Plane crash aftermath: 'It really came home, how fleeting life can be'
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WOODINVILLE, Wash. - A local family is recovering from a frighteningly close call as federal investigators try to figure out what caused a small plane to crash into their Woodinville home Saturday.
Meanwhile, the family of the plane's pilot is grieving his death while waiting at the bedside of his nephew, who was in the plane and survived the crash but suffered serious injuries
A crane removed the wreckage from the side of the Woodinville family's house on Sunday as a federal crash investigator gathered more evidence.
It was an emotional moment for the homeowners - who just returned from out of town and are just now able to hug their 21-year-old son, who was at home when the plane slammed into the garage, missing him by only a few feet.
"Just knowing my son was so close to the accident. He was right above it - it really came home, how fleeting life can be," says homeowner Rodney Korn.
His son, Tallon Korn, was playing video games with a friend in a room above the garage when the single-engine, four-seater plane smashed through the garage door and against the side of the house.
"I feel very lucky - if it hadn't hit where it did, if it hit 10 feet up, I would have been done," says Tallon.
The pilot at the controls, 45-year-old Jay Uusitalo of Redmond, did not survive. His only passenger, a nephew visiting from Eastern Washington, was airlifted to Harborview Medical Center. He was initially listed in critical condition, but was upgraded to serious condition on Sunday.
"Finding out there was a young man involved - it really got into my heart," says Rodney Korn. "I feel very bad for the family that had this happen."
Investigators say it could take up to nine months to determine an official cause for the crash.
Witnesses say they heard the engine sputtering and saw the propellor stop spinning before the aircraft flipped over and came down, smashing into the Woodinville home.
Right now, Rodney Korn and his family want another family to know ...
"People are thinking about them and hoping for the best result out of what was a very terrible tragedy," he says.
Meanwhile, the family of the plane's pilot is grieving his death while waiting at the bedside of his nephew, who was in the plane and survived the crash but suffered serious injuries
A crane removed the wreckage from the side of the Woodinville family's house on Sunday as a federal crash investigator gathered more evidence.
It was an emotional moment for the homeowners - who just returned from out of town and are just now able to hug their 21-year-old son, who was at home when the plane slammed into the garage, missing him by only a few feet.
"Just knowing my son was so close to the accident. He was right above it - it really came home, how fleeting life can be," says homeowner Rodney Korn.
His son, Tallon Korn, was playing video games with a friend in a room above the garage when the single-engine, four-seater plane smashed through the garage door and against the side of the house.
"I feel very lucky - if it hadn't hit where it did, if it hit 10 feet up, I would have been done," says Tallon.
The pilot at the controls, 45-year-old Jay Uusitalo of Redmond, did not survive. His only passenger, a nephew visiting from Eastern Washington, was airlifted to Harborview Medical Center. He was initially listed in critical condition, but was upgraded to serious condition on Sunday.
"Finding out there was a young man involved - it really got into my heart," says Rodney Korn. "I feel very bad for the family that had this happen."
Investigators say it could take up to nine months to determine an official cause for the crash.
Witnesses say they heard the engine sputtering and saw the propellor stop spinning before the aircraft flipped over and came down, smashing into the Woodinville home.
Right now, Rodney Korn and his family want another family to know ...
"People are thinking about them and hoping for the best result out of what was a very terrible tragedy," he says.
Dorimonsonfan: Â That plane was not an experimental, it was a production aircraft. Â And, it appears, that the pilot was not doing anything but straight and level flight, maybe some turns for sight seeing.
What you did notice was that the day this accident happened, there were two airplane accidents in the US. Â The second one no one was hurt. Â On that day, there were 132 automobile accidents in King County alone, resulting in five fatalities, two fatalities were of people who were not in cars. Â What was the statistics for the entire US on that day? Â Statistically, and you can approach that from many, many angles, and general aviation transportation is significantly safer to the non flying public than automobiles are to the non driving pedestrian, home dweller or, as we have seen, even folks in stores and offices where someone lost control and drove into the building.
