If the conditions had been good, they could have arrived in New London ten minutes early but it was not to be. Once at the site, which he accessed in his four-wheel-drive Jeep along the railroad grade, Sicher realized there was no one in charge. Under USAir, which eventually renamed itself US Airways, the Allegheny name continued to be used by the parent company, keeping the trademark under US Airways' control. The Bradford FSS Specialist obtained approval for this change from Erie Approach Control and so advised the flight. For survivors who included young Kristen King, it was a long, cold . First Officer Walker didnt like his captains decision. The accident occurred while the flight was making an instrument landing approach to the . At 20:35, the aircraft struck treetops just 4.7 nautical miles (8.7 km) from the airport, subsequently crashing through some trees that were bordering the Pine Acres Golf Course. At 20:06 Flight 736 reported over the VOR outbound at the beginning of the instrument approach procedure. After the last roll, the right wingtip struck the ground and impact followed shortly thereafter. Allegheny also briefly operated Douglas DC-9-10 aircraft. Washington DC Harrisburg Bradford Erie Detroit. If anything, perhaps it should remind us not to take our safer skies for granted. of wet snow on all its horizontal surfaces when it left the parking ramp. With no ILS, the pilots of flight 485 were responsible for their own vertical navigation, including the requirement to level off at a higher MDA, which on this particular approach was 380 feet. The combined airline retained the historic Allegheny Airlines name until it was merged with another wholly owned subsidiary, Piedmont Airlines. A doctor who was called to the crash site, Dr. Bruno Sicher of the Kane area, said his rescue of 17-year-old King on the flight is one that has bonded them in friendship in the past decade. Allegheny Airlines Country United States of America Operator Image Crash of a Nord 262A-36 in Clarksburg: 2 killed Date & Time: Feb 12, 1979 at 1300 LT Type of aircraft: Nord 262 Operator: Registration: N29824 Flight Phase: Takeoff (climb) Flight Type: Scheduled Revenue Flight Survivors: Yes Site: Airport (less than 10 km from airport) Schedule: Allegheny Airlines Flight 736 departed Detroit, MI for a flight to Washington, DC with intermediate stops at Erie, Bradford and Harrisburg, PA. Debbie Mooney's Visit to the Crash Site. After descending to a scarily low altitude, the pilots caught sight of several landmarks and managed to navigate to the runway, landing successfully at about 9:23, one hour behind schedule. Both crashes involved Convair CV-580s, and in both cases the pilot descended below the MDA in falling snow and struck terrain. The crash of Flight 737 came just under two weeks after Allegheny Airlines Flight 736 crashed in a near-identical manner on approach to Bradford Airport on the same route, but in the opposite direction. Acetylene torches werent used, however, for fear the airplane fuel would ignite or explode. This time, Captain Eastridge didnt stop at 610 feet. The fuselage came to rest inverted. Finally, this accident was found by the NTSB to be "no fault". A second flight attendant would have provided redundancy, stepping in to open doors and guide passengers to the exits. ______________________________________________________________. The Clarksburg approach controller said that he saw Flight 561 as it turned to line up for takeoff on runway 21. Looking back 50 years later, it is hard to understand how we tolerated such unchecked bloodshed. Another witness who had experience as a pilot was located on taxiway C about 75 ft from the runway. One first officer did point out that everyone has a strong sense of survival, and that in a life or death scenario he might take control, but that he wouldnt know for sure unless placed in such a situation. Allegheny Airlines Flight 121, a Douglas DC-9-31, suffered a landing accident on the Philadelphia International Airport, Pennsylvania. [3] It was founded by du Pont family brothers Richard C. du Pont and Alexis Felix du Pont Jr. The F-27J was a U.S.-built version of the Fokker F27. You cant see down through this stuff., I can see the water, said Eastridge. On January 6, 1969, Allegheny Airlines Flight 737, a Convair 580, crashed on approach to Bradford, PA, killing 11 of the 28 people on board. After replacing much of its Short fleet with de Havilland Canada DHC-8 Dash 8s and retiring the F27s, Suburban merged with another wholly owned USAir subsidiary, Pennsylvania Airlines, which was headquartered at Harrisburg International Airport near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. There were 78 passengers and four crew members aboard the plane. [10][11] The subsequent airline retained the Piedmont Airlines name. at approximately 2012 e.s.t., while executing an instrument approach to Runway 32 at the Bedford Regional Airport, Bradford, Pennsylvania. A passenger therefore would have needed to read the