Jay Honeck wrote:
How does the NTSB go about researching GA accidents? Specifically,
how do they decide *when* they're going to do the investigation, and
when (or if) they are going to release information?

Our friend Blaine Andersen was killed in a crash near Grinnell, IA
last winter. See the preliminary report he

http://www.ntsb.gov/ntsb/brief.asp?e...08X00158&key=1

Strangely, all these months later, it's still just the "preliminary"
report. This, while many accidents and incidents that have happened
since then have been given "factual" and "probable cause" reports.

Anyone understand the timing of this stuff? Anyone got experience
inside the NTSB? Blaine's family and friends are understandably
getting frustrated with the glacial pace of this investigation,
especially when compared to other more recent accidents that have been
laid to rest.

Hi Jay -- last October 18th (2006), my airplane was totaled in an
emergency landing in the desert due to a complete engine failure (oil
cooler split on start-up, engine seized about 6 minutes into the
flight). We thankfully walked away with minor cuts/bruises, thanks in
large part to some luck in that we got far enough to be away from
houses/buildings and were over the desert when it quit (although the
desert is NOT as flat as it looks from 50 feet up!), and that I was with
my CFIG who made a great landing on some rough desert floor and kept
"flying" till the gear snapped off and it abruptly went down on its
chin. Our biggest scars are internal, but we are flying again, having
learned a lot from the experience.

It was obvious that the oil cooler split at one of the bottom fins, but
the NTSB removed the cooler and the thermo-coupler for further testing.
As of a few days ago, there still has been no final report issued, and
we too are awaiting that for various reasons. I've been told it usually
takes around 10 months, give or take, for a final report to be issued,
and that obviously, accidents involving fatalities take priority.

As for the comparison with other more recent accidents that have been
laid to rest, the investigation and results of those other accidents may
simply be more black-and-white and therefore easier/faster to resolve
and close.

I'm about to call the NTSB and ask if/when we can expect a final report.
I'll let you know if I find out anything that may be helpful.