Can MSFS Kill you?

On Tue, 05 Dec 2006 14:26:57 GMT, "Steve Foley"
wrote:

http://www.ntsb.gov/ntsb/brief2.asp?...FA021& akey=1

"The airplane was being operated as an instrument flight rules (IFR)
cross-country personal flight under Title 14, CFR Part 91, when the accident
occurred. The non-instrument rated, solo private-certificated pilot,
sustained fatal injuries"

It wasn't MSFS that killed him it was the mind set that simming is
just like the real thing. Three area lot of things that flight
training sims and yes, even MSFS can help, but the motion sensations
and getting used to flying in the soup is definitely not one of them.

Reading the transcript it sure sounds like he had become disoriented.
You don't just get dizzy, your thinking gets stuck in the mud making
even speech an effort.

As to the fuel that was unavailable in the one tip tank,: Although he
had the other tip tank, the Bo does not like to have one wing heavier
than the other. Mine is placarded to keep the tanks within 5 gallons
of each other. It can get wing heavy in a hurry although it'll fly
just fine that way if the pilot expects it and allows for it.

The Bo is a good instrument platform although most of them flown in
much IMC will have a good autopilot. The Bo is light and quick on the
controls compared to something like a 182. If you are going to look
for something you are better off making sure it's level and then
taking your hands off the yoke as most of us have a tendency to turn
the plane in the direction we turn.

......
"The flight originated at the New Smyrna Beach Municipal Airport, New Smyrna
Beach, Florida, about 1920 eastern standard time (EST), and was en route to
the Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport, New Orleans,
Louisiana. "
.......
"The instructor noted that the accident pilot had been practicing the flight
route to New Orleans using a Microsoft Flight Simulator 2000 program, on his
personal computer. "

Roger Halstead (K8RI & ARRL life member)
(N833R, S# CD-2 Worlds oldest Debonair)
www.rogerhalstead.com

Roger writes:

It wasn't MSFS that killed him it was the mind set that simming is
just like the real thing.

There is no evidence whatsoever that the accident pilot had such a
mindset. There is no evidence that MSFS played any role in bringing
about the accident.

The pilot was not very experienced with instrument flight and was
unrated for instrument flight. The weather conditions were poor IMC.
Those alone might have still allowed him to survive, but he had a
recurrent fuel-system problem which had manifested itself on earlier
flights and which he had not fully resolved before the accident
flight. This problem proccupied him during the accident flight and
eventually led to exhaustion of his fuel while still in the air. All
of these together conspired to dramatically diminish his chances of
survival, and in fact he died on the flight. MSFS was nowhere in this
scenario.

Three area lot of things that flight
training sims and yes, even MSFS can help, but the motion sensations
and getting used to flying in the soup is definitely not one of them.

Dealing with fuel-system issues and getting them fixed before you fly
again are also among the scenarios that are not simulated by MSFS.

How do you feel about practicing planned instrument flights in a sim
before actually carrying them out? It's hard to see how this could
possibly hurt. Some people even practice their VFR flights in a sim
before actually taking to the air. It seems like an excellent way of
helping to make one aware of what must be done in what order for a
specific flight.

--
Transpose mxsmanic and gmail to reach me by e-mail.

"Roger" wrote in message
...

It wasn't MSFS that killed him it was the mind set that simming is just
like the real thing.

SUE FLIGHT SIMULATORS! SUE BRAINS!


Actually, it was the ground that killed him. EVERYTHING KILLED HIM but the
non-IFR pilot who flew VFR.

-c

No, but flying IFR when non-instrument rated can. Let's sue MICROSOFT
'cause an unrated pilot chose to fly cross country in IFR...


"Steve Foley" wrote in message
news:Rkfdh.3039$Gp2.1364@trndny06...
"The airplane was being operated as an instrument flight rules (IFR)
cross-country personal flight under Title 14, CFR Part 91, when the
accident occurred. The non-instrument rated, solo private-certificated
pilot, sustained fatal injuries"
......
"The flight originated at the New Smyrna Beach Municipal Airport, New
Smyrna Beach, Florida, about 1920 eastern standard time (EST), and was en
route to the Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport, New
Orleans, Louisiana. "
.......
"The instructor noted that the accident pilot had been practicing the
flight route to New Orleans using a Microsoft Flight Simulator 2000
program, on his personal computer. "