NTSB Accident Records

[redtail]

"Partial panel guru"...?
I wonder if this status made him overconfident, to the point where he'd actually depart IFR (in pretty challenging wx) with a known problem... and a history of debilitating migraines. Gurus are supposed to be wise, not just skilled.
Thinking of this accident always gives me the willies, because he basically flew over my building on the way to the crash site, and I live on the top floor.

Gives me the willies too! I drove down to the crash site (near a cemetery) since I lived about ten mins away at that time. I was a newly minted PPL, so naturally I was curious. I had no idea who the pilot was, but the news reporter told me that his wife and daughter also died in the crash.

 

[dell30rb]

We had just landed at our home airport after pounding through 200 miles of "stuff" on the gauges - and some of that stuff had hairy chested thunder bumpers embedded.
While we unloaded the plane a couple landed to refuel and in the casual conversation I found that HE intended to go VFR out across Lake Michigan to the Wisconsin side. I mentioned that we had just come through some of that along the shoreline in hard IMC and going VFR seemed a bit 'iffy'.
I could see that the had "get home itis" (typical bull headed doctor)
So I said to my wife, you get her in the bathroom and you tell her that if she leaves the ground this afternoon it will be her last day on earth.
She came steaming out of that bathroom and informed him in no uncertain terms she was not getting back into that plane until the weather improved, and that was that. So they took the courtesy car to a motel.
The next morning was CAVU (typical of a front passing through). She called my wife at the office later that day and said he was only an hour late getting to the office and thanked her for being so blunt.

While I certainly approve of would speaking up if you think someone is about to make a mistake...

How do you know he wouldn't get a few miles out, see the conditions were bad, then turn around and land? Last day on earth?

 

[wabower]

The question should be why more people don't do it.

While I certainly approve of would speaking up if you think someone is about to make a mistake...

How do you know he wouldn't get a few miles out, see the conditions were bad, then turn around and land? Last day on earth?

 

[RotorAndWing]

When my partner and his wife were killed in the crash of our 340, I flew to the crash site to see the scene and bring their remains home. When I approached the wreck the NTSB dude in the blue jumpsuit asked why I was there so I told him. He said he was there to represent me so I should leave.

I had been up all night, had flown from KC to Colorado and promptly offered to whip his ass on the spot at which point he allowed as how it would probably be OK if I stayed.

In all fairness to the Investigator, we were taught to secure the accident area and keep unauthorized people out. You would be surprised at the ways the media, lawyers, insurance adjusters or just nosey people will try to get into a crash site.

If someone is inside the crash area just picking up a piece can alter the investigation. Also within the zone is a lot of biological contamination as the results of the crash.

 

[steingar]

I fully suspect the human beans who wrecked themselves, their aircraft and lovely edifices in their flight path didn't start out with that ending in mind. A few probably did, an aircraft is a nifty way to commit suicide if you don't give a **** about anybody but you. Most though had too much misplaced trust in themselves, their airplanes or their favorite deities. In short, they acted like human beans.

Put another way, I'd love to see the guy who's never done something he shouldn't've aughta done in an airplane. I'll bet more than a few of us have lucked out more than once.

 

[wabower]

No disagreement that he had a job to do. Also no doubt in my mind that he was not representing me. Also no doubt that the officious little plick could have handled it better from the get-go, and that I could have ended up in jail if he had accepted my offer. Unless I had been able to convince the judge that he "tripped on a curb" in the middle of a wheat field 10 miles from town.

In all fairness to the Investigator, we were taught to secure the accident area and keep unauthorized people out. You would be surprised at the ways the media, lawyers, insurance adjusters or just nosey people will try to get into a crash site.

If someone is inside the crash area just picking up a piece can alter the investigation. Also within the zone is a lot of biological contamination as the results of the crash.

 

[dell30rb]

The question should be why more people don't do it.

Just playing devil's advocate. I wasn't there.

 

[Ted]

Just playing devil's advocate. I wasn't there.

If there is sufficient basis to voice a concern, there is probably sufficient reason to believe that they won't turn back due to get-there-itis or other judgment issues.