Jay Honeck wrote:
It really shows how little choice the poor Cessna pilot had at the last
moment, when that pickup truck suddenly appeared out of no where. His
choices were either (a) hit the truck, or (b) try to veer to the right
and avoid it.

He chose (b), thus saving everyone in the pickup truck, but gave his
life in exchange. A true hero.

I think "hero" is... well perhaps we all have a different definition of
"hero". I'd like to know more about the entire accident sequence before
judging the CFI on this one. Wasn't he landing right next to a golf couse?
What other options did he have? Is it really that bad to read-end a truck
at (a guestimate) 20 mph in a 172? (Cessna's groundspeed minus truck's
forward speed) This is all Monday morning QB - I may have made the same
decisions, but since I believe decision making is where we as pilots can
really improve the accident rate, it sure is worth thinking about and
understand the events.

I just think "hero" is too stronge of a word when in some accidents (not
specifically this one), the pilot run of of gas thereby endangering himself
and his passengers, and then lands in a field in a built-up area and is
labeled a "hero".

Hilton