Plane Crash - Slaughter Mtn., Georgia

[Dances with Mice]

Plane crashes in Union County
Search on for woman missing after accident

By BILL MONTGOMERY
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 11/28/05
A full-scale search is under way this morning in the mountains of North Georgia for a Tattnall County woman missing from a small plane that crashed Sunday afternoon.

Matt Griffin with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources said the search is concentrated just north of Vogel State Park in Union County, about 10 miles south of Blairsville in the area of Slaughter Mountain.

The pilot, whose plane is based at Metter airport, is Randy W. Hackle, 56, of Cobbtown, said a family member. His wife, Barbara Hackle, 52, is missing.

"The only prayer we have is that they find her safe," said Jeanne Lively, a niece. Randy Hackle was found this morning. He said his wife ejected from the plane before it crashed, Griffin said.

The pilot "was able to walk away, apparently, though I don't know the extent of his injuries," Griffin said. "He wasn't really sure what happened to his wife. He was disoriented, and may have a concussion.

"We understand he spent the night in a shelter, [after the crash] but I don't have any more details."

Randy Griffin was taken to Gainesville Medical Center in Hall County.

The crash site was discovered around 10:40 a.m. today less than a mile outside Vogel State Park.

The aircraft, possibly a Piper prop plane, departed from an airport in Murphy or Andrews, N.C., around 1 p.m. Sunday, en route to Metter, in southeast Georgia's Candler County, Griffin said.

"There was no report of any engine trouble, or a distress call," Griffin said. "We don't know what caused the crash."

Griffin said DNR, U.S. Forest Service rangers and Union County search and rescue units are searching "about a two-mile area of pretty rough country."

[Two Speed]

Plane crashes in Union County
. . . He said his wife ejected from the plane before it crashed, Griffin said. . .

Don't know of any private aircraft with ejection seats. Either this old boy got misquoted, was severely disoriented or there's more to the story than meets the eye.

[RockyTrail]

Should show up on this link within a day or so:

http://www.faa.gov/data_statistics/a...liminary_data/

It will show the type aircraft and circumstance.

The FAA registry shows a PA-28-140 (Piper Cherokee) registered to the same name in Metter GA. This is a garden-variety single-engine, low wing, 4-seat aircraft with a 150hp engine. Definitely no ejection seats in this bird...and generally no one carries parachutes in this size aircraft unless it's being used for aerobatics (not one of the Cherokee's talents by the way). The path over Vogel State Park is the most direct and safest way to get from Blairsville to the south when crossing that ridgeline (because it traverses less wilderness) so it makes sense they flew that path. Probably more to the story...

[Dances with Mice]

Plane crashes in Union County
Woman's body found today amid wreckage

By BILL MONTGOMERY
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 11/28/05
The body thought to be that of a Tattnall County woman missing from a small plane crash was found today amid wreckage strewn on the side of a north Georgia mountain.

Pilot Randy W. Hackle, 56, from Cobbtown, in southeast Georgia, was found walking near the crash site this morning. Searchers in the area of Slaughter Mountain, just north of Vogel State Park in Union County, found a woman's body at the crash site, but would not confirm an identity.

However, family members and co-workers said Monday before the body was found that searchers were looking for Barbara Hackle, 52, the pilot's wife.

[Two Speed]

If the lady's body was found in or nearby the wreckage then the "ejection" concept doesn't seem to be holding water, unless the pilot was trying to describe what happened during the crash itself. That would explain a good deal; can't imagine watching a loved one being ejected during a crash. The pilot may have been somewhat scrambled by the physical and emotional impact.

The sad fact is we seem to lose a plane in the north Georgia mountains every other year or so. Little bit of sloppy weather, little bit of overconfidence and the SAR folks get called out. Damn shame, wouldn't know these folks from Adam's house cat, but can't help but feeling for the family.

[oldfivetango]

As a pilot of this type aircraft-there is absolutely no "ejection seat" in it or any other general aviation aircraft i'm aware of -including the expensive ones.However,part of the emergency procedures is to open the door latch beore imminent impact as this craft has only one door and you dont
want it jammed up and unopenable as a result of the crash.
Can't second guess what happened but the usual scenario is visual flight rule pilots get forced lower and lower as the ceiling drops and they are not
capable of flying on instruments in the clouds.They invariably impact rising terrain. I suspect he meant to say that she was ejected(involuntarily) from the plane as a result of the crash.There will be an investigation which will take months.(90% of the time the pilot takes the blame.)
Hearts and prayers go out to the family-sad situation and even sadder that
it happens too often.Last time I heard of one of these in North Georgia it was a commercial plane awaiting instrument clearance(which he could have filed on the ground) and it wiped out most of the upper management of a
southeastern grocery store chain.
Oldfivetango

[briarpatch]

I would guess that he meant she was ejected (as in throun out) during the crash.

[sliderule]

Here is one from two weeks ago near Bryson City, NC. http://www.thesmokymountaintimes.com...ews/news02.txt