Planes don't just "fall out of the sky": Â They glide. Â KOMO: Â Please be more responsible in your reporting.
@luftschiffkaptain Always refreshing to see another person like you commenting.Â
The problem is also that general aviation is so very misunderstood by the general public. Â I encourage anyone here with any questions about it to take an intro lesson. Â There are plenty of discount intro lessons on Groupon.com. Â It's a great deal, and you can even get a decent price for a ride in a helicopter. Â The instructor will give you a chance to fly the plane. Â Ask to see a glide, you'll be surprised that even at idle power (we NEVER shut down the engine - but simply pull back to idle) the plane will glide for quite a distance at a fairly low speed (generally about 60kts - or freeway merging speed). Â Â It's not magic, not mysterious, just basic physics that allow us to fly. Â
I instruct people to fly. Â Would I ever be a driving teacher? Â NO! Â That would be absolutely terrifying. Â I admire people that can teach driving. Â Flying is SAFE.
There are a lot of people employed in aviation in WA, 171,000 jobs generating $18.6 billion, plus a lot of public benefit. All aviation activities start with general aviation and light aircraft.
For those fearful of an accident, light aircraft rarely hit buildings or people during an accident because pilots are trained to avoid those on the ground during an emergency; plus light aircraft don't have much kinetic energy, just look at how little damage there is to that house.
It is much safer statistically to travel by aircraft, even the small ones, when compared to cars. It is the cars you should be fearful of. You don't fear cars because you understand them. I suggest you learn about aircraft if only to calm your fears.
For aviation's complete economic contribution to WA see: http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/aviation/WAEconomicStudy.htm
I get that aviation is a fun hobby enjoyed by many. It just seems it should be treated more like race car driving, and done in a safe place that doesn't put the general public in danger. Flying single engine planes over neighborhoods is just not a prudent idea, especially since a lot of these planes are for good reason labeled "experimental."
@dorimonsonfan
there are fewer experimental aircraft flying than non experimental.....if you like....your uneducated mind may enjoy reading 14 CFR part 23..which explains the standards for air worthiness in normal, utility, acrobatic and commuter category air planes.......and also check out part 21..it explains the certification proceedures for products, articles and aircraft parts. A maul is issued a standard type certificate....not an experimental one by the way.......
@pilot-wess we can split hairs over this but these planes don't belong over neighborhoods. the proof is in the picture
@dorimonsonfanÂ
To take your argument to it's logical conclusion, cars don't belong on roads.. and I can find plenty of proof in pictures.
@dorimonsonfanÂ
There are regulations that require aircraft to be at certain altitudes over populated and unpopulated areas.
Your stance that these aircraft should not be flown over neighborhoods is a bit of a stretch, and would completely eliminate general aviation in areas like the entire area of Southern California, and other high-density areas, which would be a bad thing for aviation.
Accidents happen. People die. Life goes on. You can't legislate your way out of death.
@dorimonsonfan "Experimental" simply means that the plane was built at home by a pilot, and not factory built. "Experimental" aircraft are designed professionally and then approved by the FAA, from which the manufacturer usually sells kits for the aircraft. It still has to have the same maintence procedures completed on it and it also has to be approved airworthy by the FAA before flying. Again, ignorant uneducated comment.
This comment has been deleted
@Tom-RNT I am not willing to engage with you in a name calling match, but I offer you this to read. It might aleviate your experimental aircraft denial: %s three of the first sequoia falco kits ended in fatal crashes. then google ronald brice.
This has been one of my biggest fears, We are in the flight path of Boeiing and Seatac here in the Heart of Winslow, Bainbridge island. I've actually seen one small aircraft go straight up, then into a dive, and then straighten out and fly away. I thought for sure it was going to crash.
@Steve Giovanis Steve, what you are seeing over Bainbridge is known as a stall. The pilot pitches the nose up with either power on or no power until the flow of air over the wings is too slow and turbulent to maintain flight. Once this happens, the nose drops and flight continues as the airspeed increases. Nothing to be worried about.
