On 6/18/2010 11:16 AM, jb92563 wrote:
On Jun 18, 6:52 am, Mike
wrote:
On 6/18/2010 9:23 AM, vaughn wrote: wrote in message
...

Both pilots' duty (as safe pilots) was to land at the closest
available site.

While the safety aspects of this incident are interesting to us all, I
respectfully suggest that this line of discussion be closed down (at least for
now). Do you really want to multiply the problems of the pilots involved?

Vaughn

This is an opportunity for everyone to learn. This discussion serves a
very useful purpose in that regard.

What would be very helpful would be to actually see the flight traces of
both aircraft so we can understand how the actual midair happened. This
would be just as instructional for the soaring community as this
discussion over what the pilots did after the collision.

--
Mike Schumann

This is an excellent opportunity to analyze the facts once the NTSB
gives their report and the pilots are free to talk about it.

I hope they are willing to endure a bit of debate on the subject in
order to help everyone learn how to handle a situation like this.

I suppose because each pilot returned home safe, ultimately they made
the correct choice, since as we all know,
in the event of an emergency the pilot has the right to land ANYWHERE
he chooses, including closed airfields, restricted areas,
and NOTAM'ed areas.

Even not following the regulations and sporting rules until landed, is
valid in an emergency.

We will just have to wait and hope that the pilots involved engage in
an information session with the soaring community
so we can learn.

In retrospect in almost every racing sport there is an element of
danger, where lives can be lost.

I just never was willing to acknowledge that Glider racing was one of
them, and perhaps many of us are in the same quandry, judging
by the split of opinion.

Accepting that puts the race into a whole other perspective where
indeed I could relate to the decisions of the pilot to carry on.

Winning is the reward of a life well lived despite the risks.


Ray

I don't see any pressing reason, in this case, to wait for the NTSB
report before discussing this accident. Unlike many aircraft accidents,
where the cause is not clear until the NTSB has had a chance to make a
detailed examination, in this case we have a simple accident caused by
two pilots not seeing each other until it was too late.

Both aircraft were presumably equipped with flight recorders (since they
were participating in a contest). Presumably, the flight recorder
traces have been submitted to the contest organizers so that the pilots'
performance can be graded (one pilot apparently won the day's task). I
have always assumed that records for SSA sanctioned contests were
public. Why should other pilots not be able to look at these traces to
see what kind of situation these pilots were in so that they could not
see each other until it was too late.

The more, and earlier discussion that these types of events receive, the
better. Maybe someone will learn something from this that will prevent
another accident before the final NTSB report is issued in a year or so.

--
Mike Schumann