That's crazy. Not me.

I think I finally found my reason to buy a Baron and I'll put my money where my mouth is as I already have a guy looking for me.

I don't think I'm safer in a twin but at least I'll only kill myself when I do something stupid and not some poor bastard on the ground.

"I've got a lot of issues going on right now," Smith said. "I've got a plane that's all torn up. And I've got a young man that I killed."

I wish he would have listed his issues in a different order.

Wow...thats a heavy thought. I think we tend to see things in terms of our issues first....then others....Were human...were flawed. We can slap ourselves upside the head and say "what was i thinking" and go on. Hopefully there will be a friend close by telling you "right on".
"A" personalitys tend to not give themselves as much slack as others. Higher standards?
The only thing that tempers it is experience and aging. Or is it the other way around?

Im thinking, and having been there, The seriousness of the problem combined with loss of visibility, power, possibility of fire, that on one hand we have this huge flat surface below us (ocean) and even though we know its like hitting a pile of bricks when hit fast, its NOT a pile of bricks or a hillside or a wooded area. And he was coming down like a lawn dart. No zoom climb as someone suggested either. The reluctance to turn and attempt a 12 mile flight with only ONE option at it's end. And that option has to be handled perfectly. Descent profile, speeds, flaps. etc. One chance, one runway. And hes flying a glider which now has different aerodynamic qualitys and no prop to help control speed either way.
No brainer.
Something else too. Almost without fail, pilots who have been in these situations recalling the moment it happened, that it went into slow motion, looking back like a succesion of still pictures.clik.clik.clik.clik. accompanied by a calmness where you analyzed, made decisions, acted on your training, and followed through to a hopefully happy ending.
Ive talked to many that have said privately, 'Ya know, I did the right things..i kinda surprised myself"
This guy will probably look back on this with that thought. His decisions saved his and his companions life. IF he feels he had no other sensible choice then hopefully he will find a way to accept the outcome and not beat himself up to bad. Bad luck and timing.
How could we know that as were going out the door fitting our headphones on for a jog, that a minute to stop and pet the dog, or take out the trash, or scratch an itch even, could mean life or death for us.
My family suffered a personal tragedy 2 years ago of unimaginable proportions. Life seemed to end with nothing to look forward to. Talk about reality crashing down?
Were doing all right with love, God, and friends though.
During this someone expressed this concept to me: I dont necessarily buy it, but its certainly food for thought.
He said "Life is like a game of pool. Once the q ball leaves the tip of the stick, your just an observer. Things have been set in motion that are irreversible. Mathematically it could be calculated I guess (not by me.lol)
So...chalk up GOOD boys!

Im sure this pilot will agonize forever in some way about what if. But the bottom line and this IS the bottom line. Him or me? Or, him or us, in this case.
If you saw it coming and had to decide that, would you sacrifice yourself (s)?
Contemplating that just now I came to this conclusion, for myself. If I was alone in the airplane, I think i might turn away. Take my chances. But with another soul on board, especially a loved one. No.
Just rambling. This pilot didnt have to make that choice. But I'll venture he thinks about it.
Prayers to all involved. Tom

Well, that does not help the situation much. If you read the article it states that he lost his prop and the windshield was covered in oil where he could not see. Trust me, his grief on being responsible for someone's life is punishment enough. I feel bad for both families. Only the lawyers will get rich on any lawsuit.

Of course, to be played out in the courts...

Can you have enough insurance to cover this? 1 Million doesn't sound like so much anymore...

--paul

Apartment? I live in a plush New York town house thank you very much.

Todd, seriously, brother you must chill. I realize your avatar features a really big scary firearm and everything, so I'm probably tempting fate by saying so, but if you keep it up I'm going to notify your AME that whatever psychotropic drugs he is giving you are clearly causing some really nasty side effects.

Jason's right -- this is an interesting debate? Why can't we argue without fighting and personalizing all this? I mean I realize I just personalized it myself, but to quote Rambo, who no doubt stands with you and the Founding Fathers and the Archangel Gabriel in defending this Once Mighty Land from godless heathens and Democrats etc etc etc: "You drew first blood."

That's not even true. Most "founding fathers" were "wealthy slave owners". But that argument is neither here nor there. None of us were alive back then so it doesn't really have anything to do with this argument.

On another note, has anyone ever though of carrying and airhorn onboard to blow out the window in case of a "no power" landing. That may have worked in this case

Im almost at a loss for words.....almost. If this was meant as a joke...its pretty sick. If it was offered as a possible solution? Ah.....Then I TRULY am at a loss for words.

I have a better solution and makes JUST as much sense.
If that guy was ANY kind of a pilot, with all the altitude he had, he should have used "energy management" (ala Bob Hoover) to dive down, make one clearing pass over the landing zone, pull up and fly a normal pattern followed by a nice safe touchdown. He might of even had time to locate a section of Beach adjacent to a nice PUB, where he could find a nice BATHROOM (important) followed by 10 or 11 nice dry martinis (shaken not stirred) (MORE important). Easy as pie. OR, (it gets better)
Since the Lancair has fixed gear with these big spats, he should have installed sirens taken from German Stukas who when diving would scream and frighten the populace.
But the guy might have run into the ocean and died of drowning/hypothermia or simply been frightened to death by the noise. Ridiculous you say?
Simpler to carry an air horn I guess.................

That's crazy. Not me.

I think I finally found my reason to buy a Baron and I'll put my money where my mouth is as I already have a guy looking for me.

I don't think I'm safer in a twin but at least I'll only kill myself when I do something stupid and not some poor bastard on the ground.

No doubt. I agree. But you are making a different point. PDK isn't next to a million miles of ocean with nothing to hit but water.

The only point I'm making is "CHOICE". This pilot had a choice and he chose to kill someone else so that he was guaranteed life.

I'm not saying he should go to jail. But I guarantee if it was your little boy who got hit you'd be suing.

Sometimes bad things just happen and no one can stop it... time to turn the page and try to keep in good shape with the BGUS (Big Guy Upstairs)... 'cuz we all gonna meet him someday.

Would not have mattered, because the guy was wearing an Ipod in his ear and was ignoring everything but his music. Maybe the owner of the plane should sue the jogger's family for damaging his plane? If the jogger would have been paying attention he might have seen and heard the plane.

Jason,
With all due respect, you are simply taking this all too far. You're making assumptions that are just ridiculous. Re-read what you wrote in the sentence above....

He didn't "choose to kill" anyone, nor was he "guaranteed life".

IMO, you're too emotionally wrapped up in this discussion, and you need to give it a break. You've lost your objectivity here.