On Tuesday, June 26, 2012 10:26:44 PM UTC-6, Tom S wrote:
On 6/26/12 8:10 PM, Roy Clark, "B6" wrote:
I've never gotten the impression the NTSB would "not bother to solict input
from those who can help" and the newletter has not reported the NTSB "can't even get the facts right."

A good friend was killed in a thunderstorm / downburst scenario no more
than 2 miles from my home. He didn't return at the end of the day, and
we found out about it from the early evening news. We were unable to
get through to anyone that evening to find out where exactly the crash
occurred.

The next morning, I started calling at first light, but was unable to
get a hold of the investigator, or anyone who could tell me anything
about the accident location. They just sent me to voicemail. By 0930
or so, I decided to drive to the local town newspaper office to find out
if someone there could tell me about the accident. I reached the scene
at around 11, but nearly all evidence of the crash had already been
hauled away. The landowner was gracious enough to let me in so I could
try to get an idea of what may have happened.

I finally got in touch with the investigator in the early afternoon, and
several days later was able to help with downloading and analyzing the
flight recorder trace. At that time, I also showed them an identical
sailplane as involved in the crash. But other than that, the NTSB folks
were (appeared) not at all interested in my input.

I was terribly upset and disappointed that they had no interest in
having an experienced sailplane pilot help with the accident scene and
perhaps provide insight into my friend's decisions and actions that day.
When I spoke with the investigators several days later during the FR
download, I found they really had no clue about sailplane operations,
and soaring in general.

I was also saddened to learn that instead of a normal disassembly of the
wreckage, the salvage company used a chain saw to cut the wings and tail
boom to put them on a flat bed trailer. As I said, my home at that time
was less than five minutes drive from the crash site, and 20 minutes
from the glider port and access to this plane's trailer.

Overall, this left a very bad taste regarding bureaucracy and the lack
of interest in obtaining TIMELY expert advice.

I assisted the NTSB and FAA investigators with digging through this wreckage looking for a logger. This wreckage was recovered, in part, with a chainsaw, which I thought unnecessary and certainly reduced a lot of salvage potential (which impacts us when you factor the total mode of the insurance underwriting business). Both the FAA and NTSB investigators displayed a sort of gallows humor, which I suppose comes with the territory. I did not know the pilot personally as Tom S did, but involving at least someone from the club or a soaring operation in recovery would seem prudent. We had another fatal in the state. A friend of the pilot had to become confrontational with the CAP to approach the crash site. BTW, it was Tom S and his search crew that found the wreckage, in a difficult area. But eyes skilled in what glider shapes are made it possilbe. Had there been any delays, looming winter snows would have hidden it for months at least. Now, as to the cause in this case, I don't the FAA nor NTSB bothered to seek the real answer. (NTSB.gov appears unreachable at the moment). That said, in other cases, the FAA is persistent if they feel local findings are not accurate.

Frank Whiteley