A loss for the community

[Dave S]

Paul Connor, a builder from Mobile, Alabama, was killed this weekend
after a loss of power in his Rotary Engine powered SQ-2000 canard aircraft.

Paul was as active participant in several online forums, but I must
admit not this one. He had owned 7 airplanes over his 30 years of flying
experience. He had made tremendous progress on the SQ in the past year,
with his moving to the airport last september or so, taxi testing in
November, a First Flight on December 11th, and had either completed (or
was about to complete) his phase 1 testing period... and was planning to
attend (driving to) the upcoming rotary flyin at Slobovia Outernational
in Jackson Mississippi.

Paul's aircraft, N2992, an SQ2000, had an outward appearance similar to
that of the Velocity lineage, and had several modifications, most
notably was the Rotary engine. The engine was essentially a Mazda 13B
rotary engine from an RX-7 but had been rebuilt and modified from the
factory auto configuration in several ways. His engine control unit was
not factory, and was a Microtech brand ECU.

Paul had experienced one power-off emergency in his phase 1 flight test
that resulted in him landing on field, but off runway. Extensive
troubleshooting led us (the rotary community with which he corresponded)
to believe that vapor lock was the culprit, and after re-running fuel
and vent lines, as well as firesleeving, the problem was eliminated.
Paul's most recent accomplishment was the addition of VG's to the
underside of his aircraft to improve cooling air flow into NACA scoops.

Paul will be sorely missed by the Canard and Rotary Engine Communities,
and we hope that the NTSB will be able to ascertain a meaningful cause
of this tragic accident.


http://www.wkrg.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=WKRG%2FMGArticle%2FKRG_BasicArt icle&c=MGArticle&cid=1031782760353&path=%21news%21local

http://www.al.com/news/mobileregister/index.ssf?/base/news/111632160216210.xml&coll=3
(requires cookies/registration)

Longtime pilot dies in crash
Paul Conner was flying experimental aircraft
Tuesday, May 17, 2005
By RUSS HENDERSON and BRENDAN KIRBY
Staff Reporters

ST. ELMO -- An Army flying veteran with more than 30 years' experience
in a cockpit
died Monday when his experimental, rear-propellered aircraft crashed
just west of the
small airport here....



David Staten
Partner in a Rotary Powered Velocity SE

[Dave S]

Dave S wrote:
> Paul Connor, a builder from Mobile, Alabama, was killed this weekend
> after a loss of power in his Rotary Engine powered SQ-2000 canard aircraft.
>

I must SINCERELY apologize that part of the above statement may be
incorrect. I THOUGHT that I had heard/read that there was a loss of
power involved in this accident. I am unable to substantiate that, and
on further review I must simply state that there is NO IDEA what caused
the flight to end tragically.

The remainder of my post appears to be un-affected by this oversight on
my part.

David Staten

[Blueskies]

"Dave S" > wrote in message nk.net...
> Dave S wrote:
>> Paul Connor, a builder from Mobile, Alabama, was killed this weekend after a loss of power in his Rotary Engine
>> powered SQ-2000 canard aircraft.
>>
>
> I must SINCERELY apologize that part of the above statement may be incorrect. I THOUGHT that I had heard/read that
> there was a loss of power involved in this accident. I am unable to substantiate that, and on further review I must
> simply state that there is NO IDEA what caused the flight to end tragically.
>
> The remainder of my post appears to be un-affected by this oversight on my part.
>
> David Staten
>

No matter the cause the tragedy remains. When the cause is known I'm sure we will all learn something.

Condolences to all involved...

[stol]

Dave S wrote:
> Paul Connor, a builder from Mobile, Alabama, was killed this weekend
> after a loss of power in his Rotary Engine powered SQ-2000 canard
aircraft.
>
> Paul was as active participant in several online forums, but I must
> admit not this one. He had owned 7 airplanes over his 30 years of
flying
> experience. He had made tremendous progress on the SQ in the past
year,
> with his moving to the airport last september or so, taxi testing in
> November, a First Flight on December 11th, and had either completed
(or
> was about to complete) his phase 1 testing period... and was planning
to
> attend (driving to) the upcoming rotary flyin at Slobovia
Outernational
> in Jackson Mississippi.
>
> Paul's aircraft, N2992, an SQ2000, had an outward appearance similar
to
> that of the Velocity lineage, and had several modifications, most
> notably was the Rotary engine. The engine was essentially a Mazda 13B

> rotary engine from an RX-7 but had been rebuilt and modified from the

> factory auto configuration in several ways. His engine control unit
was
> not factory, and was a Microtech brand ECU.
>
> Paul had experienced one power-off emergency in his phase 1 flight
test
> that resulted in him landing on field, but off runway. Extensive
> troubleshooting led us (the rotary community with which he
corresponded)
> to believe that vapor lock was the culprit, and after re-running fuel

> and vent lines, as well as firesleeving, the problem was eliminated.
> Paul's most recent accomplishment was the addition of VG's to the
> underside of his aircraft to improve cooling air flow into NACA
scoops.
>
> Paul will be sorely missed by the Canard and Rotary Engine
Communities,
> and we hope that the NTSB will be able to ascertain a meaningful
cause
> of this tragic accident.
>
>
>
http://www.wkrg.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=WKRG%2FMGArticle%2FKRG_BasicArt icle&c=MGArticle&cid=1031782760353&path=%21news%21local
>
>
http://www.al.com/news/mobileregister/index.ssf?/base/news/111632160216210.xml&coll=3
> (requires cookies/registration)
>
> Longtime pilot dies in crash
> Paul Conner was flying experimental aircraft
> Tuesday, May 17, 2005
> By RUSS HENDERSON and BRENDAN KIRBY
> Staff Reporters
>
> ST. ELMO -- An Army flying veteran with more than 30 years'
experience
> in a cockpit
> died Monday when his experimental, rear-propellered aircraft crashed
> just west of the
> small airport here....
>
>
>
> David Staten
> Partner in a Rotary Powered Velocity SE

God bless him. Sometimes pushing the envelope to advance mankind will
take out the brave ones....

