On Tue, 22 Apr 2008 07:47:17 -0400, B A R R Y sayeth:

WingFlaps wrote:

I suspect that you are quite correct. I was intending to illustrate how
the slippery slope gets opened up once strict adherence to the letter
of the FAA regs. is made a criterion for insurance cover...

How is comparing a stall/spin on departure, in the pattern, or in IMC, a
slippery slope compared to a deliberate, willful act?



I recently read an accident report about a guy who walked around the
airport talking of rolling his Baron. On several occasions he had
rocked the plane to extreme bank attitudes with other pilots aboard,
stating that he "believed the plane could roll". One day, he went for
the full Monty and the Baron broke up in flight. All aboard were
killed.

I also recently read an accident report where a similar Beech Baron flew
into embedded T-storms in solid IMC, and also broke up in flight,
killing 4.

Both planes broke up in flight, for entirely different reasons. One,
following a deliberate act by the pilot, the other, accidentally.

You could argue that the baron pilot "deliberately" flew into the
thunderstorm. Or he "deliberately" took off knowing there could be
thunderstorms along his route.

Where's the slippery slope?

The slippery slope is in the fact that any accident is caused by a string
of deliberate decisions made by the pilot.

You can always argue that the pilot could have done /this/ differently,
or /that/ differently and the accident could have been avoided.