instructions written on the door in order to open it, but with smoke pouring into the cabin from the raging fire outside, it was much too dark to see anything. They are: 1) misreading of the altimeter by the captain, 2) a malfunction of the captain's altimeter after completion of the instrument approach procedure turn, and 3) a misreading of the instrument approach chart. However, police and firefighters did manage to locate the surviving passengers, who had immersed themselves in a water-filled ditch to douse their flaming clothes, as well as First Officer Walker, who was clinging to life despite severe traumatic injuries and extensive burns. Allegheny Airlines Flight 736 crash site (Google Maps). Allegheny Airlines Flight 736 departed Detroit, MI for a flight to Washington, DC with intermediate stops at Erie, Bradford and Harrisburg, PA. There are just not many of this kind of accident (most notably, that of PSA182 in September 1978), where this bad a situation occurs from the collision of such mismatched aircraft. During this time, the weather only continued to worsen, with lateral visibility dropping as low as a quarter mile (400m) under a cloud ceiling of 100 feet (30m), but the company dispatcher never informed the pilots of the change. Flight 561 was rescheduled as a passenger flight from Benedum Airport to National Airport, Washington, D.C. The tragic accident was compounded, and placed the Bradford area on the national map, when a second horrific accident occurred a couple of weeks later with Allegheny Airlines Flight 737. One of these CV-580s would carry out Allegheny Airlines flight 485 on the 7th of June, 1971. kdsager@bradfordera.com. Read the Bradford Era on your mobile device just as it appears in print. Second, this is an extremely unusual accident, in that a collision between a very small single-engine Piper and a much larger DC-9 resulted in the loss of both aircraft and everyone aboard them. However, the pilots didnt have this updated weather information. The Tragedies Allegheny flight 736 to Washington, DC, originated in Detroit with intermediate stops in Erie, Bradford, and Harrisburg. Allegheny 853 - 50th Anniversary Remembrance 9 September 2019 The 50th anniversary of the crash has now passed, and a remembrance service was held at the crash site. Tragically, 20 people lost their lives that night, but through dedicated emergency personnel at the crash site and staff at the Bradford Hospital, 27 survived. In fact, he knew that if he could get to New Haven quickly, he might save enough fuel to make up the difference, allowing him to fly from there to Philadelphia legally. Between 1939 and 1959, Allegheny was known as one of the safest airlines in the world, having never once had a crash or any other type of incident. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. The deficiencies included the inadequacy of the see-and-avoid concept under the circumstances of this case; the technical limitations of radar in detecting all aircraft; and the absence of Federal Aviation Regulations which would provide a system of adequate separation of mixed VFR and IFR traffic in terminal areas. As First Officer James Walker recovered in hospital, he provided National Transportation Safety Board investigators with a unique window into his thoughts during those critical moments. As flight 485 neared New London, the weather on the ground was atrocious: fog had restricted visibility to less than a mile (1600m) with a 200-foot (60m) indefinite cloud ceiling. The Allegheny Airlines plane came crashing down into a field, killing everyone on board. The lengths to which Captain Eastridge went to save time and fuel were beyond what could be considered reasonable: he requested a different runway for takeoff, he cancelled the IFR flight plan, he lied to the dispatcher about how much fuel was on board, and he repeatedly tried to land when conditions were below minimums, all in an effort to get to the destination sooner. By the 1970s, Allegheny Airlines had over 40 CV-580s in its fleet, which could be seen at regional airports all over the Northeast. People brave frigid temperatures on Christmas Eve in 1968 to rescue survivors of a plane crash in a wooded area midway between the village of Kushequa and the Kinzua Bridge. It was very worthwhile (to help) because there was no one in charge and there was mass confusion, he remembered. The Bradford Era mobile app brings you the latest local breaking news, updates, and more. Since I'm very interested in anything having to do with my home state, and since I love to fly (as passenger and pilot), of course this accident became something for me to want very much to look into. In any case, First Officer Walker had so little time to react after catching sight of the buildings that any potential impact of his survival instinct is impossible to assess. At a speed of 196 kilometers per hour, flight 485 slammed into a row of three beach cottages on the shore of Long Island Sound, leveling the buildings and ripping off