Juan Jimenez wrote:

New found fame, Kyle. Look it up in the dictionary. Very few people knew
him when he was put into the Hall (incorrectly, IMO). Orders of magnitude
more people know him now that one of his airplanes killed a billionaire
war hero who loved to help kids get good educations.


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"According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the pilot was in
communication with the JAC air traffic control tower during the accident
flight. The pilot did not report any problems. Recorded weather at JAC just
prior to the accident indicated the wind from 180 degrees at 4 knots, clear
skies, and a temperature of 66 degrees Fahrenheit.

The airplane impacted sage brush-covered flat terrain approximately 575 feet
west of Highway 89, and 3/4-mile north of the approach end of runway 19.
The airplane wreckage was transported to a vacant hangar at JAC for further
examination by the NTSB. The airplane was equipped with a Hirth 3701 engine
rated at 100 horsepower. Initial examination of the wreckage did not reveal
any obvious indications of pre-impact mechanical malfunctions with the
airframe, engine, or systems. There was no evidence of fire, explosion, or
in-flight structural failure. Control cable continuity for all flight
controls was established. A global positioning system (GPS) receiver was
found in the wreckage; it has been sent to the Safety Board's recorder
laboratory in Washington DC for possible non-volatile memory extraction of
flight path, altitude, and ground speed data."
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It appears from the FAA's preliminary investigation that the accident was
not the fault of the aircraft's controls etc etc. Personally my opinion is
he was dead before the plane hit the ground, otherwise how would such an
experience pilot not even communicate a problem with ATC who he was in
contact with?