Idiot pilot, why insurance rates are so high!

[robsingles]

So I am at the FBO today taking a break from teaching talking with the maintaince guys and we here this “waap” look over and some idiot taxied right in to the ditch in-between the taxi way and ramp. So the ditch is only like 15 feet wide, the taxiway is at least 30 feet wide and the ramp is geez 100 feet wide? Yet the guy goes in to the 15’ of ditch. So the waap we heard was either the prop or tail. He just uses full power and gets it out of the ditch taxi’s really fast down the taxi way and back down the ramp uses waaay to much power to park the airplane. He then jumps out runs inside, says he needs 15 gals in gas and as soon as the fuel man finishes he jumps in and goes.
While he was inside I went over and looked at the prop and nothing was obvious, but something defiantly hit.
Lesson learned: Pay attention while taxing and never be in as much of a hurry as this guy was. Also if you hear something go “waap” it might be worth to do a through preflight…

 

[jrdodge]

Insurance rates are high because rather than think about the situation of an accident, most people (and their families) only think about the money. And decide to sue everyone associated with pilot and plane.

To top it off, insurance companies are evil!!! They will always get their money.

 

[tom.]

Of course they will always get their money. They are for-profit organizations. And the demand for frivolous lawsuits drives the supply, because everyone wants to be rich. Insurance will never substitute for good judgement.

At our airport if you taxi like that someone will talk to you about it. I like to think that's what separates us from the driving community. There's something about having a large N-number that is readily traced, that would probably end aggressive driving for good.

 

[poadeleted20]

You're an instructor, Rob -- did you try to talk to him about what happened? If not, did you at least get his N-number and tell the local ASC or something? If we don't get folks like this either better educated or grounded, they will raise our insurance rates.

 

[Henning]

Insurance rates are high because rather than think about the situation of an accident, most people (and their families) only think about the money. And decide to sue everyone associated with pilot and plane.

To top it off, insurance companies are evil!!! They will always get their money.

Having done a stint in the insurance industry, I can pretty safely say that premiums are only loosely attached to claims. They are much more directly attached to the stockmarket.

 

[robsingles]

You're an instructor, Rob -- did you try to talk to him about what happened? If not, did you at least get his N-number and tell the local ASC or something? If we don't get folks like this either better educated or grounded, they will raise our insurance rates.

He moved so quickly that I could not catch him. And I thought about the N numer after he was out of site taxiing. I did use it as a training subject with my student.