3 lives lost

Nobody,

Come on. It was *reported* to be 4sm vis. In fact, the aircraft was
airborne for 60 seconds. The reported ceiling was 500 overcast. The
crash was heard, but not seen, from a hangar a qtr mile away.

She took off into conditions that were entirely visibile to a casual
observer. That the weather report says the conditions are 4 sm does
not absolve the PIC from looking out the window.

She did not maintain conservative safety margins; and her emergency IFR
skills we inadequate.

Please get this. It was not an 'act of God.' This was entirely
preventable.

Gene

There is no way visibility goes from adequate VFR to low IMC in less than
sixty seconds. I'm calling bull**** on this.

"nobody" wrote in message
...

Did you read the story? She did not take off in IMC, vis was 4sm at
takeoff.

Colin,

I agree that the fighter pilot was probably unrecoverable. The tough
part from my position is how to separate those from the recoverable
ones *before* they make their airplane into an aluminium plate on the
side of a rock. Since I have not yet figured out how to tell, I tend
to give it my best to try to get to whatever common sense might still
be operating while there still is time to try. A lot of that effor is
wasted.

In the interest of effort that probably will not be wasted (you seem to
be listening) , I want to point out that the idea that there was
'something psychologically busted in her brain' misses the most
important point. Most likely there was not; the fact is, we all are
susceptible to the same kind of error. That's the point; that she
*wasn't* different from the rest of us, that the only thing that
separates us from 'them' is a will to choose--and it is a choice--not
to succumb to the same temptations.

There was nothing 'wrong' with her. She was just like us. We could do
the same thing tomorrow, except that--if we choose--we can realize that
and learn from her mistakes and decide to take actions to make sure
that when we are being taken down that path by our emotions, that we
then *choose* to do not what we want to do, nor what everyone else is
doing, nor what will make us popular, but rather that which we know is
better from a purely rational point of view. It sounds easy when we
are not in the midst of it, and in fact it is not.

Gene

wrote in message
oups.com...

In the interest of effort that probably will not be wasted (you seem to
be listening) , I want to point out that the idea that there was
'something psychologically busted in her brain' misses the most
important point. Most likely there was not; the fact is, we all are
susceptible to the same kind of error. That's the point; that she
*wasn't* different from the rest of us, that the only thing that
separates us from 'them' is a will to choose--and it is a choice--not
to succumb to the same temptations.


Like I said, I understand VFR into IMC, and I can see it happening in the
context of a rational thought process. This specific case I have a much
harder time with. I'm just trying to reconstruct the thought process in my
head that could lead someone to take off in these conditions.

-cwk.

wrote:

What are we trying to prove? Can't we re-define 'good pilot' to mean
one that has the guts to tell everyone else to 'put a sock in it, I
a-ain't a-goin'?'

I think most of us have that definition. It's just that good pilots don't get
the publicity.

George Patterson
The desire for safety stands against every great and noble enterprise.

Hi, Gene,

My research has led me into the psychology of
narcissism, and I believe that is a major factor in this seemingly
mysterious penchant some pilots have to go ahead and launch when
prudence would dictate another less risky course of action.


Sam:

These may be of interest to you;

http://malignantselflove.tripod.com/journal66.html
http://malignantselflove.tripod.com/journal70.html

Take care.

Sam

Sam,

I will look at those. Thank you.

Gene

I wrote an article about this that was published in Plane and Pilot ,
called "The Wrong Stuff." It is available to view on my website at
www.genehudson.com if you care to read more about this stuff.

Couldn't find the article there. I found where it was listed with other
articles, and many of those other articles are clickable links which take
you into their content, but "The Wrong Stuff" is not clickable.


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Geoffrey,

If you give me an email address I can send it to you, I still have the
original draft on my computer.

Gene

Gene, how about posting it here?

wrote:
Geoffrey,
If you give me an email address I can send it to you, I still have the
original draft on my computer.