Hellman wrote:
Here's what I sent to Jim in response to his message above:

Both accidents seem to fit very well with what I call "99.9% safe
maneuvers" -- things we can do without event many, many times, which
then build up a confidence in our skill. But that's really complacency
masquerading as confidence. The danger is that a combination of events
then come together at just the wrong time, turning an otherwise normal
and "safe" maneuver into a fatal one. "Unusual" turbulence, wind, etc.
is a good indicator of the one-chance-in-a-thousand that can kill even
experienced pilots like Geoff or Steve. Unusual isn't the same as
impossible.

Are coordinates of the crash site available? I'd like to take a close
look at the upwind terrain, since I'm not familiar with the area.

--
Eric Greenwell - Washington State, USA
* Change "netto" to "net" to email me directly

* "Transponders in Sailplanes" http://tinyurl.com/y739x4
* Sections on Mode S, TPAS, ADS-B, Flarm, more

* "A Guide to Self-launching Sailplane Operation" at www.motorglider.org