@Zach Sweetser @Steve Giovanis Thank you for explaining about that. I also live on the Island and have seen something like that happen and wondered if the plane was in trouble.Â
Glad to see all the pilots here are on the same page about this. It really is a tragic accident. Thoughts and prayers for Jay's family - aviation is a wonderful thing to dedicate your life to, and although I never met Jay, I know from his friends that he was always trying to share his passion with others.
@Christine Hollingsworth Well I am not a Pilot but my father was a Combat Pilot/Aircraft Commander of aÂ
B-17 Flying Fortress in World War 2.Just a bit more dangerous with enemy FLAK and enemy fighters though.
Dad made it through without a scratch but he was extremely lucky and he lived to a ripe old age.
Listening to the homeowner you realize how extremely close those two young men were to being killed too. Amazingly and thankfully they are unharmed.Â
The pilot saved his nephew's life at least, which is no small thing. It does sound like that young man will be alright too. Unfortunately a life was lost, and to those who will feel his loss acutely, I wish you strength and eventual healing.
tragic loss of the pilot. My thoughts and prayers for his family. Fortunately the passenger is improving, and no one on the ground was injured or killed.
"It really came home"
Literally.
glad tallon is ok. while I feel bad for the family of the deceased, I'd be pretty p.o.'d if I was rodney korn and some guy's hobby came within 10' of killing my son on a sunny saturday afternoon in his own home. small planes are a fun rich man's hobby, but maybe they should be kept away from residential areas.
@dorimonsonfan Ignorant comment. Jay was my neighbor and a true friend and mentor to me in flying. I am now a pilot thanks in part to him. Flying was passed through his family and he had to work hard after college to earn his license. I recommend you read MoDmAnDaN's comment.
@dorimonsonfan I guess you got some answers ;-) Better luck next time.
@Komo Dragon no answers really. just poor attempts at justifying total disregard for basic safety. tallon is lucky to be alive.
@dorimonsonfan There are far far more stories of out of control motor vehicles driven by drunk,distracted,speeding or fleeing from Law enforcement bad motorists crashing into homes than personal aircraft..
Worldwide there are over a million motor vehicle deaths per year (about 30,000 in the U.S.) with a far higher figure of injuries and permanent maimings etc.Not sure if the bystander,pedestrian and cyclist figures are included in that though which would make the death and injury toll figures even much higher.
@dorimonsonfan    I am SO happy that the Korn family has a lot more class and compassion than you do!Â
@JUSTONEPROUDMOM pretty sure they will sue, as they should.
@dorimonsonfanFor the sake of argument, this was an accident. General aviation aircraft and pilots are not limited to the rich and famous. Those with a passion for flight and the smell of aviation fuel in the morning make personal sacrifices along the way to fulfill the passion of flying. It is ingrained in you from your very first lesson and as much a part of you as your hands or feet. I'm speaking about safety, checks and double checks.Â
I recall in a previous post you raised a valid question regarding the age of aircraft and the comparison of a 30+ year old plane vs a car which you preferred to change every 10 years. Without getting too technical, all aircraft must be certified as airworthy and undergo maintenance/inspections at specific intervals. People in the aviation community take this very seriously. In a nutshell that 30 year old plane has had it's fuselage, engines,every bolt, rivet,cable,wiring, system checked and documented in the maintenance records/logs.
Cars don't undergo this same level of scrutiny and as you and I know care repairs are often delayed or monkey rigged until a later date. A pilot on the other-hand performs a specific set of checks and inspections depending on the type of aircraft. The big difference if there is a problem found or POSSIBILITY of a problem, that pilot don't fly until it gets looked at by a A&P Mechanicthat is licensed by the FAA.
 I would encourage you to drop in at one of the many FBOs in our area at local airports like Paine Field in Everett or Renton muni. Pop your head in the door and you will find guys and gals eager to share their flying stories and passion. Take an introductory first flight and i guarantee you will come away with a whole new outlook
@BuddyHolly @dorimonsonfan nope..outlook tells me there is no reason tallon almost died for a rich man trying to get an egotistical look at his house from the sky in an old crusty plane that had no business flying.
