NTSB Report on Bill Phillips' Accident

The NTSB has released the factual report:

http://www.ntsb.gov/ntsb/brief2.asp?...LA016& akey=1

This is the usual precursor to the final report, which usually contains
the same information with the addition of the NTSB's Probable Cause.

Ron Wanttaja

On Mon, 21 Sep 2009 07:42:22 -0700, Ron Wanttaja
wrote:

The NTSB has released the factual report:

http://www.ntsb.gov/ntsb/brief2.asp?...LA016& akey=1

This is the usual precursor to the final report, which usually contains
the same information with the addition of the NTSB's Probable Cause.

Ron Wanttaja

according to that report of the accident it shouldnt have happened.
there was nothing wrong.

Stealth Pilot

Ron Wanttaja wrote:
The NTSB has released the factual report:

http://www.ntsb.gov/ntsb/brief2.asp?...LA016& akey=1


This is the usual precursor to the final report, which usually contains
the same information with the addition of the NTSB's Probable Cause.

Ron Wanttaja

Thanks, Ron.

Well, kids, there you have it.
That man had no business being on the flight deck.

But no way he would ever stop.


Richard

.... the tox report says it all... along with the phrase "acute mixed
drug intoxication."

I have to agree with Richard; Bill may (or may not) have been a good
pilot, but he wasn't a smart one.

S McF

On Sep 21, 8:50*am, Stealth Pilot wrote:
On Mon, 21 Sep 2009 07:42:22 -0700, Ron Wanttaja
wrote:

The NTSB has released the factual report:

http://www.ntsb.gov/ntsb/brief2.asp?...5&ntsbno=WPR09...

This is the usual precursor to the final report, which usually contains
the same information with the addition of the NTSB's Probable Cause.

Ron Wanttaja

according to that report of the accident it shouldnt have happened.
there was nothing wrong.

Stealth Pilot

....hate to disagree with you, but there was something very wrong,
apparently, with the most important component in the aircraft: the
pilot. According to the tox report, he had everything from Tylenol to
Valium to Vicodin to two different types of codeine derivatives to
FloMax to Ziloprim (and then some) in his system. He should never
have gotten out of bed, much less behind the wheel of a car or the
yoke of an aircraft. I knew Bill well enough to know that he probably
thought he could handle it. Events proved otherwise.

S McF

On Sep 21, 5:10*pm, spanky wrote:
On Sep 21, 8:50*am, Stealth Pilot wrote:





On Mon, 21 Sep 2009 07:42:22 -0700, Ron Wanttaja
wrote:

The NTSB has released the factual report:

http://www.ntsb.gov/ntsb/brief2.asp?...5&ntsbno=WPR09...

This is the usual precursor to the final report, which usually contains
the same information with the addition of the NTSB's Probable Cause.

Ron Wanttaja

according to that report of the accident it shouldnt have happened.
there was nothing wrong.

Stealth Pilot

...hate to disagree with you, but there was something very wrong,
apparently, with the most important component in the aircraft: *the
pilot. *According to the tox report, he had everything from Tylenol to
Valium to Vicodin to two different types of codeine derivatives to
FloMax to Ziloprim (and then some) in his system. *He should never
have gotten out of bed, much less behind the wheel of a car or the
yoke of an aircraft. *I knew Bill well enough to know that he probably
thought he could handle it. *Events proved otherwise.

S McF- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

I would have to agree.

The report noted “other significant conditions” of atherosclerotic
coronary artery disease, cardiomegaly, and acute mixed drug
intoxication.

Something was VERY Wrong! While it would not surprise me that Bill
would have continued flying no matter what...it surprises me that he
would have put his wife at risk too.

Ron Wanttaja wrote:
The NTSB has released the factual report:

http://www.ntsb.gov/ntsb/brief2.asp?...LA016& akey=1


This is the usual precursor to the final report, which usually contains
the same information with the addition of the NTSB's Probable Cause.

Ron Wanttaja

I skimmed it -
bwb weighed in at 246 lb & 5ft 11 1/2 in Anterior artery from heart
almost blocked.
Toxic cocktail of painkillers etc. None disclosed on medical.
Three plugs oiled up. The lid might have opened, scattering stuff.....

Brian W

On Sep 21, 4:35*pm, BobR wrote:
On Sep 21, 5:10*pm, spanky wrote:





On Sep 21, 8:50*am, Stealth Pilot wrote:

On Mon, 21 Sep 2009 07:42:22 -0700, Ron Wanttaja
wrote:

The NTSB has released the factual report:

http://www.ntsb.gov/ntsb/brief2.asp?...5&ntsbno=WPR09...

This is the usual precursor to the final report, which usually contains
the same information with the addition of the NTSB's Probable Cause.

Ron Wanttaja

according to that report of the accident it shouldnt have happened.
there was nothing wrong.

Stealth Pilot

...hate to disagree with you, but there was something very wrong,
apparently, with the most important component in the aircraft: *the
pilot. *According to the tox report, he had everything from Tylenol to
Valium to Vicodin to two different types of codeine derivatives to
FloMax to Ziloprim (and then some) in his system. *He should never
have gotten out of bed, much less behind the wheel of a car or the
yoke of an aircraft. *I knew Bill well enough to know that he probably
thought he could handle it. *Events proved otherwise.

