NTSB releases probable cause for Steve Fossett crash

http://www.ntsb.gov/ntsb/brief.asp?e...07X17184&key=1

"Jim Logajan" wrote in message
.. .
http://www.ntsb.gov/ntsb/brief.asp?e...07X17184&key=1

Thanks for the link

--
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 @See My Sig.com wrote:
"Jim Logajan" wrote:
http://www.ntsb.gov/ntsb/brief.asp?e...07X17184&key=1

Thanks for the link

I almost made the mistake of linking to one of the news stories.

In article ,
Jim Logajan wrote:

http://www.ntsb.gov/ntsb/brief.asp?e...07X17184&key=1

Thanks for that. Ultimately nothing too surprising. Turbulence exceeded
his plane's performance, and he ran out of airspeed, altitude, and ideas
before it let up. Certainly, turbulence can be violent in that area when
the winds are as described.

Still, good to know, and good to think about. If it can happen to him,
it could happen to you!

--
Mike Ash
Radio Free Earth
Broadcasting from our climate-controlled studios deep inside the Moon

On Thu, 09 Jul 2009 17:44:28 -0500, Jim Logajan wrote:

http://www.ntsb.gov/ntsb/brief.asp?e...07X17184&key=1

How long after first impact should it take for the ELT to kick out a
call on frequency?

In article ,
Gezellig wrote:

On Thu, 09 Jul 2009 17:44:28 -0500, Jim Logajan wrote:

http://www.ntsb.gov/ntsb/brief.asp?e...07X17184&key=1

How long after first impact should it take for the ELT to kick out a
call on frequency?

I assume pretty quickly, but if you're referring to the Fossett crash,
note that the NTSB report says the ELT was destroyed on impact.

--
Mike Ash
Radio Free Earth
Broadcasting from our climate-controlled studios deep inside the Moon

On Fri, 10 Jul 2009 09:01:43 -0400, Mike Ash wrote:

In article ,
Gezellig wrote:

On Thu, 09 Jul 2009 17:44:28 -0500, Jim Logajan wrote:

http://www.ntsb.gov/ntsb/brief.asp?e...07X17184&key=1

How long after first impact should it take for the ELT to kick out a
call on frequency?

I assume pretty quickly, but if you're referring to the Fossett crash,
note that the NTSB report says the ELT was destroyed on impact.

I didn't catch the "on impact" only that it was destroyed. I guess they
judged that no signal meant destroyed on strike, must have been a hell
of a crash reading through the report.

I'm looking at the pictures, wow, not pretty. Do all the S Decathlons
have clear canopies?

In article ,
Gezellig wrote:

On Fri, 10 Jul 2009 09:01:43 -0400, Mike Ash wrote:

In article ,
Gezellig wrote:

On Thu, 09 Jul 2009 17:44:28 -0500, Jim Logajan wrote:

http://www.ntsb.gov/ntsb/brief.asp?e...07X17184&key=1

How long after first impact should it take for the ELT to kick out a
call on frequency?

I assume pretty quickly, but if you're referring to the Fossett crash,
note that the NTSB report says the ELT was destroyed on impact.

I didn't catch the "on impact" only that it was destroyed. I guess they
judged that no signal meant destroyed on strike, must have been a hell
of a crash reading through the report.

Oops, you're right, I must have subconsciously assumed the "on impact".
Seems probable that the impact is what destroyed it, but it doesn't say
that, and it certainly could have happened later (e.g. in the fire). My
apologies.

--
Mike Ash
Radio Free Earth
Broadcasting from our climate-controlled studios deep inside the Moon

On Fri, 10 Jul 2009 09:40:06 -0400, Mike Ash wrote:

In article ,
Gezellig wrote:

On Fri, 10 Jul 2009 09:01:43 -0400, Mike Ash wrote:

In article ,
Gezellig wrote:

On Thu, 09 Jul 2009 17:44:28 -0500, Jim Logajan wrote:

http://www.ntsb.gov/ntsb/brief.asp?e...07X17184&key=1

How long after first impact should it take for the ELT to kick out a
call on frequency?

I assume pretty quickly, but if you're referring to the Fossett crash,
note that the NTSB report says the ELT was destroyed on impact.

I didn't catch the "on impact" only that it was destroyed. I guess they
judged that no signal meant destroyed on strike, must have been a hell
of a crash reading through the report.

Oops, you're right, I must have subconsciously assumed the "on impact".
Seems probable that the impact is what destroyed it, but it doesn't say
that, and it certainly could have happened later (e.g. in the fire). My
apologies.

That's what led to my question. I've never had the "opportunity" to set
off an ELT but I thought they were required to have a gyro or gravity or
some kind of ability to detect crash instantaneously and play out to
406.

CAP was combing the area by the NTSB with no report of transmission so I
suppose we can extrapolate that a severe enough impact can render the
ELT useless. I am guessing where the AC took the initial hit would be
important too in relation ot the positioning of the ELT in the AC.

"Mike Ash" wrote in message
...
Oops, you're right, I must have subconsciously assumed the "on impact".
Seems probable that the impact is what destroyed it, but it doesn't say
that, and it certainly could have happened later (e.g. in the fire). My
apologies.

If it were the fire, then the ELT would be history within 2 or three minutes
of the crash. It would be long-gone hours before anyone was listening for
it.

Depending on the type of installation, another possibility is that an ELT
can simply get separated from its external antenna. That would greatly
reduce its range (from a matter of miles to a matter of feet). From the
choice of words "destroyed" that was apparently not the case in this crash.

Vaughn