both wings. He thought the aircraft lifted off about 200 to 300 ft past taxiway C. Shortly after liftoff, he saw the right wing of the aircraft dip about 45, then the left wing dipped about the same amount, and the right wing dipped again before the aircraft disappeared from his view about 100 ft above the runway. [5] Shortly after Flight 737's crash, Allegheny Airlines self-imposed new rules for landings at airports. The rules required visibility of 1,000 feet up and three miles out for any airport without instrument landing systems. Indeed, on the second, third, and fourth approaches to New London, he descended way below the MDA, displaying a shocking disregard for published minima. Fifteen people perished in the cramped tail section, jammed against one another in utter darkness and intense heat as they fought to open a door that seemingly wouldnt budge. For emergency workers at the Allegheny Airlines Flight 736 crash on Dec. 24, 1968, it was a long, cold, night of exhaustion. Allegheny's 'Martin Executive' Model 202. If they couldnt see the runway, they needed to level off. 8 April 1960. He lost sight of the aircraft when it was at an altitude of about 20 ft above the runway. Except this plane would become the infamous Allegheny Airlines flight 853 that crashed en route from Boston to St. Louis in 1969. The Shelby County Historical Society shared photos with us of the original crash site. Because New London and New Haven are only about 70 kilometers apart, they didnt plan to climb higher than 4,000 feet, and the whole flight would be over in less than 20 minutes. It had three Fokker F27s, and was the last US operator of passenger F27s. You have permission to edit this article. Reports stated the twin-engine airplane had skidded for 100 yards before flipping onto its back and splitting open. Twenty-one hundred fifty-one hundred, nine hundred, we got enough if we dont run into any delays, he said, adding up the fuel quantity required to reach Philadelphia. In analyzing the relations between the two pilots, the NTSB did make note of Eastridges reputation as a strict commander who made it clear that he was in charge. The crash site has received designation from the Commonwealth as an official archaeological site. $1,000 is being awarded. An emergency worker who remembered the Christmas Eve accident in 1968 was Dick Brown of Cyclone. The flight was uneventful until it arrived in the Bradford area, about 20:22. The collision occurred at an altitude of approximately 3,550 feet. After retiring earlier aircraft, Allegheny, before and after its mergers, mainly flew De Havilland Canada Dash 8s to 35 airports in the northeastern United States, and eventually Canada, from hubs at Boston and Philadelphia. Failure of the electrical system due to an improperly installed heater on part of the ground technicians. Weather was overcast with one and one half miles visibility and snow showers. Shortly after takeoff smoke and fire were observed coming from the right engine and at approximately 1505:30 the captain advised "Six oh four is coming back in, we've got the right engine feathered. The crash occurred moments later on the crest of a ridge approximately 600 feet above the airport elevation. Shortly thereafter, he heard two separate and distinct sounds of impact. The Board determines that the probable cause of this accident was the failure of the crew to implement proper procedures for an engine failure on takeoff. The day was Friday, July 23, 1965, and it was Allegheny Airlines Flight 604 bound for the Wilkes-Barre Scranton Airport that had skidded and crashed into a wooded hillside, several miles. Thereafter the flight returned to Benedum Airport and landed at 1146. The captain increased engine power and decided to return to Pittsburgh-Greater Pittsburgh Airport for a safe landing. Nevertheless, the policy was indicative of a company culture which perhaps placed too much value on completing the mission on time. Eastridge didnt reply. ", Konwinski also says of that night, "I was called in to the emergency room in the middle of the night, and stayed until well into Christmas morning. Click here to see our subscription options. Allegheny Airlines Flight 371, a regularly scheduled flight, departed Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and proceeded . The aircraft crashed during daylight hours at an elevation of 1,203 ft ms1. The captain declined the offer and about 1257 he taxied the aircraft from the parking ramp. Flight International. In fact, visibility at New Haven was 1 miles (2.8 kilometers) laterally with an indefinite cloud ceiling at 200 feet, decreasing to 100, much like in New London, and their chances of sighting the runway before reaching the MDA were virtually nil. Keep a real sharp eye out there, he added, hoping that Walker would soon catch sight of the ground. He stated that he saw no snow on the aircraft but that moderate snow was falling at the time. Kyra Dempsey, analyzer of plane crashes. After an investigation, the United States