Would it be a time to reintroduce the parachute to commercial aviation ?
Sounds like the way to go – :highly_amused: who will pull the ripcord I wonder?
RIP to all souls lost and condolences to those bereaved.
Thanks Moggy C
Coincidentally it has been discussed if the increasingly sophisticated (and heavy) helmets worn by combat pilots pose a significant risk in ejections, particularly if the pilot is lightly built.
Moggy
If it is the heavy helmet it may have possibly caused what is known in Neuro (Head including brain trauma) as a Contracoup injury http://www.brainandspinalcord.org/traumatic-brain-injury-types/coup-contracoup-injury/index.html
Racing motor cyclists can suffer these same injuries.
Usually though these injuries take a period in hospital (sometimes very long) before the person either recovers or succumbs to injuries. In this case the pilot was declared dead quite soon after the crash.
We may never know all the facts since this is a military and sensitive incident
In the updated report here http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cambridgeshire-34593948 there seem to more ambiguities and possibly a clarification to one I raised in my post above ( http://forum.keypublishing.com/showthread.php?136774-USN-F-18-crashes-near-RAF-RAF-Lakenheath&p=2266659#post2266659 )
“A witness to the crash, Karen Miles-Holdaway, from Redmere, said she thought the pilot did very well to avoid any houses.”
“The jet came down on farmland in Cambridgeshire, with the alarm raised at 10:30 BST.”
“Miramar, base of the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, said in a statement: “A third Marine aircraft wing FA-18/C Hornet belonging to Marine Attack Fighter Squadron 232 stationed at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar crashed in the vicinity of RAF Lakenheath at approximately 05:30am.”
If in the alarm was raised at 10:30 BST I presume the 05:30 am implies EST which does not fit with the paragraph it is included in as time in San Diego where Miramar the base of Marine Attack Fighter Squadron 232 should be 8 hours behind BST.
Maybe someone reporting confused Miramar in Florida (EST) with Miramar in San Diego (PST).
RIP Blue skies and condolences to those bereaved.
In the report http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cambridgeshire-34593948 there is a strange/interesting comment/quote, re quoted here –
“A witness to the US jet crash in Redmere has said she wanted to thank the family of the dead pilot, and he was a “great pilot”.”
It isn’t clear whether the person quoted was thanking the family of the dead pilot for his/her life, his/her death or avoiding (if he/she had any control of the circumstances of crashing) homes.
No one in their sane mind forgets what maniacs brag about after committing atrocities. It’s bringing them to justice that is paramount for the good of the peaceful world and all those who lost their lives and those bereaved.
MO’L has already mooted that a Flight Attendant would be adequate and in some ways the report by BBC
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-34453146
leaves this wide open – quoting
“In 2010, Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary argued two pilots were unnecessary on short-haul flights, saying that over 25 years only one of his pilots had suffered a heart attack mid-flight, “and he landed the plane”. But the European Aviation Safety Agency has since recommended there should always be two people in the cockpit at any time.“
Two people in the cockpit could be anybody!!!
Sure we all prayed and pray for those who perished and those left grieving.
Sadly the perpetrators have no religion that respects human life.
Will the real culprits be brought to justice ?
Rather than speculate it would be prudent to wait for more detailed and comprehensive reporting from the NTSB along with the contributions from the FAA, Boeing and GE
The preliminary NTSB report was made public yesterday http://www.ntsb.gov/news/press-releases/Pages/PR20150910.aspx
These are some of the key points in that report –
“* The flight data recorder, cockpit voice recorder and quick access recorder have arrived at the NTSB Vehicle Recorder Laboratory and are currently being downloaded.
* On Tuesday evening, the airplane was photographed and the runway debris documented by FAA and airport officials before airplane was towed to secluded area of the airport (in order to reopen the runway).
* Initial examination of the left engine revealed multiple breaches of the engine case in the area around the high pressure compressor.
* Examination of the material recovered from runway found several pieces of the high pressure compressor spool (approximately 7-8 inches in length).
* Initial examination of the airplane by NTSB revealed that the left engine and pylon, left fuselage structure and inboard left wing airplane were substantially damaged by the fire. This damage will be documented over the next several days.”
Hats off to the flight crew and cabin crew. It’s what the rigorous training BA put their crews through regularly is for. That one off event in a Captain’s life ” a split second decision to abort before V1 was reached”.
I hope all those pax (bags or no bags) are all grateful they were on a BA flight in the hands of that crew.
For RR’s sake I am glad it is a General Electric 90 and not a RR Trent 800
They supposedly recovered all the bodies so therefore surely money (notes) should either have been floating around everywhere or the box/case it was in should have also been located with it’s contents intact.
This aspect has all gone quiet.
The poor who this money was supposedly destined for wait like “Waiting for Godo”.
Virtual money (never on board) or does it bring back shades of the movie “Cliffhanger”?:applause:
Indeed a tragedy. The AAIB report will reveal all. As for Air Displays being located primarily over water it will severely limit the venues for Air Shows and has it’s own pitfalls. In the meantime RIP to all those souls who perished and sincere condolences to those whose family they are.
It is important that they find the money or at least nearly all of it. Otherwise it adds another mystery to the sad event. Was it actually ever on board?
Great send off season for the Vulcan. At RIAT in formation with the Red Arrows both Sat and Sun. And here with the Sea Vixen and two Vampires. Thanks for posting the great pics.