Scottish Glider Crash

As reported elsewhere here, an experienced British pilot crashed his
18m turbo Ventus in a remote area of Scotland. Judging from the
photos, it looks more like an outlanding in rough terrain. The injured
pilot remained in the cockpit until he was found over 24 hours later.
Early reports suggest he'll be ok, though he has broken bones.

From the accident scene photos, it doesn't appear the engine was
deployed. It'll be interesting to hear the details of this one.

BBC News Scotland has reports and video available online.

The incident has renewed calls for compulsory beacons in gliders in
Britain.

Mike

"Mike the Strike" wrote in message
oups.com...
As reported elsewhere here, an experienced British pilot crashed his
18m turbo Ventus in a remote area of Scotland. Judging from the
photos, it looks more like an outlanding in rough terrain. The injured
pilot remained in the cockpit until he was found over 24 hours later.
Early reports suggest he'll be ok, though he has broken bones.

From the accident scene photos, it doesn't appear the engine was
deployed. It'll be interesting to hear the details of this one.

BBC News Scotland has reports and video available online.

The incident has renewed calls for compulsory beacons in gliders in
Britain.

Mike


I would never ski, four wheel drive, fly, bush walk, etc without one
compulsory or not.

Stupidity for not buying one how much is your life worth ?

At 16:42 12 July 2006, Mike The Strike wrote:
As reported elsewhere here, an experienced British
pilot crashed his
18m turbo Ventus in a remote area of Scotland. Judging
from the
photos, it looks more like an outlanding in rough terrain.
The injured
pilot remained in the cockpit until he was found over
24 hours later.
Early reports suggest he'll be ok, though he has broken
bones.

From the accident scene photos, it doesn't appear the
engine was
deployed. It'll be interesting to hear the details
of this one.

BBC News Scotland has reports and video available online.

The incident has renewed calls for compulsory beacons
in gliders in
Britain.

Only by the press who regularly demand the sacking
of the Prime Minster as well. Neither event appears
to be imminent although you never know, about the Prime
Minister I mean.

As has been pointed out by another post elsewhere,
no glider pilot has ever lost their life in the UK
because they did not have an ELT/PLB. No glider pilot
has ever had their life saved because they did have
one. Why can't it be left for each pilot to assess
the risk and act accordingly, we have enough of the
nanny state already.

Bottom line, he was found.

Mike

You might be right about saving the pilot's life but you must consider
the inevitable rescue effort as well. Here the comment from someone who
was involved in the search for former 15m French world champion Gilbert
Gerbaud and co Edy Naef who fatally crashed in a Nimbus 3DM in remote
terrain near Alamogordo, NM, USA on a record flight attempt in 2001:

"It was a three day search to find the wreckage with
literally dozens of people involved. The wreck was about 12 miles from
the airport and was spotted by chance. An ELT, while it probably would
not have helped the pilots in this case, might have saved a lot of
unnecessary exposure to the hazards of flying search patterns over the
mountains. The search and rescue effort can be just as dangerous as the
activity that spawns it."

If I remember correctly there has also been a fatal accident at a
competition in the Appalachians in recent years where the pilot did
have an ELT. The fact that the wreck was found quickly because of it
did not save the pilot's life but brought rapid closure to his family
and limited the ensuing rescue effort. According to locals it might
have taken a year to find the wreck if it hadn't been for the ELT.

Another interesting case was just posted by bumper:

http://groups.google.com/group/rec.a...4118278153060b

Markus

Don Johnstone wrote:
At 16:42 12 July 2006, Mike The Strike wrote:
As reported elsewhere here, an experienced British
pilot crashed his
18m turbo Ventus in a remote area of Scotland. Judging
from the
photos, it looks more like an outlanding in rough terrain.
The injured
pilot remained in the cockpit until he was found over
24 hours later.
Early reports suggest he'll be ok, though he has broken
bones.

From the accident scene photos, it doesn't appear the
engine was
deployed. It'll be interesting to hear the details
of this one.

BBC News Scotland has reports and video available online.

The incident has renewed calls for compulsory beacons
in gliders in
Britain.

