauling around a chute with him will be. It does sound fishy to start with, but either this guy is a drama queen with all the approaches and such, or he was truly in distress.

I used to fly gliders and skydive before taking up powered flight. For the longest time, I was uncomfortable boarding a small plane without a chute and a 5-point harness. They are quite comfortable as a back cushion and just like wearing a seatbelt in the car, it was just an automatic thing to put on before boarding the plane.

There's a guy with a Columbia in Key West that wears one everytime he goes up, maybe It's more comin then we think,,,,,, NAAAAA! Insurance money

I have been flying jumpers and skydiving for 24 years and always wear a rig when I'm working, jumping or flying. There are many times over the years I have wondered why I don't bring a parachute when I'm not flying jumpers. The main reason to wear one at work is the possibilty of a skydiver tearing the tail off but there a few other scenarios where I would like to be able exit stage right, flight control problem, mid-air or forced landing at night, over mountains or in low IMC. I know if I jump I will live I can't guarantee that in a forced landing. All that being said I never bring a rig along just for safety but whenever I just happen to have my parachute along with me in the plane it is accessible.

Jeez. Who knew all this? I guess I'm in the market for a couple parachutes.

Here's another thought: Maybe the guy's not even a pilot, just an experienced skydiver who decided to "borrow" an airplane for a joy ride and then decided he wasn't up to making a safe landing. His conversations with ATC ("Say intentions: 'I don't want to hurt anybody'), his inability to lower the gear (what are the chances that a flight control problem and a gear problem would occur on the same flight?) are some of the things that make me wonder is this was a qualified pilot.