Pilot Killed During Accident at Poland Air Show
- Posted on June 19, 2011 at 4:32am by
Scott Baker
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WARSAW, Poland (AP) — A small plane lost control and plunged into a river Saturday as it performed stunts at an air show in Poland. The pilot, the only person on board, was killed.
The accident occurred in Plock, in central Poland, as people gathered by the Vistula River for a picnic and the air show.
The news station TVN24 broadcast images of the small plane doing aerobatics when it began spewing out plumes of dark smoke and then plunged into the water.
Rescue workers pulled the pilot from the wreckage and tried to resuscitate him before sending him to a hospital. Several hours later, a hospital official said the pilot, Marek Szufa, died.
The pilot was alone in the plane, a Christen Eagle II, a popular single-engine aircraft used for aerobatic flying. TVN24 identified Szufa as a pilot for the Polish airline LOT and the runner-up in a Poland-wide aerobatics championship.
The director of the Air Club of Mazovia that organized the show, Slawomir Adamkowski, said the cause of the crash was under investigation.
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Quencher
Posted on June 21, 2011 at 1:03amAs an aerobatics instructor many years ago, I shudder to see these pilots try to outdo one another at minimum altitude. Altitude is one’s only salvation if a maneuver does not go as expected. Violent maneuvers and high G-loads disturb one’s judgement and at ground level it often is fatal. I salute this pilot’s skill at performing and I am truly sad to see his demise. But for the grace of God and good luck, there go I.
Report Post »CALABASH72
Posted on June 20, 2011 at 12:35pmPilot error. He was not high enough for his loop. Must have been a pilot for polish air. I have seen this happen at other air shows.
Report Post »Dolt
Posted on June 20, 2011 at 3:51am“plumes of dark smoke” LOL why do we have to make the articles more dramatic than it really is? That “smoke” is what every stunt plane uses at airshows like that. This pilot simply made a mistake and did not give himself enough room to complete the maneuver and hit the water.
Report Post »v12tommy
Posted on June 20, 2011 at 3:12amI have seen several times at the Reno Air Races where a pilot risked his own life in his damaged airplane in order to make sure it was safely away from spectators and houses when it crashed. In fact, just this year a man completely totalled his replica P-51 after an engine failure because the wind blew him towards the stands and he crashed as he steered away saving countless lives. These pilots are heros and deserve a lot more credit than they currently receive.
Report Post »crashnburn
Posted on June 19, 2011 at 5:34pmLooks like he under-rotated on that Lomcevak and used up his kinetic energy on the up line too soon. Sad to see… fewer and fewer pilots that fly the golden age.
To anyone that feels the need to make Polish remarks… where is your honor?
Report Post »BOMUSTGO
Posted on June 19, 2011 at 9:39pmThere is a saying among pilots, “There are OLD pilots and there are BOLD pilots, but there are no OLD BOLD pilots!”
Report Post »JeffScism
Posted on June 21, 2011 at 10:30amAlso, “All clouds have rocks in them” and “You can’t Fly underground”
Report Post »ARIZONA VETERAN
Posted on June 19, 2011 at 3:58pmSadd day, but died the way he lived!
Report Post »pavepaws
Posted on June 19, 2011 at 2:53pmLooks like he misjudged his altitude and could not pull a tight enough loop to save himself.
Report Post »101
Posted on June 20, 2011 at 9:21pmI agree…altitude is more difficult to judge over water than land.(fact)
Report Post »JeffScism
Posted on June 21, 2011 at 10:28amThe SMOKE wasn’t a part of the show That was a plane in trouble. and the pilot apparently knew it too late. He was attempting to pull out when he impacted. He got out of the envelope and didn’t realize it.
Report Post »Chisoxfan311
Posted on June 21, 2011 at 2:44pm@Jeff Where do you get it wasn’t part of the show? That is exactly what it was…
Report Post »chips1
Posted on June 19, 2011 at 2:16pmPoland owns an airplane? It’s definitely the end of civilization as we knew it.
Report Post »ARIZONA VETERAN
Posted on June 19, 2011 at 3:58pmgods speed…
Report Post »Rfunk
Posted on June 19, 2011 at 8:17pmI’m sure his family appreciates your thoughts. You don’t always need to mix politics and tragedy. Its distasteful and ignorant.
Report Post »DocH
Posted on June 19, 2011 at 10:52pmPoland has survived for over a thousand years including surviving occupations by the Nazis and the Soviets. We are just over 250 years old and are dying by our own hand as Abraham Lincoln precicted in his campaign speech of 1860: “No foe outside our borders will conquer us; if we become extinct, we die by suicide.” It would be relevant of us to learn a few things from the Poles.
Report Post »Bob_R_OathKeeper
Posted on June 19, 2011 at 12:44pmDying doing something you enjoy or from protecting someone, to me, isn’t a bad way to leave this world.
Report Post »Parkeralan
Posted on June 19, 2011 at 1:18pmTrue statement Bob! Play Hard my Friend, Play Hard!
Report Post »Taquoshi
Posted on June 19, 2011 at 6:59pmOdpoczywają (pozostawać) w pokoju, mój przyjaciel
My thoughts and prayers to the family and friends.
Report Post »solaveritas
Posted on June 20, 2011 at 7:42pmWith even modest speed, the water might as well be concrete! Actually, the “tumbling out of control fall from the sky” maneuvers are not really pretty and very very dangerous at these low attitudes. They should just quit doing them. They are certainly not worth the risk of someone’s husband or dad not coming home!
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