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One of the most probable sightings was made at about 11 a.m. on September 3. A Flying M ranch hand named Rawley Bigsby was sitting on his front porch when he saw the plane fly over. Bigsby's boss at the ranch often flew the Decathlon to check up on his workers, so Bigsby knew exactly what the plane looked like. The last he saw of the Decathlon, it was heading east over Mud Springs Canyon.

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Rawley stated the plane was flying very low (approx 60-80 off deck) as if he was looking for a place to land and flying at slow speed. Rawley said it looked like the pilot was playing around, because the plane was rocking slightly from side to side and the tail was pitching up and down. Rawley watched as the plane continued east at same speed and altitude and appeared to be following the road (NFD 026 road) and lost sight of the plane as it flew over the Mud Springs area.

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Attached these two quotes, as I keep pondering about a possible minor conflict with power lines, as marked in red on the image below. Rawleys location is approx 3.5 miles to the W of the lines and SF's poss LKP is approx 5 miles to E of the lines. Don't have any prob about the distance involved as visibility in the area is excellent, so good in fact that one would hope that power lines would be easily seen; assuming that pilot was looking in that direction. (forward vis on a Citabria is fine).
Its the 60-80ft that concerns me; as second pic is one taken at 38.38131 -118.87418 looking NNW up Powerline Rd. This is approx area SF would of crossed powerlines if flying between Rawleys location and the poss LKP.
Obvious questions abound, so will refrain from asking them all. Would be happy just knowing estimated height of Citabria as it passed Rawleys location? And estimated height over the powerlines?




Another quote below, that makes me feel SF is likely to be found in this area; The combination of an eyewitness and possible radar log, is of far greater interest than anything else I have come across so far.

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Just hours into the search Lt. Guy Loughridge, a Civil Air Patrol expert analyst, picked up a radar log that looked promising, depicting somebody just noodling around in the airspace. It was at a low altitude, about 2,000 feet (610 meters). It looked just like a pilot on a pleasure jaunt—a pilot like Fossett. The location, furthermore, was over Powell and Jim Canyons, which sit just to the east of Mud Springs Canyon, where Bigsby said he last saw the famous aviator.

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One of the most probable sightings was made at about 11 a.m. on September 3. A Flying M ranch hand named Rawley Bigsby was sitting on his front porch when he saw the plane fly over. Bigsby's boss at the ranch often flew the Decathlon to check up on his workers, so Bigsby knew exactly what the plane looked like. The last he saw of the Decathlon, it was heading east over Mud Springs Canyon.

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Rawley stated the plane was flying very low (approx 60-80 off deck) as if he was looking for a place to land and flying at slow speed. Rawley said it looked like the pilot was playing around, because the plane was rocking slightly from side to side and the tail was pitching up and down. Rawley watched as the plane continued east at same speed and altitude and appeared to be following the road (NFD 026 road) and lost sight of the plane as it flew over the Mud Springs area.

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Attached these two quotes, as I keep pondering about a possible minor conflict with power lines, as marked in red on the image below. Rawleys location is approx 3.5 miles to the W of the lines and SF's poss LKP is approx 5 miles to E of the lines. Don't have any prob about the distance involved as visibility in the area is excellent, so good in fact that one would hope that power lines would be easily seen; assuming that pilot was looking in that direction. (forward vis on a Citabria is fine).
Its the 60-80ft that concerns me; as second pic is one taken at 38.38131 -118.87418 looking NNW up Powerline Rd. This is approx area SF would of crossed powerlines if flying between Rawleys location and the poss LKP.
Obvious questions abound, so will refrain from asking them all. Would be happy just knowing estimated height of Citabria as it passed Rawleys location? And estimated height over the powerlines?


Another quote below, that makes me feel SF is likely to be found in this area; The combination of an eyewitness and possible radar log, is of far greater interest than anything else I have come across so far.

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Just hours into the search Lt. Guy Loughridge, a Civil Air Patrol expert analyst, picked up a radar log that looked promising, depicting somebody just noodling around in the airspace. It was at a low altitude, about 2,000 feet (610 meters). It looked just like a pilot on a pleasure jaunt—a pilot like Fossett. The location, furthermore, was over Powell and Jim Canyons, which sit just to the east of Mud Springs Canyon, where Bigsby said he last saw the famous aviator.

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Regards.

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WOW Redlands, Now that's an interesting observation, Thank you VERY much for coming up with that one.
Now here's a little follow-up idea to add to it.
Suppose LT Guy Loughridge is right about the radar hit he reports.
That could put SF to the East of the powerlines. Which would indicate that he crossed over them at the time Rawley was looking at him.
BUT, the time was running out for SF to return to the Flying-M Ranch for lunch, so he gets out near Powell Canyon, turns around and heads back toward the ranch, Again he drops down below 100' AGL and then gets into those powerlines.
That is also a possibility, but one that could place him anywhere along the powerline row between Powell Canyon and the ranch. Not just east of the NM ranch. And that is a senerio that would make both reports valid.

Edited by rpmckinley (07/08/08 07:04 PM)

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Suppose LT Guy Loughridge is right about the radar hit he reports.
That could put SF to the East of the powerlines. Which would indicate that he crossed over them at the time Rawley was looking at him.
BUT, the time was running out for SF to return to the Flying-M Ranch for lunch, so he gets out near Powell Canyon, turns around and heads back toward the ranch, Again he drops down below 100' AGL and then gets into those powerlines.
That is also a possibility, but one that could place him anywhere along the powerline row between Powell Canyon and the ranch. Not just east of the NM ranch. And that is a senerio that would make both reports valid.

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Would agree with you, anything is possible but guess large areas of Powerline Rd can be ruled out as CAP etc would have no doubt found a plane located in open and fairly barren land.
As a total work of fiction and imagination, I could conceive a low flying plane making slight contact with powerlines, erratic flying shortly after while pilot regains control and accesses the situation.
Climb to an altitude that allows for either radio contact, or safe to return to base, but doesn't make it due to the damage known or unknown that has occurred. Total speculation on my part though.

Regards

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Hitting a powerline with a Citabria tail rudder could also account for irratic flying behavior, Like the tail waving up and down. (refer Rawley report).

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Thats one of the obvious questions/comments I didn't make or ask.
But its all speculation and questions rather than facts and answers. Much to the regret of many, yourself and I included.

Regards to ya RP.

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Thats one of the obvious questions/comments I didn't make or ask.
But its all speculation and questions rather than facts and answers. Much to the regret of many, yourself and I included.

Regards to ya RP.

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