Rolling a Non Aerobat 150

"pittss1c" wrote in message
...
C J Campbell wrote:
On 2007-03-23 08:33:20 -0700, "karl gruber"
...
Amazing what you can do with the proper motivation.

I think the important statistic would be to look at the fatal accidents
where the pilot was wearing a parachute, and see how many are unstrapped
and trying to get out when they hit the ground.
In the searches I have done, I don't remember ever seeing this (although I
was focusing on Pitts accidents.


Mike

I didn't find any of those.

And, I was wrong. It _is_ possible to get out of a Cessna 150/172 - even a
Piper PA-28 without a quick release door. (see below)

Notes - most accidents involving Cessna's and parachutes are from jump
operations - you end up plowing though a lot of reports where the word
"parachute" appears but has nothing to do with the cause / outcome.

I ran into several fatal accidents where the occupants of Citabria's were
not wearing 'chutes while doing aerobatics.

Several fatal accidents with and without parachutes happened from aerobatics
at low altitudes.

Some where the occupants got out but not in time - there was no indicaton if
they took too long to start to get out or had too much trouble getting out
(These were Pitts in spins iirc) . In one, the student made it out, but the
instructor was still belted in (Citabria)

Then there was the guy who bailed out of a 150 when he ran out of gas on
final...

Excerpts from accident reports:

Cessna 172: "The pilot, Hodelin F. Rene, stated he arrived at Flowers Air
Charter, on December 3, 1994, at about 1000, and was introduced to his
passenger by Mr. Flowers. Miss Pascale stated she wanted to take several
pictures of a couple of houses in the Cutler Ridge area, and drew a circle
around the area on an aeronautical chart. He went to Terminal One, taxied
his airplane to Flowers Air Charter, and did a preflight inspection. The
passenger did her own preflight inspection, and asked several questions
about the operations of the right passenger door. They departed Opa Locka
Airport and flew to the area previously marked on the map. He leveled off at
5,000 feet agl, slowed the airplane to 70 mph, and asked her where she
wanted to go. She stated she would look outside to make sure. A short time
later, she stated she was going to take off the headset and move the seat
back so she could get a good shot. He then heard what sounded like a yell,
felt wind and noise simultaneously in the cabin area. He looked towards the
sound, she was already partly out of the airplane, and when their eyes met,
she jumped out. "I was in total amazement, shock and just froze for a
moment, not knowing what to do. I could not believe what had happened. After
about ten seconds, I called ATC and requested a descent as I struggled to
close the door." He then informed ATC that he would like to declare an
emergency, that his passenger had jumped out of the airplane."

PIPER PA-28-180: "THE PILOT HAD TRANSMITTED A DISTRESS CALL THAT THE
AIRPLANE WAS HAVING FUEL PRESSURE PROBLEMS. THE AIRPLANE WAS SQUAWKING
TRANSPONDER CODE 7700. IT THEN DISAPPEARED FROM RADAR. THE PILOT HAD EARLIER
LEFT A MESSAGE TO HIS WIFE ON A TELEPHONE ANSWERING MACHINE THAT 'I DON'T
WANT TO LIVE ANY MORE...' GROUND WITNESSES OBSERVED A MAN PARACHUTE FROM AN
AIRPLANE IN THE AREA AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE PILOT'S BODY WAS FOUND
ON DECEMBER 21, 1994.

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of
this accident as follows:

THE PILOT'S INTENTIONAL DECISION TO ABANDON THE AIRPLANE AND ALLOW IT TO FLY
UNATTENDED."

Cessna 150E: "THE PILOT WAS COMPLETING A CROSS-COUNTRY TRIP WHEN HE LOST
ENGINE POWER ON FINAL APPROACH. ACCORDING TO THE FAA, HE TURNED THE AIRPLANE
AWAY FROM THE AIRPORT AND PARACHUTED FROM THE AIRCRAFT AT 'APPROXIMATELY 560
FEET AGL. THE PARACHUTE OPENED JUST PRIOR TO GROUND CONTACT, AND THE
AIRPLANE CRASHED IN THE BACKYARD OF A RESIDENCE.' THE PILOT STATED TO THE
FAA THAT HE THOUGHT HE HAD RUN OUT OF FUEL. THE FAA ALSO FOUND THAT, 'THE
AIRPLANE HAD RECEIVED DAMAGE TO ITS WINGS WHILE TAXIING ONE DAY PRIOR TO THE
ACCIDENT.' THE PILOT 'HAD APPARENTLY CONDUCTED HIS OWN REPAIRS TO THE RIGHT
WING' THAT WAS DAMAGED.

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of
this accident as follows:

AN INFLIGHT COLLISION WITH TERRAIN DURING AN UNCONTROLLED DESCENT AFTER THE
PILOT PARACHUTED FROM THE AIRPLANE. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WERE FUEL
EXHAUSTION AND THE PILOT'S DISREGARD FOR EMERGENCY PROCEDURES. "

--
Geoff
The Sea Hawk at Wow Way d0t Com
remove spaces and make the obvious substitutions to reply by mail
When immigration is outlawed, only outlaws will immigrate.

"Capt. Geoffrey Thorpe" The Sea Hawk at wow way d0t com wrote:


Some where the occupants got out but not in time - there was no indicaton
if they took too long to start to get out or had too much trouble getting
out (These were Pitts in spins iirc) . In one, the student made it out,
but the instructor was still belted in (Citabria)

When I was in college I read a number of articles where pilots who bailed
out said they did hesitate a bit because jumping was so new to them...they
had never done it.

I knew that someday I'd be doing aerobatics so I went to a jump school and
took skydiving lessons. Back then (1976) you started out with static line
jumps. I did a few of those and worked up to 15 second free falls. I was
totally comfy with jumping and that was enough for me.

Now that I'm actually taking aerobatic lessons, I'm glad I did it. If I had
to get out, and could get out, I don't believe I'd think twice.