Badwater Bill

I did know Bill personally and always found him a facinating
character. Every time I did post to rah Bill would always simply reply
" I thought you was dead" I'll really miss him.

Ed Sullivan

NTSB Preliminary is out:
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
NTSB Identification: WPR09LA016
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Saturday, October 18, 2008 in Parowan, UT
Aircraft: Heisler Lancair Legacy, registration: N151HT
Injuries: 1 Fatal, 1 Serious.

This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any
errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been
completed.

On October 18, 2008, about 1400 mountain daylight time, N151HT, a Heisler
Lancair Legacy, collided with terrain shortly after takeoff from the Parowan
Airport, Parowan, Utah. The pilot was operating the airplane under the
provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. The airline transport
pilot was killed and the passenger sustained serious injuries. The airplane was
substantially damaged. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight
plan was filed.

According to law enforcement personnel, the pilot owned a cabin in the Parowan
area and rented a hangar at the Parowan Airport. At the time of the accident, he
was returning to North Las Vegas Airport, Las Vegas, Nevada, where the airplane
was based.

Witnesses reported that the airplane departed from runway 04 and climbed to an
estimated 400 to 500 feet above ground level. The witnesses said that initially
they thought that the airplane was a cropduster because it remained at such a
low altitude. The airplane then entered a left turn and witnesses saw objects
fall, "...off of or out of the airplane." The airplane continued in a left turn
and lost altitude until the left wing tip impacted the ground and the witnesses
saw a cloud of dust at the area of impact.

Law enforcement personnel that initially responded to the accident site went to
the area specified by the witnesses as the location where the objects departed
the airplane. At this location, personal effects including clothing were
identified.

An inspector from the Salt Lake City, Utah, Federal Aviation Administration
Flight Standards District Office, responded to the accident scene. The debris
field was approximately 200 feet in length on flat terrain. The first identified
point of impact contained green lens fragments and the main wreckage came to
rest facing northeast. One propeller blade had separated from the propeller
assembly and was identified in the debris field.

At 1353, an aviation routine weather report (METAR) at Cedar City Regional
Airport, Cedar City, Utah, located approximately 17 nautical miles southwest of
the accident site, was reporting, in part: wind, 170 degrees at 10 knots and
gusting to 21 knots; visibility, 10 statute miles; sky condition, clear;
temperature, 73 degrees Fahrenheit; dew point, 19 degrees Fahrenheit; altimeter,
30.21 inHg. According to initial responders, the wind conditions reported at
Cedar City were consistent with winds in the Parowan area at the time of the
accident.
------------------------------------------------------

Ron Wanttaja

On Tue, 21 Oct 2008 14:50:49 -0700, Ed wrote:

I did know Bill personally and always found him a facinating
character. Every time I did post to rah Bill would always simply reply
" I thought you was dead" I'll really miss him.

Ed Sullivan

I will always remember Bill's series of posts on the "old mans
aeroplane building project." they were some of the most creative
writing ever about test flying an RV6.
pity the old men thought he was stealing their thunder and canned his
involvement.

he sent me some photos of his projects one christmas.
I think he went off me when I told him that I thought the girl in the
photos (janice ) was drop dead georgeous :-)

when ever I mentioned it in an email later he'd just explode.
I think he liked that girl of his. I dont think he ever actually
realised that I was 12,000 miles away and was just winding him up.

I do sincerely hope that Janice makes it back to good health and
recovers from her losses. forget my stirring. she is actually a lovely
girl. she must have put up with a lot as his medications went awry.

I'll miss him.
Stealth (what is 'ant poison'? ) Pilot

In article ,
Ron Wanttaja wrote:

Law enforcement personnel that initially responded to the accident site went
to the area specified by the witnesses as the location where the objects
departed the airplane. At this location, personal effects including clothing were
identified.

I am not familiar with the Lancair design, is there a baggage door on
the side of the fuselage?

On Sun, 26 Oct 2008 13:58:39 -0400, John Smith wrote:

In article ,
Ron Wanttaja wrote:

Law enforcement personnel that initially responded to the accident site went
to the area specified by the witnesses as the location where the objects
departed the airplane. At this location, personal effects including clothing were
identified.

I am not familiar with the Lancair design, is there a baggage door on
the side of the fuselage?

I don't believe there is one, in the stock configuration. However, there are
aftermarket products to convert a rear window into a baggage door. I do not
know if one had been installed.

http://www.aircraftersllc.com/projec...ndow/index.htm

Baggage on a stock Legacy is loaded from the cabin, over the seat backs. In
this case, the only ways for baggage to exit in flight is if a rear window
breaks out or if the canopy opens.

