This happened about 30 miles south of me. Sign of the times. http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2009-01-13-smallplane-crash_N.htm
You would sort of hope that a person planning such a stunt would at least have the common human decency to aim the plane out over the Gulf of Mexico or such... Story says that he has resurfaced via some weird emails and says he is sorry - blames it all on hypoxia.
That's a good one! So was he suffering from the hypoxia prior to taking off? (storing the motorcycle with packed saddle bags etc.) Pretty ellaborate. Huh, I bet when they caught up to the plane before it crashed they noticed that the windshield was probably in tact!
Indeed they did - the Air Force chase pilots reported that the windshield was fine, the cabin was dark and empty, and that the side door was open. In another weird twist, it was the local cops of the little Ala town that gave him a lift to a local hotel. He claimed to have been in a "canoe accident". Of course, he had skipped when they figured out who he was - and he had taken off on the motorcycle he had hidden in a storage locker. The police are now saying that he is probably not in Alabama - maybe not even in the country. Got to give him this much, though - he knew how to pull off a getaway better than old Madoff...
I don't know about that-- Madoff is still living happily on the Upper East Side, watching CNBC and drinking Diet Coke. Schrenker-- probably in a Motel 6 or eating bugs somewhere along the side of the road in Mississippi.
"Investigators think Schrenker's plan was to let the plane fly to the Gulf and crash in the water, slowing the investigation, Latimer said. But the plane ran out of fuel first." Actually not a bad plan...except for the fuel. There's gotta be some reason he didn't buy more, imvho. (mind on other things? NEVER fly without a clear mind!!)
Aurthur (Dudley Moore) said it best: "Girls don't wear ties! It's the perfect crime! All right, some girls wear ties, it's not the perfect crime - but it's a pretty good crime!"
Maybe he forgot to sort of lean it out? You would think that such an experienced aviator would be able to calculate his range a little better.
It was a turboprop Malibu-- no leaning. Okay planning, marred by poor execution. Doubtless he neglected to consider the drag of the open door, and the fuel burn at low altitude. And the fact that fighters would intercept the aircraft and see the open door... and that he would have to show his id... A far better question is why he didn't simply fly the Malibu to Venezuela or wherever in the first place.
He is smart enough to be aware of those factors had he been functioning normally. He is obviously experiencing fairly severe mental problems.
Maybe he knew of a reason why customs could be a potential problem for him. In any case, it appears he wanted to be thought of as dead. I don't think he wanted (or felt he could) leave the good 'ol U.S. of A.. Definately poor execution though. Radioing about the broken w/s doesn't make sense, neither does runnin' outta gas. With guys like this, there is ALWAYS more to the story. And if he could tell us why, I bet he'd have a good reason as to why he couldn't execute the play according to plan. (lack of cash, searching for him, etc any number of reasons). Sounds like he probably lacks a conscience. That can take a long time to discern is a person because no one expects that in another human being, esp. one who is "seems very trustworthy" (aka, Madoff).
I find myself more intrigued by the comments to the story (in the link), than the actual story itself. That so many people can be so stupid and ignorant at one time, is amazing. Well, there isn't a financial crisis very often, I suppose. Why I let myself get angry at these people, too, is beyond me.