National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) could not determine the cause of the crash. In fact, it's still the worst aviation accident in Indiana history. A woman was killed in an early morning car crash in Churchill. Both pilots and 9 passengers were killed while 17 other occupants were injured. Visit r/admiralcloudberg to read and discuss over 200 similar articles. He also stated that he saw no snow blow off the aircraft during its takeoff roll. Crash of a Nord 262A-36 in Clarksburg: 2 killed, Crash of a Douglas DC-9-31 in Philadelphia, Crash of a Convair CV-580 in New Haven: 28 killed, Crash of a Douglas DC-9-31 in Fairland: 82 killed, Crash of a Convair CV-580 in Bradford: 11 killed, Crash of a Convair CV-580 in Bradford: 20 killed, Crash of a Convair CV-440 Metropolitan in Harrisburg, Crash of a Convair CV-440 Metropolitan in Williamsport. Low around 35F. After taking off from New London, flight 485 proceeded toward New Haven without incident, beginning its initial descent to 1,600 feet just 13 minutes into the flight. The Safety Board was unable to determine the reasons for the captain's lack of awareness or the first officer's failure to provide required callouts. Before the captain started the engines for taxiing, the station agent asked him if he wanted the aircraft deiced again, since it was still snowing. (Editors note: A story on the Jan. 6, 1969, Allegheny Airlines plane crash will be published on the 50th anniversary of the second accident.). 875 Greentree Road Ten Parkway Center, Suite 100 Pittsburgh, PA 15220. Shortly after the aircraft disappeared from his view, he heard the sound of an emergency locator transmitter on 121.5 MHz. They didnt know I was alive. Those principles would not be fully developed until the late 1970s, but the seeds of inspiration can nevertheless be seen in the report on flight 485. Allegheny Airlines, Inc., Flight 604, a Convair 340/440, N8415H, crashed 5 miles east-northeast of the Williamsport-Lycoming County Airport, Montoursville, Pennsylvania, on July 23, 1965. The puddle-jumping commuter flight was to begin that morning in Washington, D.C., then fly to New London, Connecticut; New Haven, Connecticut, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Newport News, Virginia. A woman, who was a passenger in the car, was pronounced dead at the scene. Convair, a now-defunct aerospace manufacturing company, built the aircraft type as a potential replacement for the Douglas DC-3. 303 North Main Street, Port Allegany, PA 16743. Unfortunately, it would not make it to land. These two passengers were the lucky ones: those who joined the queue for the rearmost exit soon found themselves caught in a nightmare from which there would be no escape. Little did he know that locally heavier fog over the water had reduced visibility to practically nil, baiting him into descending much lower than he had expected. Joe found me first he heard my muffled cries, King had shared. The 50th anniversary of the Allegheny Airlines Convair 580 passenger plane crash that killed 20 of the 47 passengers bound for Bradford Regional Airport has prompted a survivor and a few area residents, including Bradford Publishing Company publisher, John Satterwhite, to share memories that havent faded over the past half-century. However, there was plenty of controversy to fuel the local press. First, this accident happened very close to where I live. A pilot in the terminal restaurant said that when the aircraft left the parking ramp, he saw about 1/2 to 1 in. Looking back 50 years later, the final report seems to grasp at several fundamental truths recognized in the subsequent decades, while falling just short of endorsing them a fascinating glimpse into the nascent understanding of human factors which defined the period. Join the discussion of this article on Reddit! Before 1979, the company we now remember as USAir was known as Allegheny Airlines, a regional carrier based in Pennsylvania which provided service to towns and cities throughout the US Northeast, the Great Lakes, and Appalachia. On the flight deck were 33-year-old Captain William I. Banton Jr. and 31-year-old First Officer Ronald Lesiak. On these pages, we will keep you up to date with latest plans and developments. On the afternoon of Sept. 9, 1969, Allegheny Airlines flight 853 was over Shelby County beginning its descent into Indianapolis. The persons who deiced the plane stated that there was no snow or ice on the aircraft when they finished decing it. That was quite amazing how, after 40 years, we connected, she said of Sicher. At 20:31 the flight reported completing the procedure turn inbound. Both aircraft were destroyed by the collision and ground impact. Hold it! he screamed, imploring Eastridge to level off, but it was too late. On February 12, 1979, Allegheny Airlines Flight 561 (N29824) had originally departed Benedum Airport, Clarksburg, West Virginia, for Morgantown, West Virginia, at 1116, but the pilot decided not to make an approach at Morgantown