@Poisonous Giraffe
:->>That must be why his sn is dorimoronsonfan.
@dorimonsonfan my god you are an idiot.
@dorimonsonfan
You state that this was: âa rich man trying to get an egotistical look at his house from the sky in an old crusty plane that had no business flyingâ Please provide your proof for that entire statement.
@BuddyHolly @dorimonsonfan Thanks.  You are 100% right.Â
@dorimonsonfan The pilot was a good friend of mine and I'm offended by your remarks.  Whenever an aviation accident happens, I feel that I have to go into these comment forums and lecture you idiots who become instant "experts" on this subject. Â
I have been flying for 21 SAFE years, I've been teaching people to fly for about 18 years now, and I know as well as anyone the costs involved in this activity.  It's not a "rich man's" hobby, there are many average income people that fly because they have saved the money to pursue their dream of flying.  Why do I instruct for 18 years?  Because it's probably one of the most rewarding things I do and if I thought it was dangerous, I wouldn't keep doing it. Yes, it can be very unforgiving if you mess up, but if you want to avoid LIFE just stay in your basement where it's safe from falling airplanes.  I encourage you to take a flying lesson sometime, there are often Groupon deals for this.  Just don't come to me for a lesson.  I'd refuse flying with someone as cold and thoughtless as you.Â
I don't think Jay had much choice on where he ended up and he didn't know there was someone in the house that he avoided. Â But then again, I don't know any details about what happened, so I'm not going to be one of those posting speculations on what happened - Â WE DON'T KNOW! Â The NTSB may have a preliminary report out in the near future, and a final report in in 6 to 12 months. Â
Please be considerate of what you post. Â The local pilot community (as well as Jay's wife and 2 kids) have lost a good friend/father/husband. Â The local pilots - who fly safely over your house every day - lost a good friend. Â
I did mark your comment as offensive too by the way.Â
@Tom-RNT @dorimonsonfan Tom, i am Jays best friend of 30 years and i appreciate your sane intelligent words and thoughts for jays family and the flying community who knows better. You cant argue with a fool who is afraid of his shadow and a lack of respect to and inability to even attempt to understand and educate themselves on flying or to even comprehend the courage involved in trying to save lives in the moments before the crash. This moron has no brains and certainly no courage to be an ounce of the man we know who saved his nephew and others even when he had no control.  Thank you for your intelligent words and truthful note.
@Jeff Rucker @Tom-RNT @dorimonsonfan Thanks Jeff.  I'm sorry for your loss also.  I've known Jay since I was 6 years old, so he was a close friend of both of us. Â
I deleted a lot of my comments (maybe I shouldn't have?) since I realized I was just playing a game of "feeding the troll" and this character (and many others on these forums) don't have the decency to understand how hurtful their comments are - and offensive to the flying community.  As pilots, we are a VERY close bunch of men and women that share a very special  bond of the passion of flight.  We always encourage people to learn about it and educate others about it.  It's really not as mysterious as many people think it is, just let us show you and explain how it all works before making incorrect statements.Â
You haven't seen a tree until you've seen its shadow from the sky.
â Amelia Earhart
@Tom-RNT well your good friend'$ hobby darn near kilked a fine young man minding his own on a Saturday afternoon. 34 years is too old for a rusty plane to gamble on children's lives.
@dorimonsonfan @Tom-RNTÂ
I keep reading your comments about how old this plane was. You're a broken record...get a life and have a little compassion.
@Tom-RNT @dorimonsonfan Well put Tom.  I'm sorry for your loss.  Even as a low-time student pilot, I am very aware of how much training is involved to help every pilot be extremely safe in every situation.  Sometimes bad things happen without being the fault of the pilot.  This seems to be the case here.  Speculation of course but engine failure at low altitude in the worst possible area with absolutely no safe place to land will almost always end poorly.
RIP Jay.
Thank you Tom, and sorry for your loss of a good friend too. How terribly tragic for the pilot, and traumatic for all involved. Indeed, flying is a dream, pursued by responsible, high caliber people, who are by-and-large careful, responsible, high-achieving people. My heart goes out to all involved.
