Windy Canyon Dangers

Canyons draw adventurous pilots in—but they hold hidden hazards.

Peter Garrison

Monday, March 13, 2023 at 06:32 PM ET

Verified

Flying through canyons has seemed to be a supreme test of airmanship. [Credit: Adobe Stock]

Key Takeaways:

A highly experienced 70-year-old former airline captain and military pilot died in a tragic accident while performing high-speed canyon flying in an RV-4 aircraft in southern Colorado.
The incident occurred during a challenging S-turn within the canyon, where the pilot's left wingtip struck the wall, causing the aircraft to disintegrate instantly.
The article suggests that strong, unquantifiable crosswinds within the canyon likely contributed to the pilot's fatal miscalculation, significantly reducing the already thin safety margins for the extreme maneuver.
This accident underscores the inherent dangers and extreme risks involved in demanding aerial maneuvers, even for pilots with exceptional skill and thousands of hours of flight experience.

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Ever since Luke Skywalker plunged into the mesial groove of the Death Star, flying through canyons has seemed to be a supreme test of airmanship. Military pilots practicing terrain following love to thread the so-called “Star Wars Canyon” into Death Valley at 500 knots. When the new Top Gun installment came out, it was all about negotiating canyons, both geological and interpersonal.

It’s fun, and it’s dangerous. In fact, it’s fun because it’s dangerous.