because the instrument landing system's (ILS) glide slope was out of service, and the visibility was 1/2 mi. Erie Approach Control then told the crew to contact the Bradford Flight Service Station (FSS). Eastridge was said to be a competent pilot, but strict: as Walker would later tell the National Transportation Safety Board, He was the commander of that airplane and you knew it.. When asked if he was upset from the gruesome task at hand, Brown replied, I didnt have time to be disturbed. None of the responses will be shared or used for any other purpose except to better serve our community. I had an ax with me under my seat in my snowmobile.. The airline bought new Fairchild F-27Js that the company named "Vistaliner". He had spoken with the captain by telephone before the takeoff and had given him the 1215 special observation weather. Of the 106 persons onboard, 86 persons were injured; there were no fatalities. The crash of flight 485 was in fact the airlines fourth fatal accident in less than three years, including two crashes at Pennsylvanias Bradford Regional Airport within a two week period in December 1968 and January 1969. Allegheny cancelled 124 out of 1,409 scheduled flight segments in the first week after the new visibility rules were adopted.[6]. There was no exception for cases when the captain was operating the airplane in a clearly unsafe manner. After striking tail first on a taxiway about 4,000 feet beyond the threshold of runway 27, the aircraft slid about 2,000 feet and stopped. Allegheny flight AL853 was wider positive radar control of the Federal Aviation Administration's Indianapolis Approach Control, descending from 6,000 feet to an assigned altitude of 2,530 feet at the time of the collision. Era Reporter Based on the cockpit voice recording, it was clear that First Officer Walker was not happy with the way the flight was being conducted. The aircraft crashed in an inverted position off the right side of the departure end of runway 21. The aircraft's encounter with severe horizontal and vertical wind shears near the ground as a result of the captain's continued approach into a clearly marginal severe weather condition. Flight 737 complied, and by 20:31, had reported completing the procedure turn inbound. John Satterwhite said he traveled to the area with his friend and ended up on a snowmobile trying to locate his father. Instead, he had to live the rest of his life in a wheelchair, his career gone forever, always wondering whether he could have done more. Eleven of the 28 occupants on board were killed. Certainly he deserved better. As the passengers and crew fought to escape, fire overwhelmed the cabin, killing 28 people and leaving just three survivors: two passengers and the flights First Officer, who related a harrowing story of an overconfident Captain, a dangerous approach, and his own internal struggle over whether to intervene. The nose gear landed first at a speed of 163 knots (40-45 knots above normal touchdown speed) 2,540 feet past the runway threshold (runway 28 is 5,500 feet long). Memorial page dedicated to the passengers and crew of Allegheny Flight 371 which crashed near Williamsport, Pa on. Failure of the landing gear, main gear-shock absorbing, assy, struts, attachments, etc. The report even brought up points which would later become the basis of revolutionary reforms in cockpit culture, writing that, The concept of command authority and its inviolate nature, except in the case of incapacitation, has become a tenet without exception. Because of the inclement weather and ill-equipped airports served by the airline, this forced the cancellation of nearly 10% of all Allegheny flights during the following week, a fairly disastrous result which may in fact have convinced pilots that the only way to keep planes on schedule was to violate the limits. As with every year leading up to the 50th, King remembers the tragic, tragic accident that killed her father and almost killed her. Allegheny Airlines was a regional airline that operated out of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, from 1952 to 1979 with routes primarily located in the eastern U.S.[1] It was the forerunner of USAir that was subsequently renamed US Airways, which itself merged with American Airlines. But Captain Eastridge never acknowledged the rule, and he continued with his original time-saving plan, requesting a right turn at Pond Point and a straight-in approach to runway 2. About 20:23, Erie Approach Control asked flight 737 to report their distance to the airport: "Allegheny seven thirty seven, what are you showing DME from Bradford?". While my primary goal is to provide a memorial page to those who were killed, the technical aspects of this tragedy will also continue to remain of interest to aviators. Like many airlines at that time (and some still today), it was heavily subsidized by the federal government, which paid it to fulfill numerous routes that otherwise would not have been profitable. The captain's lack of