alcmist@ssc-vax.UUCP (05/17/84)
Today in Washington the National Transportation Safety Board released their findings about the August 1983 crash of a Lockheed Learstar jumpship which killed 9 jumpers and 2 pilots. To summarize, they said the crash was caused by the failure of the operator of the aircraft and the pilot in command to review the effect that the jumpers' exit lineup would have on the aircraft's center of gravity. The NTSB concluded that the plane went out of control because it was too tailheavy to be controllable. The NTSB also faulted the FAA district office for insufficient surveilance of the jump operation, and recommended that FAA people keep a closer watch on parachuting operations in the future. I will try to get hold of a copy of their report, and will post details if anyone is interested. The above is a summary of the findings of the National Transportation Safety Board and does not reflect the opinions of Boeing, the staff of the software support center VAX, or myself. -fred wamsley, (206) 773-4200
tjj@ssc-vax.UUCP (05/24/84)
Not wishing to be excessively critical, I still must protest that it is not the FAA's responsibility to supervise the skydiving operations of Lockheed Lodestars, or any other aircraft!! If it isn't the pilot in command's responsibility to manage the aircraft under all anticipated flight conditions then it is no one's responsibility! I am a CFI-AI with both single and multi- engine experience, some of both in hauling skydivers. I am the first to be cautious about blaming another pilot when I was not there in his/her shoes. But I certainly do not believe that ANY FAA Inspector would have done things differently unless they had actually been there. I applaud the job that the NTSB does, but in this case and a few others, I must vehemently disagree. It ain't the FAA that's flying the damn airplane, it is the PIC!!! Lest we forget, Ted Jardine -- TJ (with Amazing Grace) The Piper Boeing Computer Services Artificial Intelligence Center ...uw-beaver!ssc-vax!tjj