Filed under: Uncategorized
So we cleared and leveled the site and put up a retaining wall and temporary bench Friday and Saturday, with help from Dave, Tish, and Tristan Forrest. Please feel free to visit the site and take in the view, what our family always called the back yard because Dad flew that direction so much. If you stay for a while, you’ll notice you are right in the flight path and as such can maybe even envision Dad and Brandon on their way home as a float plane passes you overhead. I just ask visitors to be respectful, noting that the wall and bench are temporary until more concrete and rock can be secured in place. It has been great to be around Mom, Nikki, Ryan, Katheryn, Nick, and Keith this weekend – we were just missing Scott and Cathy as far as Andrews’ go (and of course everyone who has passed). Love to everybody — BJ
Filed under: Uncategorized
Probably anybody who reads this will undoubtably remember my Dad and brother on 8/9/10, two years after they disappeared… so much has happened to my family since then… We continue to miss Clyde too. (And Zeke, and Chief). We still look for them, we still wonder what happened and desire answers. We still believe that they passed from earth, at peace with it, having lived happy lives, and enjoying their last moments flying, which they loved.
Now that deer season is upon us there is also a new sense of hope as there probably always will be at this time of year. Remind close friends to keep a vigiliant eye out for wreckage or clues.
Unfortunately, no further progress has been made on the memorial site. I will be in Juneau 8/5 to 8/9 to re-assess. Ryan Andrews, our cousin/nephew will also be in town to help, and Nikki will be home too. Feel free to call and say hi. Also, if you know anyone else that might be willing to do the work on the memorial site, please write me an e-mail.
Thanks,
BJ (and Fam)
Filed under: Uncategorized
Construction on the memorial site has begun and we have contracted Friendly Isle in Juneau to do most of the stone work. About a ton of rock has been hauled up, four trees have been removed, and some leveling of the site has been accomplished. A wood frame for concrete will need to be erected and getting the concrete and water to the site for the foundation still has me a bit confused but Friendly Isle will take care of that. A video showing you around the site is at:
Although much has been accomplished since the video was taken. Still more rock hauling and leveling is needed and because of all the tree roots on the cliff side some rip rap type fill might need to be hauled up for leveling too. Let my Mom know if you can help her out as I leave Sunday. Her number is in the contacts link on the left…
Thanks,
BJ
Filed under: Uncategorized
Construction on the memorial site has begun and help is needed! A meeting tomorrow with our stone mason friends will determine more, but getting a chain-gang of people seems like the best way to get rock from the beach to the site. We are meeting with the masons at 11:00 and will be at the site all day working,and probably most of the day Thursday. More soon!
Filed under: Uncategorized
Dear All,
The Goldbelt Corporation has graciously given our family approval to build a memorial site to Brian and Brandon on North Douglas that’s year round accessable and overlooks Stephen’s Passage and Admiralty Cove. Two *.pdf’s illustrating our idea for the memorial and the Goldbelt Board’s resolution allowing us to build the site are below. Thanks again to Goldbelt and all of the wonderful contributions from the community and around the country that will make this wonderful place possible.
Memorial Location Presentation
Love, and may God bless,
The Andrews Family
Filed under: Satellite/Aerial Imagery
Sorry this took a while to get online, I know that a few of you have been asking to help with the satellite images.
Please use http://andrewsinak.wetpaint.com to list any anomalies you see large or small.
To edit the page click the button called “Easy Edit” and make your entry. Please be patient, it seems a little slow to me. Edits are limited to registered users, but I can change that if a request for anonymous editing is recieved.
As evidenced from my last blog entry, I’m using ArcMap to view the images and recommend the same to anyone who might have access. I’ve also been recommended Quantum GIS as an open-source software package that can handle the data (but I think the default will show the near-infrared spectral band and its looks wierd compared to a regular RGB image). Whatever you use, please georeference the images, and again, list the GPS coordinates of anything seen on the wiki page linked above.
Here are the downloads:
http://bassower.com/share/po_367427_0000000.zip [333 MB]
http://bassower.com/share/po_375830_0000002.zip [623 MB]
http://bassower.com/share/po_375830_0010000.zip [647 MB]
http://bassower.com/share/po_375830_0010001.zip [646 MB]
http://bassower.com/share/po_378211_0000000.zip [488 MB]
Thank you and have fun,
BJ
Hi,
I finally uploaded the In Harm’s Way episode… in many ways it’s difficult to watch. This reality TV series glamorized occupational risk – and it sensationalized the tragedy that occurred to my family which is one reason it took me so long to upload. It also emphasizes, however, the phenomenal job done by the U.S. Coast Guard in searching for my dad and brother. I like the incredible editing of the footage as well. Parts of the show, along with comments from the Coasties, may actually help me to find closure someday.
It’s funny there’s so much footage the producer barely allowed the host, Hunter Ellis, to speak. It was also showcased on TV very quickly – when we were still searching almost every day. I can only hope (sincerely) that some money was made. At the same time, my family would have liked to have been notified that the filming took place and that the show was going on TV before it aired. It shocked me at first that we were not notified. We were, however appreciative to get a master copy after the show was already on the CW, but what we really would have liked and still would like are all of the original reels so that we can go through the footage frame by frame for evidence of N9350X. I’ve asked for it before, but if anyone has any ideas of how to go about asking for this one more time feel free to comment.
Once you’ve watched the episode, my following comments will make more sense:
My understanding of the second accident aircraft featured in this show is that the pilots decided to forgo refueling which lead to the crash. In Brian and Brandon’s disappearance it’s much more difficult to pinpoint a cause or even a likely combination of factors. Remember that this show sold to people’s natural tendency for risk aversion, it thus makes flying small planes in S.E. look dangerous; however, I know many pilots who would disagree (recall the following link for more). It also highlights the failures of the old ELT systems, not only that they broke, but for instance, the reason why it took the Coast Guard three hours to find the second plane was that two satellite passes were needed before the exact GPS position could be determined. The new 406 MHz systems shouldn’t have this problem. While the timing of this second aircraft accident still confuses me in that it diverted (satellite? and other) resources from the search for N9350X, I don’t think it made much of a difference in finding them and actually this segment highlights the difficulty of seeing a downed aircraft in the Tongass. As time goes by I might investigate this second crash more fully. In the meantime, does anybody know the names of the two pilots on-board or know this planes tail number? Thanks…
Well… without further ado, click here to view Episode 104 of In Harm’s Way, “Coast Guard Swimmers,” which aired on the CW September 30th, 2008 and was produced by Pilgrim Films & Television, or right-click and “Save as” one of the following links:
http://www.bassower.com/share/harmsway.mp4 (High@Level 3.1) [550 MB] {42:30} From the master copy.
http://www.bassower.com/share/harmsway.wmv (VC-1, Pro-9) [640 MB] {42:30} Also, from the master copy.
http://www.bassower.com/share/harmsway.avi (xVid) [370 MB] A high definition copy found on the internet from someone who is better at encoding video than I am.
— BJ
Andrews Family Info - 