Andrew, I have read the NTSB's report several times. It's what it
doesn't reveal that's important in this accident. If the small plane
was not where it was supposed to be, neither was the Piedmont. He
turned left prior to reaching 5,000 feet which were his instructions.
Have you listed to the tapes? Mr. Houle is a meticulous investigator
who has studied this accident for years. Have you read what he has
written? I agree that a conflict of interest is never a good thing, but
it's more than that in this case I believe. It would not be allowed
today. Mr. Houle's appeals apparently have enough credibility to
convince the NTSB to re-evalute the original conclusions. Did you look
at the website listed in the Spartanburg newspaper article? It raises a
number of questions not addressed in the official report, e.g. a
possible ashtray fire in the Piedmont cockpit moments before the
collision. Listening to the cockpit conversation reveals the crew was
distracted. In addition, the Cessna pilot radioed his position to the
Asheville ATC who was on the phone with Atlanta. If he had been paying
attention, he would have known that the small plane was in the wrong
place and could have alerted the pilot. These and other details are
troubling to those who have taken an interest in this accident. I am
not a pilot nor am I an aviation expert. I have followed this story
over the last year or so because I saw the accident.