The stock Legacy has a front-opening canopy:

http://www.bock.co.za/assetts/images...n/DSCF2925.jpg

The Lancair that crashed at Sun-N-Fun this year had its canopy open on
takeoff...

http://tinyurl.com/5t63s6

....but the NTSB preliminary seems to minimize this as being related to the
crash, except possibly as a distraction: "During the takeoff climb a witness
said he saw the cockpit canopy moving and believed the pilot was pushing it up
and down about 6 to 12 inches. Another witness stated that shortly after takeoff
the engine lost power, the airplane continued straight and level and there was
no attempt by the pilot to return to the runway....."

Lancair claims that an open canopy on a Legacy does not affect controllability.
One Legacy owner had it happen, and reported that the only real impact was a
high noise level. However, there are anecdotal reports that conflict with this.

There is a modification available to change the Lancair to a front-hinged
canopy...

http://www.aerochia.com/kits_aft-canopy.html

.... but not only does it apparently feature a LOT of locks, the canopy should
have been the first item to depart the airframe had it come open. It would have
been found with the personal items that came out.

Ron Wanttaja

I had my terms reversed

On Sun, 26 Oct 2008 12:02:33 -0700, Ron Wanttaja
wrote:

The stock Legacy has a front-opening canopy:

Correction, front-HINGED canopy....


There is a modification available to change the Lancair to a front-hinged
canopy...

Correction, AFT-hinged canopy.

In short, the stock Lancair canopy has its hinges in the front, and opens in the
back. The airstream will limit its amount of opening in flight.


Ron Wanttaja

Corrected version...

On Sun, 26 Oct 2008 13:58:39 -0400, John Smith wrote:

In article ,
Ron Wanttaja wrote:

Law enforcement personnel that initially responded to the accident site went
to the area specified by the witnesses as the location where the objects
departed the airplane. At this location, personal effects including clothing were
identified.

I am not familiar with the Lancair design, is there a baggage door on
the side of the fuselage?

I don't believe there is one, in the stock configuration. However, there are
aftermarket products to convert a rear window into a baggage door. I do not
know if one had been installed.

http://www.aircraftersllc.com/projec...ndow/index.htm

Baggage on a stock Legacy is loaded from the cabin, over the seat backs. In
this case, the only ways for baggage to exit in flight is if a rear window
breaks out or if the canopy opens.

The stock Legacy has a rear-opening (front-hinged) canopy:

http://www.bock.co.za/assetts/images...n/DSCF2925.jpg

The Lancair that crashed at Sun-N-Fun this year had its canopy open on
takeoff...

http://tinyurl.com/5t63s6

....but the NTSB preliminary seems to minimize this as being related to the
crash, except possibly as a distraction: "During the takeoff climb a witness
said he saw the cockpit canopy moving and believed the pilot was pushing it up
and down about 6 to 12 inches. Another witness stated that shortly after takeoff
the engine lost power, the airplane continued straight and level and there was
no attempt by the pilot to return to the runway....."

Lancair claims that an open canopy on a Legacy does not affect controllability.
One Legacy owner had it happen, and reported that the only real impact was a
high noise level. However, there are anecdotal reports that conflict with this.

There is a modification available to change the Lancair to a front-opening
canopy...

http://www.aerochia.com/kits_aft-canopy.html

.... but not only does it apparently feature a LOT of locks up forward, the
canopy should have been the first item to depart the airframe had it come open.
It would have been found with the personal items that came out.

Ron Wanttaja

On Tue, 21 Oct 2008 14:50:49 -0700, Ed wrote:

I did know Bill personally and always found him a facinating
character. Every time I did post to rah Bill would always simply reply
" I thought you was dead" I'll really miss him.

Ed Sullivan

Can you get the Beatles back?

On Sun, 26 Oct 2008 12:09:54 -0700, Ron Wanttaja
wrote:


... but not only does it apparently feature a LOT of locks up forward, the
canopy should have been the first item to depart the airframe had it come open.
It would have been found with the personal items that came out.

Ron Wanttaja

it is tragic to see the number of people killed in lancairs.
canopies seem to have little to do with it.
the design seems so optimised for high speed flight that people
regularly come unstuck in the slow speed regime.

at one stage 50% of australian built lancairs had killed their
builders and passenger in slow speed flight fatal incidents.

tragic.
Stealth Pilot

I guess I always had to see what BWB was writing on this board. Many
times it was like to looking at an accident on the freeway. Other times
he left no doubt that he could take care of business in the air, as with
many other worthwhile things I gather he was able to accomplish with his
life. I respect the latter, let go of the former, and also say that I
will miss looking forward to future reports on his doings of this, that,
or the other.

A.L.