That is my point, what if it did? We don't know.

True - thought I had missed something earlier; I looked but couldn't find it in this thread.

tyvm

Except I can and have listened to Hair Nation the whole 6 hours from Iowa to Florida (much to my wife's chagrin)!

What?

I have flown behind many constant speed propellers that developed minor oil leaks. None of them were unsafe. None of them failed. In fact it took me 6 years and multiple trips to a highly recommended prop shop to get my McCauley C76 3 blade running clean and dry once again.

So now a minor misting of oil is evidence that he should be tried and convicted?

Wow. Now we're changing the FAR's as we go too?

I've had engines that had mysterious oil leaks that the IA couldn't sort out too. My old IO-520BA wouldn't run smoothly LOP. Where do you draw the line?

Negligent homicide?

If the perfect police come and inspect your airplane, logbooks, engine and propeller will they find all to be spotlessly perfect and in exceptional working order?

Geez I think an FAA inspector (or trial lawyer) can find something wrong with every single airplane in existence (bar none, even a factory new Bonanza).

If you don't believe that you are kidding yourself. We need to be very careful here because this is leading somewhere we don't want to go...

What?

I have flown behind many constant speed propellers that developed minor oil leaks. None of them were unsafe. None of them failed. In fact it took me 6 years and multiple trips to a highly recommended prop shop to get my McCauley C76 3 blade running clean and dry once again.

So now a minor misting of oil is evidence that he should be tried and convicted?

Wow. Now we're changing the FAR's as we go too?

I've had engines that had mysterious oil leaks that the IA couldn't sort out too. My old IO-520BA wouldn't run smoothly LOP. Where do you draw the line?

Negligent homicide?

If the perfect police come and inspect your airplane, logbooks, engine and propeller will they find all to be spotlessly perfect and in exceptional working order?

Geez I think an FAA inspector (or trial lawyer) can find something wrong with every single airplane in existence (bar none, even a factory new Bonanza).

If you don't believe that you are kidding yourself. We need to be very careful here because this is leading somewhere we don't want to go...

Very well put

The reality is that this was about as rare an occurence as youll find. Surviving it even rarer. It might never happen again. But it COULD happen to you tomorrow?
So could a 9.0 earthquake right where Im parked writing this. In two minutes.
Its unlikely buts it also out of my control. Lifes to short to worry about it.
We can base how we deal with things on what we have experienced or on what we have only read about. If were going on hearsay, we need to listen to those who HAVE actually experienced these things to form a plan of our own.
We dont know that this jogger hadnt just lost his home in foreclosure, his wife left him, and maybe he was thinking about ending it all??? Silly? Sure. Impossible? No.

My point is we dont know for absolute certain. Any more then we know what that pilot was going through. Except for those of us who have experienced an engine failure and forced landing and lived to talk about it.
We know what he was thinking and it was " screw this. Im landing on that big flat Beach" "That big wide highway" "That schoolyard".

Thanks "old guy". I already had one of those. I'm on airplane number 3.

This pilot was flying at 15,000 feet. There are many airports along the S.C. coast including 2 within a couple miles of Hilton Head beach.

I noticed on one of the earlier posts, someone said the accident plane was cruising at 15,000 ft. ? If thats true he really should have been able to find an airport, mabe even an authorized service center! Any one who has doubts about being able to accurately dead stick their plane to a safe landing just needs to work at it. Its not that hard to do.

John,
With all due respect? You dont know what your talking about. Accurately "dead stick" a Lanceair with NO propeller and no forward visibility onto a 100 foot wide piece of asphalt. An airplane thats going down like a lawn dart? Has to be flown with the left hand on a side stick? And is NOT flying like the airplane you had a hold of 3 minutes before.
I hate to spoil a lot weird speculation but has anybody been keeping up with the facts that are coming to light? Well, the guy WAS heading for the airport and Im guessing it didnt take more then a minute or two to realize that WASNT going to happen!
Now THIS is the best Idea since the AIR HORN!

Authorized Service Center??? Yes, what was I thinking? He probably had a cell phone? He should have called information! "Can I have the number of the nearest Lanceair Service Center please, and hurry" OR, If he was familiar with that Beach, called the lifeguard station and tell them to clear a path?
How simple.
Please tell me that was a joke??
This thread is getting kinkier by the minute
Thanks, I needed a good laugh.
And Jason, with your issues, maybe the Cirrus was worth hanging on to.

Tom, you don't know me.

One day we will cross paths. When we do, you need to walk right up to me and laugh and talk trash. You're a tough guy from 1000 miles away hiding behind your keyboard.

My friend Yves was kicked off of here for talking a fraction of trash you talk.

Tom, yes that authorized service center part was supposed to be a joke, but if I have to splain it I guess it wasn't working for you. Are you saying you think the plane was uncontrollable without the prop? some planes are, but I dont know for certain about the accident airplane. The side stick part shouldn't be an issue. The oil on the windshield should be a serious distraction but not a death sentance.

Tom

You just dont stop.

First you offend me, then Kyle on Beech18.net, now Jason. You break every code we adhere to and you dont stop

That is Three strikes and in my opinion you should be gone. You have been kicked out of Beech18.net, yahooforums beech18 and hopefully soon here.

A tough guy is one that makes threatening remarks. That would be yourself. Its the same thousand miles for you pal. Trash or truth? You take yourself, this issue and moi WAY to seriously. Take a pill or a Martini, or a hike on a Beach with an Ipod. Whatver it takes for you to chill out.
You and Yves must have a lot in common.