As a longtime reader of aviation accident stories in I Learned About Flying from That, I never thought that so soon into my aviation adventure I’d find myself telling a story of my own. All of the events that follow took place during an aviation-packed day that would begin with the eager anticipation of visiting the 2014 AOPA Regional Fly-In in Spokane, Washington, and end with forest firefighters rushing to open a closed runway so I could land in the middle of a mountain range. But that would be skipping ahead in this story.
The day began well before dawn, just like any other day when I look forward to flying. A quick review of the Renton, Washington (KRNT) weather confirmed that it would be a light IFR morning with OVC 016 and tops at 050 — plenty safe for getting out into the clear before overflying the Cascade mountains. I had been looking forward to the prospect of seeing the sunrise at 10,000 feet for weeks. The enticement of a pancake breakfast, and the chance to meet all the AOPA faces that I “know” from the weekly articles and online safety courses pumped up my excitement even more. I would find myself putting many of those safety tips to good use by the end of the day.
