"Steve Foley" wrote in message
news:Rkfdh.3039$Gp2.1364@trndny06...
http://www.ntsb.gov/ntsb/brief2.asp?...FA021& akey=1

"The airplane was being operated as an instrument flight rules (IFR)
cross-country personal flight under Title 14, CFR Part 91, when the
accident occurred. The non-instrument rated, solo private-certificated
pilot, sustained fatal injuries"
......
"The flight originated at the New Smyrna Beach Municipal Airport, New
Smyrna Beach, Florida, about 1920 eastern standard time (EST), and was en
route to the Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport, New
Orleans, Louisiana. "
.......
"The instructor noted that the accident pilot had been practicing the
flight route to New Orleans using a Microsoft Flight Simulator 2000
program, on his personal computer. "

If it gives a private pilot confedence he can fly IFR, I would say it can
kill you. The weather was 100 foot ceiling and 3/4 mile visibility. This
is a very hard approach for ANYONE to make.

I used to own a 35 model Bonanza (the one with the forked tail). The plane
is unstable in roll, very unstable. You look down to get the next chart and
the plane rolls to 45 degrees in a flash. If you do nothing, roll will
increase. It would be VERY easy to loose control of the plane. He had a
J35 model which was made in 1958. I wonder if he had any type of autopilot.
Just a simple wing leveller would help a bunch with the unstable roll of the
plane.

Danny Dot