Yesterday, about the first soaring day we have had in Houston, I
decided to fly. I had taken a 1-hour walk that morning. I had done some
things around the house. I went to the airport and helped someone else
assemble a ship, then assembled mine. I drank normal amounts of fluids.
I drank a 16 oz. bottle of water just prior to takeoff. I flew only 49
minutes. Someone had to tell me to raise my gear after launch. I felt
fine at first, but soon began to make little mistakes. I couldn't seem
to keep up with the thermals. I did some cruising around and some
dolphin flying, and realized I was getting airsick. I've never felt
airsick in my life. I couldn't put it together. I found 8 knots up and
flew a couple of minutes in that before finally realizing I was not
feeling better, and not flying better. Finally I pulled the flaps down
at 4600 feet and made a bee line for the airport IP. I got there fast
with 90 degrees of flap. I declared my intent to land and proceeded to
do so. At about 10 feet, my radio crackeld "LANDING GEAR!" and I barely
got it down in time.

Some facts: I am taking a medication that can cause these effects. I
had no lunch. I haven't flown seriously for a dozen years. This is my
first ship with a retractable gear. I am certain I was dehydrated.

Does that make me a knucklehead? In my opinion, IT DOES! I should have
been more familiar with the medication. I should have had lunch. I
should have come down at the first sign that things weren't going well.
Actually, I shouldn't have flown at all, though the beginning of the
flight went fine.

True self-evaluation can possibly save your life. I won't fly again
until I know the effects of this medicine are gone. I will fly a lot
more before attending Region 10 this year. Unfortunately, people make
bad decisions. I got away with it... this time.

Jack Womack


Andy Blackburn wrote:
At 18:00 26 March 2005, Bb wrote:
It is simply not true that the only people who crash
are inexperienced
'poor pilots' who could be 'weeded out' by any entry
criteria.

I'm with the Professor on this one. The worst thing
we can do in reviewing accidents is assert that the
pilot was knucklehead. This may make us all feel better,
but we will learn very little. Some accidents are
the result of a single catastrophic misjudgement, but
most I've looked at have resulted from a series of
decisions or circumstances that individually seemed
fairly benign, but compounded to create an outcome
that was both unpleasant and inevitable.

Those who don't learn from the past...

9B