On Oct 29, 3:11*pm, "RST Engineering" wrote:
OK, so long as we are wild ass guessing, consider this scenario...

Engine fails for whatever reason shortly after takeoff. *Knowing the landing
is about to become rather bumpy, and having survived a few forced landings,
Bill opens the canopy on purpose so that it doesn't become jammed due to
impact. *(Yes, that is instinctive when an engine fails. *Trust me.)

If distant student-pilot memory serves, it was even printed in the
Cessna 150 pilot manual to open the doors before a forced landing. On
an airplane like a Lancair, it would seem that this would be an even
more important thing to remember. It is completely believable to me
that opening or at least un-latching the canopy was high on Bill's
priority list if there was a serious problem.

The NTSB investigation, bless their hearts, is all well and good, but
for better or worse there is an eyewitness who will probably be able
to fill in a lot of blanks when she recovers.

My initial Google search on this brought up a discussion thread on
this or some other forum, where some poster by the screen name of
"ladypilot" posted a very inappropriate slur about Bill at a time
like this. Now Bill was no stranger to mudslinging, and at most times
enjoyed the challenge very thoroughly. But I'm fairly sure Bill would
have had the class to simply stay quiet if someone he disliked or
disagreed with had crashed and died. On behalf of the "old" RAH crowd
Foxtrot Yankee, "lady-pilot". You ain't neither.

Bill Berle