S McF- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

I would have to agree.

The report noted “other significant conditions” of atherosclerotic
coronary artery disease, cardiomegaly, and acute mixed drug
intoxication.

Something was VERY Wrong! *While it would not surprise me that Bill
would have continued flying no matter what...it surprises me that he
would have put his wife at risk too.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Like she didn't know of his health and drug issues ....
Please........... Thank god she lived.

cavelamb wrote:
Ron Wanttaja wrote:
The NTSB has released the factual report:

http://www.ntsb.gov/ntsb/brief2.asp?...LA016& akey=1

Well, kids, there you have it.

Well... not COMPLETELY cut and dried.

We've still got the issue about the main driver of the accident
sequence...whether the canopy was open, and how difficult an open-canopy
situation is to handle.

A number of Lancair owners have encountered open canopies and reported
that control was no big deal. However, there have been three recent
Lancair accidents that involved open canopies. The pilot survived the
most latest one, and gives a rather hair-raising report of what the
plane was like to fly.

http://www.ntsb.gov/ntsb/brief2.asp?...LA207& akey=1

From the above report, you can see that the open-canopy accidents are
catching the NTSB's notice.

When the NTSB comes up with a "Probable Cause," they seem to factor in
what a competent pilot should have been able to accomplish, in those
circumstances. You'll see a lot of accident reports which list Pilot
Error as the cause, even though the accident began with a mechanical
failure, because the investigator thought the pilot should have been
able to force-land safely.

Works the other way, too. If the NTSB concludes that the aircraft was
uncontrollable with the canopy open, that'll be listed as the primary
cause.

From what I can tell reading the report, it appears that the canopy
*was* open. The latches were undamaged; the ground impact twisted the
hinges forward and to the left, which probably wouldn't have happened if
the canopy was properly latched.

It all boils down to whether the NTSB concludes that the flight could
have been safely completed had Phillips not been impaired. My guess is
that the impairment won't be listed as the Primary Cause, but as a
contributor.

One thing interesting, though, is that Phillips' accident differs from
the other two canopy-open cases. In those instances, pitch control
became difficult, but neither pilot had trouble with roll. The SnF
plane continued to fly straight out, the pilot in Colorado actually
brought the plane back around the pattern and crashed on short final.

In contrast, once the canopy opened, Phillips' Lancair started turning
left and descended into the group.

Do you know what this reminds me of? John Denver's accident. The main
theory there was that Denver trying to turn a stiff fuel valve to switch
tanks after the engine quit on takeoff. He turned to the left to try
twist the valve...and his right foot applied pressure to the rudder,
turning the plane in the opposite direction from where he was looking.

Imagine Phillips' canopy coming open soon after takeoff. He turns
towards the handle on the canopy to try pull the canopy down...which is
probably mounted on the center section, above and to his right. This
naturally extends his left leg, which pushes the rudder pedal and starts
a turn to the left. The plane begins to descend, and goes into the
ground while the pilot is fiddling with the canopy. The passenger, too,
is looking up and behind at the canopy bow and doesn't notice the change
in attitude.

One of the things I've heard about the impact of drugs and alcohol is
that the first thing to go is the ability to multitask. I wonder if
that's what we're looking at, here....an unimpaired pilot would have
detected the roll, while Phillips became too focused on closing the canopy.

Ron Wanttaja

On Mon, 21 Sep 2009 15:10:59 -0700 (PDT), spanky
wrote:

On Sep 21, 8:50*am, Stealth Pilot wrote:
On Mon, 21 Sep 2009 07:42:22 -0700, Ron Wanttaja
wrote:

The NTSB has released the factual report:

http://www.ntsb.gov/ntsb/brief2.asp?...5&ntsbno=WPR09...

This is the usual precursor to the final report, which usually contains
the same information with the addition of the NTSB's Probable Cause.

Ron Wanttaja

according to that report of the accident it shouldnt have happened.
there was nothing wrong.

Stealth Pilot

...hate to disagree with you, but there was something very wrong,
apparently, with the most important component in the aircraft: the
pilot. According to the tox report, he had everything from Tylenol to
Valium to Vicodin to two different types of codeine derivatives to
FloMax to Ziloprim (and then some) in his system. He should never
have gotten out of bed, much less behind the wheel of a car or the
yoke of an aircraft. I knew Bill well enough to know that he probably
thought he could handle it. Events proved otherwise.

S McF

actually I meant problems (unserviceabilities) with the aircraft.

btw if you have been taking medications for some time the body adapts.
it is possible to have high levels of medications in the blood stream
that have next to no cognitive effect on the individual. ask doctors
involved with long term pain medication or think to involvement with a
chronic alcoholic. the blood assay gives levels of drugs in the
individual but gives no real indication of the effect they have on the
individual. dont jump to conclusions without having some idea of the
medication history.

Stealth Pilot