Morbid enamoring - Why? An open Letter

I'd like to think that reviewing accidents will teach us something important about aviation safety, but all too often the lesson is far more prosaic, like "don't be stupid." Perhaps I exaggerate, but the worst outcomes of many GA incidents are often entirely preventable. Unforeseen mechanical failures are one thing, inadvertent weather encounters are perhaps understandable, but fuel exhaustion, VFR into IMC, and the good old fashioned unnecessary stall-spin are just all too common. A goal, I suppose, is to try to be proficient (or embarrassed) enough not to be one of those latter cases, realizing that perhaps no one is immune...
 
SixPapaCharlie said:
Never do I offer thoughts and prayers because it is so commonplace a thing to do it is as helpful as clicking "like" on something. Ugh, I read it I guess I should click "like". Its meaningless.
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Pretty much.

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I’ve done many of the mistakes (as have many reading this thread) I’ve read about in accident reports. I got away with and so did you. Every time you fly you’re one flight closer to being a statistic. It’s just math.
 
Unit74 said:
People crash cars, boats motorcycles; jump off bridges and eat the business end of firearms every day. Why do WE feel the need to remind everyone on the interweb that the hobby we enjoy may kill us tomorrow AM?
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We're an aviation forum. That's why we discuss plane crashes. They aren't near as common as everything else you listed. There is no morbid fascination, it's just a natural extension of the fact this is a forum for pilots.

I don't get why people feel the need for one of these threads every once in a while. Somebody did it over at Beechtalk too not to long ago. I can only believe it's due to the posters' morbid fascination and trying to project it on to others.
 
SixPapaCharlie said:
I just think "I wonder what it was like to be him/her in those moments."

But yeah, I wonder what those last moments are like.
If / When I die in a plane crash. Know I was probably scared as ****, screaming and in a flash, regretting that I ever took up this stupid hobby,
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I can only speak for myself. It was 3 minutes from engine out to being upside down in a cow pasture. The first 2 minutes 55 seconds were all about trying to restart and then getting on the ground. There was no panic, no thoughts of 'last day of my life' just, find a field, get lined up, get down, (oh yeah...maybe call a mayday), and deal with the increasing tunnel vision. The last 5 seconds were when I knew for certain the landing wasn't going to go well (too high, too fast, too little landing room), an almost instinctive attempt to minimize damage (by turning away from that wall of trees), and some grunts when the plane hit the ground. My guess, backed up by hearing any number of crash cockpit voice recordings, is that most pilots spend most of their time trying get down safe without any thought about anything else.

The night after (and the night after and the night after and...) were all about second guessing everything I did that day and seeing how many ways I could have died that day.

Glad to be alive. Haven't flown since.
 
Doug F said:
I can only speak for myself. It was 3 minutes from engine out to being upside down in a cow pasture. The first 2 minutes 55 seconds were all about trying to restart and then getting on the ground. There was no panic, no thoughts of 'last day of my life' just, find a field, get lined up, get down, (oh yeah...maybe call a mayday), and deal with the increasing tunnel vision. The last 5 seconds were when I knew for certain the landing wasn't going to go well (too high, too fast, too little landing room), an almost instinctive attempt to minimize damage (by turning away from that wall of trees), and some grunts when the plane hit the ground. My guess, backed up by hearing any number of crash cockpit voice recordings, is that most pilots spend most of their time trying get down safe without any thought about anything else.

The night after (and the night after and the night after and...) were all about second guessing everything I did that day and seeing how many ways I could have died that day.

Glad to be alive. Haven't flown since.
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How long has that been? Your own plan or a rental?
 
BrianNC said:
How long has that been? Your own plan or a rental?
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The unplanned off-airport landing happened last November (detailed in a long 'Lessons Learned' post including links to photos and the CloudAhoy log of the flight). It was a rental. My insurance paid for part of the plane, the flight business opted not to file on their insurance, and they had a new plane within a week to replace it.

Everyone at the place I rented (also the place where I got my lessons) tried to talk me back into the cockpit so I don't believe there were any bad feelings from the business. I just have had zero desire to be PIC again. I proved I could get a cert at my age, fly cross-country successfully, and walk away from an upside down plane...I'm good.
 
Doug F said:
The unplanned off-airport landing happened last November (detailed in a long 'Lessons Learned' post including links to photos and the CloudAhoy log of the flight). It was a rental. My insurance paid for part of the plane, the flight business opted not to file on their insurance, and they had a new plane within a week to replace it.

Everyone at the place I rented (also the place where I got my lessons) tried to talk me back into the cockpit so I don't believe there were any bad feelings from the business. I just have had zero desire to be PIC again. I proved I could get a cert at my age, fly cross-country successfully, and walk away from an upside down plane...I'm good.
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I have been a tad sad you decided you’re done, but I also fully understand and appreciate the reasons behind your decision. Sometimes enough is enough.
 
