Lancair Legacy Design Flaw?

Ron Wanttaja wrote:

The problem is separating the "This is due to the aircraft being a
Lancair" issues from the "This is a high-performance aircraft" ones. The
survivability of an accident is dependent on a huge number of factors,
but a big one is the speed involved. Energy is equal to the mass times
the velocity squared.

Obviously a Zenair undershooting and hitting the trees at 35 knots is
going to be MUCH more survivable than a Lancair hitting the same trees
at 80. The fatality rate *might* be the same, if a Zenair hit the trees
at 80, but there's no way to make a fair comparison.

I had a rather sad realization after re-reading this. Bill took off
downwind on Runway 04. The closest reporting site (20 miles away) was
reporting wind at 190 degrees, 10-20 knots, and the first responders
said the winds were about the same at Parowan.

Bill's Lancair thus hit the ground 20 to 40 knots faster than if he'd
taken off into the wind. That's a LOT more energy.

It may not have ultimately made any difference...a descending left turn
after a takeoff in the other direction would have put him right in the
center of the town. But you have to wonder.

Ron Wanttaja