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 70-year-old highly experienced pilot, an ex-Air Force and United Airlines captain, fatally crashed his RV-4 aircraft while performing a high-speed canyon flying maneuver in southern Colorado.
The accident occurred during a challenging S-turn where his left wingtip struck the canyon wall, most likely due to strong, unpredictable crosswinds pushing the aircraft off its intended path.
The incident underscores the extreme dangers and razor-thin safety margins of canyon flying, even for exceptionally skilled pilots, especially when compounded by uncalculated environmental factors like wind.

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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.