Conference vmszoo::flying

    re .20
    >How much fuel?
    
    Presumably enough to pick up the passengers and take them back to
    Jersey... unfortunately enlarging the potential crash radius.
    K

    There's probably still a lot of snow there, but I was wondering if
    anyone has heard anything about this one?
    
    jeb
    

    Article in the paper this week that the families are about to renew the
    search.

    There was a news bit last night that some sensor has picked up a large,
    metal object beneath the surface of a lake in Lyme, NH (just north of
    LEB, I believe).  They showed a picture of scuba divers on the ice, but
    the newcaster indicated that they would wait until the ice is gone 
    before searching more...
    
    Cheers,
    jeff
    

    I flew up to LEB on Saturday. There were about 4 fixed-wing and two
    rotary in the search. The brother of one of the pilots has apparently
    gotten a congress-critter to take up the case of using the National
    Guard in the search. Don't know if they will be successful.

    The ponds/lakes surrounding LEB should be clear of surface ice now,
    no?  Winnepesaukee was clear a few weeks ago.  (Not that a Lear under
    25 feet or so of water would necessarily be visible).  K

    I think the ice is out of all the lakes. They must not have a ton of
    confidence in the MAD finding, as there are still extensive ground and
    air searches underway. The major concern now is to conduct the aerial
    searches before leaves happen on the trees which would hide the
    wreckage.
    
    I still don't think it's up there.

    
    At this point, the search activity is all to make the family
    feel like they are "doing something."  I sympathize with the
    family, but I also think that its very reasonable to the state
    to shutdown their effort.
    
    The ice has sunk, not neccesarily melted.  As it get soft,
    it absorbs water and get heavier and denser.  A friend watched
    all of the ice in a cove in Winnepasaukee sink in about
    10 minutes last weekend.  Quite the sight.  But the ice may
    still be down there blocking divers.  And the Lebanon area
    is about two weeks weather-wise behind Mass.  A friend who
    lives south of there says he can still find snow in the woods.
    
    I view the family efforts, and the efforts of those who are
    helping the family as part of the grief process.  Unfortunately,
    Mother Nature doesn't respect families or grief.
    

    An article in the Nashua Telegraph yesterday said that divers
    failed to find the plane.  They were diving in the area that was
    scanned earlier and believed that there was a large, metal object
    below..
    
    Cheers,
    jeff
    

	I cannot remember the name, but there was a noter a few years
	ago, who was building himself a little sub for diving expeditions.
	This would be a chance for him to put it to use ...

	Guenter.

    at this date, i have to agree with note .1
    
    i dont think they want to be found....
    
    
               <<< Note 5193.1 by MSBCS::BROCK "Son of a Beech" >>>
      I've got $5 that says these guys did not WANT to be found. This
    level of intensive search would have found -something- by now.

    
    If you are absolutely sure that the intensive search abosolutely
    has to find what they're looking for, you most certainly underestimate
    the vastness of the wilderness and how small an airplane becomes
    when it hits a rock even at approach speeds.
    
    Mother Nature can be very cruel.  Count on it.
    
    After an impact at 150 kts, it is very likely that the largest
    piece of wreckage from a civil aircraft is maybe 18" by 18".
    a friend bailed out of one and that's what was left of his.
    
    A Swifter dissapeared a few years ago.  He went into trees
    25', yes feet, from a road.  Someone driving by finally noticed
    the wreck when the leaves dropped off the trees in the fall.
    No one was there when he went in, and 25' of woods hid the
    wreck from the passerby's for a couple of months.
    
    As the sign on the lift a Killington says - These woods are as
    cold and dark at night as they were 200 years ago.
    
    Y'all be carefull out there!