@dorimonsonfan you oughta take a break from the keyboard... overbearing sanctimonious ignorance is nothing to advertise such as you are doing....
@dnarich glad this yahoo didn't kill tallon. he came VERY close. keep it away from residential areas please!
@dorimonsonfan i could say alot to that....but i wont. Small planes are more than just a rich mans hobby. Some are used for personal business, part 135 commuter operations, and flight instructing. Im an airline pilot....how do you think i got to where im at? I got there learning to fly in small planes exactly simular to this one. In fact you obtain every rating...private..instrument and commercial in small planes..before moving at some point into large transport category aircraft. And keeping them away from residential areas wont work.......what a joke..... You going to keep the small 135 night freight operator in a cessna 210 away from stuff too?
@pilot-wess you could say a lot to that and you just did. I disagree with your long winded novel. 34 year old hobby planes have no business over my house or tallon's.
@dorimonsonfanBoth Saturday and Sunday I flew over YOUR house several times with a plane load of kids - in a 39 year old airplane.
@dorimonsonfan If you're that afraid of life in general, go crawl back under your rock. You are more likely to be taken out on your commute tomorrow morning with your double tall mocha between your legs keeping your nutz warm. Dip stick!
@Ramming Speed @dorimonsonfan not afraid of life, but afraid of 34 year old rust buckets flying over my house.
@dorimonsonfan Where do I even begin?  As a student pilot (and one who is far from rich), I'm offended by your statement.  Many people of all walks of life share a mutual passion for aviation.  I cannot begin to explain and get you to understand the level of knowledge and safety measures that goes into acquiring a private pilot license unless you are going through it yourself.  The rules and regulations mandated by the FAA could and does fill several books.
No doubt, general aviation is a privilege.  The cost isn't to be taken lightly but to suggest that it's merely a "fun rich man's hobby" is demeaning and insulting to every pilot who has dreamed to fly and achieved the goals and steps it takes to do it.
 This was a tragic accident.  I didn't know the pilot personally but I would bet my life he was doing everything possible to avoid disaster, especially to those on the ground.  It's simply not practical to avoid residential areas.  Unless you live in a desert or Kansas, the chances are you will be flying over residential areas when flying general aviation.
All of us can agree that we are happy the son playing video games merely feet above the site of impact was not harmed. Â Let's just be practical about it and understand in life there are risks, period. Â If pilots should stop flying over residential areas, perhaps cars should stop driving in them as well. Â After all, accidents happen. Â Maybe someone falls asleep at the wheel and crashes into someone's living room, killing them instantly.
They give driver's licenses to just about anyone.  To be a pilot, the knowledge and training is unprecedented.  I would trust a pilot over a random car driver with my life any day of the week.
@Aros @dorimonsonfan I could care less what your mutual passion is as long as it doesn't threaten my kid's life in my house on a saturday afternoon. 34 year old planes have no business flying over residential neighborhoods. this story is proof.
@dorimonsonfan Cars have no business driving through residential neighborhoods. This story is proof: http://www.wfmj.com/story/21574868/car-crashes-into-house-in-girard. Look up car crashing into house stories, and you'll see there have been many in the past three days. Look up plane crashing into house stories, and you'll see there have been only around three in the past three months, the last one in the US being in January in Florida. This in itself proves how much safer aviation is and that you are simply making uneducated comments. You understand cars which is why you aren't afraid of them. You don't understand aircraft, which is why you are afraid of them. Do some research before acting like an ignorant troll.
@dorimonsonfanÂ
While I agree in respect to your families lives and keeping them safe, your comment shows how little you know about aviation. As a pilot myself, I can tell you that no matter how old the plane is, they are very well maintained and require very strict inspections every year to stay in the air. Pilots themselves are also required to pass medical tests and fly a certain amount of hours to keep their license. Can you say that about vehicles and drivers on the street in your neighborhood?
You should also remember that ANYÂ mechanical device can and will fail without warning. You might as well state that your children will never be allowed in your car or a school bus as something can go wrong and threaten your whole family.Â