Nothing morbid about wanting to know why other guys crashed so we don't wind up doing the same thing. Better to learn what not to do on a computer screen than in the middle of the sky.
 
denverpilot said:
I have been a tad sad you decided you’re done, but I also fully understand and appreciate the reasons behind your decision. Sometimes enough is enough.
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Thank you for that. Not to worry, I've taken up baking artisanal breads and pizza (Fen Forkish is my god)...as long as I don't set the house on fire, the worst that happens is I eat my mistakes!
 
Doug F said:
Thank you for that. Not to worry, I've taken up baking artisanal breads and pizza (Fen Forkish is my god)...as long as I don't set the house on fire, the worst that happens is I eat my mistakes!
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And here I was guessing left-handed puppetry! :)

Now you’re making me hungry.
 
Doug F said:
Thank you for that. Not to worry, I've taken up baking artisanal breads and pizza (Fen Forkish is my god)...as long as I don't set the house on fire, the worst that happens is I eat my mistakes!
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I bake a loaf of sourdough bread most weeks, and I make the pizzas of Steinholme, better than which I have not had. Doesn't stop me from flying though.
 
steingar said:
I bake a loaf of sourdough bread most weeks, and I make the pizzas of Steinholme, better than which I have not had. Doesn't stop me from flying though.
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Never heard of Steinholme so i went searching and discovered the pilots seem to be passionate about pizza.

And with that, I will exit my hijck of this thread.

I read (past tense) crash threads to learn how things go wrong in the hopes I could avoid making the same mistakes.
 
Doug F said:
Never heard of Steinholme so i went searching and discovered the pilots seem to be passionate about pizza.
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Everyone is passionate about pizza. You want to see pilots get passionate, start talking about airframes. Steinholme is of course the home of he who is Steingar. Like I said, I bake breads and pizzas, and I still fly.
 
Dear Unit74,

Thank you for your letter. Your concerns have been noted and may be forwarded to the appropriate department.

The Management
 
weilke said:
Dear Unit74,

Thank you for your letter. Your concerns have been noted and may be forwarded to the appropriate department.

The Management
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Already done. See post 43....
 
Brad Smith said:
I’ve done many of the mistakes (as have many reading this thread) I’ve read about in accident reports. I got away with and so did you. Every time you fly you’re one flight closer to being a statistic. It’s just math.
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Sounds like resignation. Isn't that one of the FAA-identified hazardous attitudes?

The math of statistics doesn't guarantee a specific outcome for any particular individual, nor are equations guaranteed to include all the relevant variables. Otherwise, there would be no point in participating in extra training and other risk-management methods.
 
Unit74 said:
Already done. See post 43....
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The one with the push-buttons ?

'Thougts and prayers' and 'likes' are a higher level of not caring than my not caring whether your feelings are hurt by us discussing aviation accidents.
 
weilke said:
The one with the push-buttons ?

'Thougts and prayers' and 'likes' are a higher level of not caring than my not caring whether your feelings are hurt by us discussing aviation accidents.
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You are inferring my feelings are hurt. In fact, it is the opposite. I really don’t give a sh... when planes crash. That’s the whole point.
 
Unit74 said:
You are inferring my feelings are hurt. In fact, it is the opposite. I really don’t give a sh... when planes crash. That’s the whole point.
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Then why did you bother to post a new thread about those of us who do care about the reasons why planes crash ?
Just looked like a big 'hurt feelings report'. I am sorry if you got offended by me pointing that out.
 
Brad Smith said:
I’ve done many of the mistakes (as have many reading this thread) I’ve read about in accident reports. I got away with and so did you. Every time you fly you’re one flight closer to being a statistic. It’s just math.
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It would appear that actuarial tables seem to disagree with your math, otherwise insurance wouldn't get cheaper with more hours. However, I suppose that if your skill/judgement/etc doesn't increase with every flight then your statement could ring true. But again, actuarial tables seem to indicate that isn't the case with most pilots.
 
weilke said:
Then why did you bother to post a new thread about those of us who do care about the reasons why planes crash ?
Just looked like a big 'hurt feelings report'. I am sorry if you got offended by me pointing that out.
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Once again, you are making assumptions to validate your position. Clearly you do not have the breadth to understand the big picture. Go reread post one and do a bit of thinking before you post next. Perhaps you may discover something new about life, society and human psychology. Or not...
 
I get the post, and agree with it. How many people read the daily traffic deaths and chew on every detail?

Newsflash no one is supposed to die on public roads but it happens so often its nary a blip on the radar, unless its a car full of girls all under 16 crashing into a tree and burning to death.
 
Unit74 said:
Once again, you are making assumptions to validate your position. Clearly you do not have the breadth to understand the big picture. Go reread post one and do a bit of thinking before you post next. Perhaps you may discover something new about life, society and human psychology. Or not...
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For someone who doesn't care you sure care a lot.

Again, I am sorry I assumed that you meant what you wrote. I won't assume that any further.
 
bnt83 said:
I get the post, and agree with it. How many people read the daily traffic deaths and chew on every detail?
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Driving is different. Compared to flying, driving is so much more structured and limited such that there is a lot less judgement and decision making involved, thus there is less to learn from studying traffic accidents.
 
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