TV Game Show Host, Wife Killed in Air Crash

[MacNut]

TV Game Show Host, Wife Killed in Air Crash
Tuesday Mar 14, 2006 8:00am EST
By Stephen M. Silverman

Press Your Luck TV game-show host Peter Tomarken and his wife Kathleen were killed on Monday when their light plane crashed in the ocean off the coastal suburb of Santa Monica.

The couple, who were transporting a cancer patient to a treatment center in San Diego, had just taken off in their Beechcraft about 9:45 a.m. when the engine failed.

The plane went down near Santa Monica Pier in front of horrified spectators, reports Reuters.

Peter Tomarken was 63, and from 1983-86 he hosted the CBS show, which was noted for the dreaded "Whammy" – which signaled that a contestant was about to lose all his money. Contestants yelled out the memorable line "No Whammies!" to ward off bad luck.

One of my favorite game shows of all time.

 

[Peyton]

That's really awful. I was born in 85, but I still watched reruns. That's really tragic, wow.

 

[Laslo Panaflex]

That is horrible. They were transfering a cancer patient, what about them?

Oh, and there is always the guy that memorized the board and won, for that time, the most money ever given on a TV show.

http://www.snopes.com/radiotv/tv/whammy.htm

Sad news for sure

 

[Kingsly]

Engine failure? Who was flying? They were over land at the time of failure... so why didn't the pilot dead stick it onto the beach or something? I know SM pier has a few good spots to force land a beechcraft.

The aircraft, appearing largely intact, was later towed onto the beach.

They must have not been wearing seatblts, or were knocked unconscious and the plane sank. If the plane survived contact with the ocean then the passengers should've survived also.

 

[~Shard~]

Horrible news. I watch Press Your Luck and Whammy! on GSN every day. I, too, would like to know what happened to the cancer patient - I assume everyone died then?

Tragic news. How quickly things can happen.

 

[IJ Reilly]

Engine failure? Who was flying? They were over land at the time of failure... so why didn't the pilot dead stick it onto the beach or something? I know SM pier has a few good spots to force land a beechcraft.
The wolds needs better pilots.
Also, why no mention of the cancer patient?

Tomarken was the pilot, and they were over the ocean, departing Santa Monica Airport. According to the article I read, he reported engine trouble and attempted a return to the airport. The cancer patient he was transporting is missing and presumed dead.

Don't jump to any conclusions regarding the cause. Catastrophic engine failures in airplanes are rare, but they do occur. Engine failure on takeoff is the pilot's worst case scenario. You have very few options, none of them good, and only seconds to decide.

 

[2nyRiggz]

R.I.P...wow how fast we can be here then taken away...nothing is garanteed


Bless

 

[MacNut]

I assume that GSN will run a full block of Press Your Luck at some time.

 

[IJ Reilly]

They must have not been wearing seatblts, or were knocked unconscious and the plane sank. If the plane survived contact with the ocean then the passengers should've survived also.

They almost certainly would have been wearing seat belts and harnesses -- standard equipment on most general aviation airplanes for decades. Water landings are like landing on concrete, with the added hazard of waves, and the prospect of sinking. Airplanes often flip over. No pilot ever gets to practice this maneuver. Faced with a water landing, they get one chance.

 

[Doctor Q]

I heard this on the news last night. Very sad. When a crash involves a TV personality and a cancer patient, we're more likely to hear about it, but every crash with loss of life is tragic.

We've had a few plane crashes over the years from small planes taking off or landing at the Santa Monica Airport, which is along the border between Santa Monica and Los Angeles. Two plane crashes have been within a couple of blocks of relatives of mine who live in the same area.

 

[iGary]

RIP

I hate hearing about this stuff with as much time as I spend in small aircraft and helicopters. You think about it everytime you go up, but as with anything in life, you never think it can happen to you.

 

[Kingsly]

They almost certainly would have been wearing seat belts and harnesses -- standard equipment on most general aviation airplanes for decades. Water landings are like landing on concrete, with the added hazard of waves, and the prospect of sinking. Airplanes often flip over. No pilot ever gets to practice this maneuver. Faced with a water landing, they get one chance.

You are correct, which is why I was surprised that the plane survived largely intact. I sure hope he didn't try make a gear down landing. That would be bad. Eyewitness reports say he made a beautiful forced landing in the water, and it came to a stop and promptly sank-but with enough time to escape. I am guessing the shock of impact knocked them unconscious and the coroner will pronounce death by drowning.
I wonder if he opted to go as slow as possible w/ flaps down or leave them be and skim the water...

The cancer patient he was transporting is missing and presumed dead.

he hadn't picked up the cancer patient yet. He was headed to San Diego to do so. They are assuming the third person on the flight plan is the cancer patient - but are searching for another body just in case.

 

[IJ Reilly]

You are correct, which is why I was surprised that the plane survived largely intact. I sure hope he didn't try make a gear down landing. That would be bad. Eyewitness reports say he made a beautiful forced landing in the water, and it came to a stop and promptly sank-but with enough time to escape. I am guessing the shock of impact knocked them unconscious and the coroner will pronounce death by drowning.
I wonder if he opted to go as slow as possible w/ flaps down or leave them be and skim the water...

he hadn't picked up the cancer patient yet. He was headed to San Diego to do so. They are assuming the third person on the flight plan is the cancer patient - but are searching for another body just in case.

I've heard conflicting information about whether it's better to attempt water landings gear up or down, but I haven't paid much attention since my airplane has fixed gear -- giving me little choice if I have to hit the drink. If they were wearing harnesses, then they should have gotten through the landing without much bodily harm. My harnesses are rated at something like six Gs, meaning my airplane could get pretty bent before they'd give way.

I was taught to crack the doors open as the last step of a forced landing, against the possibility that structural damage would jam them shut. Would I remember this in an actual emergency? I really don't know, and hope to never find out.

 

[Steve1496]

Happened about a block from my sister's house. She freaked out when she heard the sound! Glad it at least didn't hit her house, where my brother is staying with her this week!


Steve

 

[Kingsly]

I've heard conflicting information about whether it's better to attempt water landings gear up or down, but I haven't paid much attention since my airplane has fixed gear -- giving me little choice if I have to hit the drink. If they were wearing harnesses, then they should have gotten through the landing without much bodily harm. My harnesses are rated at something like six Gs, meaning my airplane could get pretty bent before they'd give way.

I was taught to crack the doors open as the last step of a forced landing, against the possibility that structural damage would jam them shut. Would I remember this in an actual emergency? I really don't know, and hope to never find out.

I was under the impression that Gear down landings in water (and rough terrain) were not recommended because when the gear comes in contact with the water it creates too much drag and makes the plane flip. On land there is the possibility that it will his a rock or something and cause the plane to spin out or the front gear rips off and the plane noses into the ground... etc.
I wonder if they forgot to crack the doors and drowned trying to unharness themselves and open the doors. I guess a Mae West wouldn't do much good in that situation.
By the way, what kind of plane do you have?