awareness of airspeed, vertical speed, and aircraft performance throughout an ILS approach and landing in visual meteorological conditions which resulted in his landing the aircraft at an excessively high speed and with insufficient runway remaining for stopping the aircraft, but with sufficient aircraft performance capability to reject the landing well after touchdown. Descending below this altitude without seeing the runway is prohibited, so they knew they would have to wait. All 16 occupants were evacuated safely while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair. http://www.allegheny853.net/ Sicher, 86, also noted that the incident is as fresh in his memory as the night it occurred. The problem here was that Allegheny Airlines procedures explicitly stated that the first officer should only take the controls if the captain is incapacitated. Konwinski said ironically one of the survivors, who was in an ophthalmology residency program, suffered a very serious eye injury. Nowadays, when planes crash and people die, there are internet-based support groups, huge litigation possibilities, and seemingly endless streams of social and psychological help available for the victims' families. Allegheny flew to dozens more cities at some point, including Erie, Providence and the Wyoming Valley.[14][15]. One man's quest to memorialize the victims of the worst airline disaster in Lycoming County history, the crash of Allegheny Airlines Flight 371 on Bald Eagle Mountain, is coming to an end. Man, we aint twenty feet off the water! he exclaimed. The 50th anniversary of the crash has now passed, and The airplane came to rest and was damaged beyond repair while all 53 occupants escaped uninjured. Allegheny Airlines Flight 737, an Allison Prop Jet Convair 440, N5825, crashed on a golf course about 4.7 nautical miles northwest of the Bradford, Pennsylvania, Regional Airport. All right, Eastridge replied, but he made no effort to rein in their descent. It turned out that Tweed-New Haven Airport had been trying to install an instrument landing system, which would help guide planes down to the runway in low visibility, for several years prior to the crash. Seconds later, the plane reached the MDA of 380 feet. At approximately 0947 s. s. t., on December 1, 1959, an Allegheny Airlines Martin 202, N174A, crashed on Bald Eagle Mountain about 13 miles south of the Williamsport, Pennsylvania, Airport.The crew of 3, one additional crew member, and 21 of the 22 revenue passengers were killed. Oh, this is low, Walker said, getting nervous now. A check airman, responsible for training other pilots, said he would take control from a captain if he was flying in an unsafe manner, but various first officers said they probably would not. On Monday, January 6, 1969, Allegheny Airlines Flight 737 crashed while attempting to land at Bradford Regional Airport in Bradford, Pennsylvania. Shortly thereafter the aircraft was seen descending in a nose-up attitude with the landing gear retracted. a remembrance service was held at the Ron Ferrell: https://www.youtube.com/user/csxworkerDonations Are Appreciated But Never Expected: https://www.paypal.me/miniaircrashThis is the story of Alleg. We have placed these on separate pages for you to review: Listen to audio files. John Satterwhite had been visiting his parents with his wife and child from their home in Pittsburgh and became concerned when he heard his 68-year-old father had traveled to the crash site. With the layer of ground fog stretching from about 100 feet up to 400 feet, it would have been obvious to the crew that they could not legally land under these conditions. "ASN Aircraft accident Convair CV-580 N5825 Bradford Airport, PA (BFD)", "Probers Express Amazement Over Similarity of 2 Crashes", "Allegheny's Restrictions Cut Landings; Self-Imposed Visibility Rules Canceling Stops", Allegheny Airlines Flight 737 at Airdisaster.com, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Allegheny_Airlines_Flight_737&oldid=1129269113, Accidents and incidents involving the Convair CV-240 family, Airliner accidents and incidents in Pennsylvania, Airliner accidents and incidents with an unknown cause, Airliner accidents and incidents involving controlled flight into terrain, Allegheny Airlines accidents and incidents, Transportation in McKean County, Pennsylvania, Aviation accidents and incidents in the United States in 1969, All Wikipedia articles written in American English, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 24 December 2022, at 11:49. East Haven, Connecticut - June 7, 1971. I had a cutter (tow sled) that I pulled behind my snowmobile and I hauled several dead people out of there to the firehall, he recalled. Shortly after takeoff, when the controller instructed him to perform a 360-degree loop, he responded by cancelling the flights Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) flight plan and switching to Visual Flight Rules (VFR) instead, which allowed him to proceed straight ahead under his own vigilance.