Only by the press who regularly demand the sacking
of the Prime Minster as well. Neither event appears
to be imminent although you never know, about the Prime
Minister I mean.

As has been pointed out by another post elsewhere,
no glider pilot has ever lost their life in the UK
because they did not have an ELT/PLB. No glider pilot
has ever had their life saved because they did have
one. Why can't it be left for each pilot to assess
the risk and act accordingly, we have enough of the
nanny state already.

Bottom line, he was found.

Mike

Sadly, the little utility of ELTs and similar devices must suggest
something more disturbing for me: that almost nobody survive crashes,
even low energy/shallow ones..

Michele


Don Johnstone wrote:
At 16:42 12 July 2006, Mike The Strike wrote:
As reported elsewhere here, an experienced British
pilot crashed his
18m turbo Ventus in a remote area of Scotland. Judging
from the
photos, it looks more like an outlanding in rough terrain.
The injured
pilot remained in the cockpit until he was found over
24 hours later.
Early reports suggest he'll be ok, though he has broken
bones.

From the accident scene photos, it doesn't appear the
engine was
deployed. It'll be interesting to hear the details
of this one.

BBC News Scotland has reports and video available online.

The incident has renewed calls for compulsory beacons
in gliders in
Britain.

Only by the press who regularly demand the sacking
of the Prime Minster as well. Neither event appears
to be imminent although you never know, about the Prime
Minister I mean.

As has been pointed out by another post elsewhere,
no glider pilot has ever lost their life in the UK
because they did not have an ELT/PLB. No glider pilot
has ever had their life saved because they did have
one. Why can't it be left for each pilot to assess
the risk and act accordingly, we have enough of the
nanny state already.

Bottom line, he was found.

Mike

Mitch wrote:
Sadly, the little utility of ELTs and similar devices must suggest
something more disturbing for me: that almost nobody survive crashes,
even low energy/shallow ones..


I don't agree. Many of the non-fatal accidents are not reported at
all. I know of two accidents here in Arizona that wrecked gliders but
with only minor injuries to the pilots. Stall/spins are usually fatal
as are most accidents involving uncontrolled flight into terrain, but
most outlandings or controlled flight into terrain are survivable,
especially in newer gliders.

Mike.

Mitch wrote:
Sadly, the little utility of ELTs and similar devices must suggest
something more disturbing for me: that almost nobody survive crashes,
even low energy/shallow ones..

Michele
That's just wrong. There are lots of us walking around.
Glider ELTs weren't in widespread use then but save for the randomness
of the universe, I could have died from exposure 50 yards from a mall
parking lot. Unheard, unseen and unseeable.

Safety features by definition have limited utility. The same could be
said about safety harnesses and my never used airbags. There are no
absolutes but there are consequences to one's decision making here.

One can only assume his radio was inoperative after the "landing",
leading me to wonder if he had any battery power just before. Glad to
hear the pilot is okay.

ELTs etc are like life insurance policies -- they only benefit the
survivor(s), not the person paying for it (or wasting endless hours
trying to figure out where and how to mount it in a V2 only to bag the
whole thing and drink beer ... ahem, real beer, yes we do have some in
the States ...)

~ted/2NO

ps for sale cheap, working ELT, never used

btw I want to make it clear that I am in no way *opposed* to ELTs ... I
would love to have one in my glider ... but I have a serious problem
with someone telling me I *must* have one, when there is no practical
and effective way of getting it installed.

wrote in message
ups.com...
btw I want to make it clear that I am in no way *opposed* to ELTs ... I
would love to have one in my glider ... but I have a serious problem
with someone telling me I *must* have one, when there is no practical
and effective way of getting it installed.

A personal ELT can be worn should be worn through your parachute strap you
go it goes its always in easy reach.

The new beacons you can call up before you go and say I am doing gliding or
whatever they put this in the database linked the ELB number.

I volunteer as an observer for search and rescue.

Activate a ELT = you are found very quickly no ELT many aircraft persons on
ground are searching an area cost huge your life even theirs at risk.



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