In a lot of the experimental incident reports I saw, it was 'mechanic error (owner/pilot/mechanic being the same person) > power loss > pilot error (often pulling the stick back in a panicky attempt to increase glide distance) > fatality.
One classic example: 60 year old builds, IIRC, a Van's RV10. Build instructions say not to put sealant on flare fittings in fuel lines. Other homebuilders say don't put sealant on those flare fittings, you need to fix that stuff. Builder is perfectly happy with giant orange globs of silicone all over his fuel fittings. Builder has fueling problems and engine cutout. Builder thinks he has problem fixed. Builder takes daughter and granddaughter for a ride. Engine dies from a great big glob of orange silicone in the carburetor. Pilot radios in that he's going to glide back to airport. When it looks like he's going to land short, he pulls back the stick (decreasing glide ratio and steepening descent angle so he'll land even shorter) and pulls it back some more until it stalls. Plane augers in, pilot and GD dead, daughter sues Van's Aircraft on behalf of pilot and GD's estates, because it's Van's fault that pilot ruined his fuel system after Van's sold him the kit. _______________________________________ http://www.okiebenz.com To search list archives http://www.okiebenz.com/archive/ To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: http://mail.okiebenz.com/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com