Ben Haas
N801BH
www.haaspowerair.com

[Dave S]

A follow up article on the pilot, by the reporter for the local paper.

http://www.al.com/search/index.ssf?/base/news/111640801385340.xml?mobileregister?nmet&coll=3

[Morgans]

"Dave S" > wrote in message
nk.net...
> A follow up article on the pilot, by the reporter for the local paper.
>
>
http://www.al.com/search/index.ssf?/base/news/111640801385340.xml?mobileregister?nmet&coll=3
>
Care to paraphrase it? I'll not sign in, or do anything to view an article.
--
Jim in NC

[Snoopy]

"Morgans" > wrote in
:

>
> "Dave S" > wrote in message
> nk.net...
>> A follow up article on the pilot, by the reporter for the local
>> paper.
>>
>>
> http://www.al.com/search/index.ssf?/base/news/111640801385340.xml?mobil
> eregister?nmet&coll=3
>>
> Care to paraphrase it? I'll not sign in, or do anything to view an
> article.

Dead pilot was skilled at difficult landings
Brother says Paul Conner faced treacherous flights during two tours of
duty in Vietnam
Wednesday, May 18, 2005
By RUSS HENDERSON
Staff Reporter

Paul Conner's last, deadly flight into a dense strip of forest near St.
Elmo's small-craft airport on Monday wasn't his first time attempting to
land a disabled airplane.

It was just the first time he failed in the attempt, family members said
Tuesday.

Conner, 56, was a former military flight instructor who was well-
respected in the small aircraft community, they said. His first
experiences in high-pressure landing were as a reconnaissance pilot,
flying missions over hostile jungles during his two tours in Vietnam,
getting pummeled by guns and explosives, Art Conner, Paul Conner's
brother, said Tuesday.

Paul Conner had landed those planes safely time and again, sometimes with
engines dead and wings riddled.

"He flew so many aircraft, but this one just quit at the worst possible
time, just after takeoff," said Art Conner, 58. "There was nothing he
could do. He wasn't high enough. He couldn't find any safety."

Art Conner had been watching from the runway when his younger brother's
experimental, rear-propellered aircraft crashed into a stand of trees
just west of St. Elmo's R.P. Crigler Sr. Aeroplex on Monday afternoon.
Deputies said he likely died instantly. No one else was traveling in the
four-seater plane.

"I'm still in shock," he said. "Some brothers aren't close. I was very,
very close to my brother."

Last year, each brother had finished building his own experimental
aircraft -- Paul, an SQ2000, canard-style airplane with a Mazda rotary
engine, and Art a gyrocopter. The two often worked together at their
labor-heavy hobby, Art Conner said.

It was Paul's second homebuilt airplane, Art Conner said. His first was a
Long-EZ, also a canard-style plane, which means it featured a forward,
smaller set of wings roughly level with the cockpit.

"Ever since my brother was very young, he was into flying. I mainly did
it because he liked to do it. He was the pilot in the family," Art Conner
said.

Their father was an Air Force mechanic, so the family moved often and the
boys grew up in cities all over the world, he said.

"We lived in England, in Lake Charles Louisiana. Paul was born in
Newfoundland," Art Conner said. After leaving the Army, Paul became a
flight instructor with the Air National Guard.

Art said he settled in Mobile after retiring from the Coast Guard about
seven years ago. Paul came to join him in the area after retiring from
the Connecticut Air National Guard five years ago, he said.

Chatter about Paul Conner's death hit the small aircraft Web sites early
Tuesday morning, when his wife Carol posted a message at
canardaviationforum.dmt.net.

She wrote: "Paul crashed yesterday afternoon and am told he died
instantly. Our plane was doing so well... but for some reason the engine
quit on takeoff at St. Elmo's. Please, everyone, fly safely."

The news was followed by a string of posts from people calling him a
"pioneer," "enthusiastic," and by declarations that his technical
knowledge and his years of experience will be missed by the aviation
community.

John Slade, a pilot in West Palm Beach wrote that "Paul was a very good
friend and a person for whom I had a great respect. He and Dan Crugar (of
Mobile) flew over to West Palm to give me some flight experience last
year. Paul was, without doubt, the best instructor I ever flew with and a
truly skilled pilot. He will be missed."

On Slade's Web site, Canard Aviation Inc., Slade writes about a
relatively recent incident in which Conner had suffered "a partial engine
failure at 250 feet on takeoff in his rotary powered SQ2000 canard. He
made it back to the field, but not the runway. Instead, he used a parking
ramp and got the thing stopped in 472 feet. New tires, new underwear and
he's good to go. Amazing."

Conner's deadly crash Monday is being investigated by the National
Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration.