"Matt Barrow" wrote in message
...

"Jay Honeck" wrote in message
oups.com...
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.

Of course, a fatal accident is going to get priority over a fender-bender.

It's also going to be MUCH MORE thorough. Major components are going to be
subject to forensic testing, records are going to be very closely
scrutinized. Quite likely depositions are going to be taken rather than
just witness statements. The accident scene will be highly scrutinized.

The document you read on the NTSB site will be a composite of perhaps a
couple/several thousand pages of investigative notes, from several
investigators.

NOTE: It ain't like on TV where they're done in 45 minutes with 15 minutes
worth of commercials.

This is a true statement in the world of certified aircraft, but crashes of
experimentals do not typically benefit from in-depth investigations.

KB