The missing Caravan

[Sulako]

They found a door, and part of the cargo pod in the water. That's it. No sign of the pilot.

[MrWings]

Presumed death and family grief aside, I find this story fascinating. Very D.B. Cooperesque.

As to why someone would purposely do that? It happens: Chris McCandless

[pdw]

I don't think McCandles wanted to die ..

I read in the news back then "Mr. Caravan" had flown up to the Sault on the first day of the season with some icing element to it ... i believe there was some snow etc enroute near Sudbury ?

So i've always been under the impression that battling a whole new winter season in a twenty year old workhorse may have had something to do with that fateful decision. Seeing that the door could have been open (found ripped off hinges) doesn't help to douse the theory that it was used prior.

[JigglyBus]

Seeing that the door could have been open (found ripped off hinges)

Where are you getting that info?

[pdw]

The sunken aircraft was obviously separated from its door ... knowing from early reports the door is found floating at the surface; in forced approaches we learn to open a door as part of that procedure.

EDIT:

I remember wondering about which door it was too, and soon realized with limited information available to the public to just leave it be.

[JigglyBus]

knowing from early reports the door is found floating at the surface

Early reports? .....That sounds reliable.

"The" door? ....Which door?

[MrWings]

I don't think McCandles wanted to die ..

I agree. Just like the pilot in the scenario outlined by Sulako.

[pdw]

I really could care less about the pilot's motivation, or the speculation. Just wondered why no effort had been made, or information released if there was, on examining the aircraft.

(If no suicide note or anything like that) Then even just the location where the ELT is switched on can be precise:

Time from when first heard to the time of crash (ELT ceases) multiply by the speed on track north from YXL to debris field...then subtract that from the enroute distance between YXL and where door is found equals co-ordinates of the emergency ELT activation along that track. No pilot knowingly switches on the ELT manually unless an emergency has occurred.

[lownslow]

Time from when first heard to the time of crash (ELT ceases) multiply by the speed on track north from YXL to debris field...then subtract that from the enroute distance between YXL and where door is found equals co-ordinates of the emergency ELT activation along that track.

IIRC the answer was approximately Cat Lake.

No pilot switches on the ELT unless an emergency has occurred.

You either need a lot of faith in people or a pretty broad definition of 'emergency' to make an absolute statement like that.

[pdw]

ELT is manually switched on by the PIC at the time for whatever the situation was at hand. IMO it might not be wise to rule out that it was triggered for anything other than what it was designed to be used for, to be activated only in an emergency, until there is concrete evidence to the contrary for any alterior motive. IMO maybe not so wise for fellow aviators to bail on a pilot who gets into something like in this situation that is so unclear .. esp to loved ones left behind. Apparently know one seems to know exactly, and sensitivity by the authorities to the family is #1.

Is there even precedence for (alleged) premeditated misuse of ELT (ie potentially not for lifesaving) anywhere in aviation before ? ... unsolved for this long ?

[Sulako]

The ELT was activated immediately after departure. It tracked the aircraft flying in a straight line northward for 5 hours til it ran out of gas. If it was an emergency, it was a hell of a long one.

[MrWings]

If it was an emergency, it was a hell of a long one.

Or not. Feeling chest tightness, trouble breathing, activate ELT, turn on autopilot, have heart attack, over in one minute.

But if you wanted to disappear, what happened is exactly how you would plan it.

1. Activate ELT to give indication of emergency and to ensure plane is "found".
2. Plan for the aircraft to ditch in a large, deep body of water.

Both are easily doable.

The one thing that is not easy is jumping out of the aircraft. But you say he was experienced in doing this.