http://www.hanggliding.org/viewtopic.php?t=32681
Tandem crash in LV (speculation thread)
Eric Beckman - 2015/06/03 16:11:09 UTC
My impression from the report is that the field repair to the release itself was first problem that made the release virtually impossible to activate.
We shouldn't be needing anyone's "IMPRESSIONS". And what? Are you afraid you're gonna get expelled by these motherfuckers for even quoting a couple sentences from it?
Post-accident inspection of the release showed the release pin still in place. A temporary repair was in place on the bridle's release pin lanyard arrangement. The release pin was prevented from being retracted by that temporary repair which routed the release pin lanyard in a fashion requiring exceptional force to affect a release. Inspectors on the ground were able to activate the release following the accident only by the application of exceptional force.
It's fuckin' outrageous that we're not being told - and shown - exactly what the problem was.
The second issue seems to be the wheel entanglement...
The wheel "ENTANGLEMENT"? The bridle hooked over the axle inboard of the wheel.
...once the lockout began and glider had turned away from the tow vehicle, which possibly eliminated the weak-link from the glider end of the line...
- Bullshit. It was the BRIDLE that was fouled. The typical two loop / four strand weak link for tandem surface tow operations was properly installed and positioned between the tow bridle and the towline. It was in clean air pointing straight back at the truck for the entire duration of the thrill ride and stayed perfectly aligned through impact...
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...and for hours beyond the end of the thrill ride.
- How would hooking any element of the tension transmission assembly over the axle have anything but a negligible friction related effect on the max possible tension anyway?
- How can you have any prayer of a weak link breaking when it's supposed to when connected to a non jammed payout winch. You're gonna get some small spikes due to drum inertia with gusts, truck acceleration, glider maneuvers but they're not gonna be anything to write home about - 'specially with a lot of line out and the sag and a wee bit o' stretch damping things out.
...and prevented the pilot from ever regaining control with the line under tension.
Yep. That's the purpose of the typical two loop / four strand weak link for tandem surface tow operations properly installed and positioned between the tow bridle and the towline - to break when the pilot has no control and allow him to regain it. Says so right there in the excellent book, Towing Aloft, by Dennis Pagen and Bill Bryden.
The third and ultimately fatal problem was the lack of a spotter in the tow vehicle to provide emergency line tension release when the s*!# hit the fan.
Fuck that. Towing gliders necessarily involves two cooks. At least one of them fucked up DURING the flight mostly because he was human and the other fucked up bigtime BEFORE the flight because he was fundamentally incompetent and was qualified for his job by evil lying stupid incompetent u$hPa ASSHOLES. The solution to this problem is NOT to throw in another cook to amend the number of ways to kill the glider. This is an equation in which Keep-It-Simple-Stupid is TOTALLY VALID.
An observer with a hook knife is to a tow system what a backup loop or a locking carabiner is to a suspension system. Use quality components or don't fly.
While I don't pretend to be an expert in the various methods of ground-based towing...
That's OK, we've got plenty of assholes like Rodie, Rooney, Ryan, Peter, Stuart, Pagen to do that job for us. And Kelly Harrison was one of those experts on the various methods of ground-based towing until just recently.
...I have vehicle towed with static line and payout winch, and used a fixed ground-based winch (in addition to lots of aero-tows).
What are your thoughts on standard aerotow weak links, bent pin releases, pro toad bridles, easy reaches, Dragon tow mast breakaway protectors, drivers who can fix whatever's going on back there by giving us the rope, invisible dust devils, the Zack Marzec fatal inconvenience?
In every case, I would not have towed without a spotter (or mirror on tow-plane) to provide immediate action should a "situation" develop.
Yeah. 'Cause you're a staunch proponent of placebo releases.
But, that's just me.
Nah, that's tons of assholes who have zero interest in doing aviation right.
There is no such thing as a guarantee when it comes to "perfectly safe" in any activity of life...
Yeah, but there are PLENTY of guarantees regarding doing things stupid and deadly - which was the path Kelly and his enablers chose.
...but I do believe we can and should make the effort to reduce the risks as much as possible in the pursuit of the activity's benefits.
So then what are you doing babbling around with a bunch of other assholes on the intellectually castrated Jack Show?
We make choices and decisions about our flying risks vs rewards every time we fly...
The choice and decision to use a two-string release within easy reach on a tandem glider? Is that what we're talking about? How is that the least bit different from making the choice and decision to fly with a frayed sidewire?
...and we should be allowed to increase the perceived risks for ourselves if we choose.
No. We shouldn't. We should have our ratings suspended or revoked for bullshit like this. Kelly should've had hIs tandem ticket permanently revoked for towing with a two-string.
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But who does u$hPa elect to go after?
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However, when we fly tandem with another person, IMHO, we give up our right to choose what we might personally tolerate for risk.
Yeah, ya might wanna ease up on the flying in nasty air and aerobatics when you're doing tandem. But there's ZERO excuse for doing what Kelly did no matter how many people you are or aren't flying.
When we fly tandem, everything about the flight (from pre-flight to post-flight hugs) must be focused on the student's/passenger's safety...
How 'bout the equipment selection? Are two-string "releases" within easy reach and typical two loop / four strand weak link for tandem surface tow operations properly installed and positioned between the tow bridle and the towline OK 'cause those are what people typically use?
...and enjoyment...
Better ease up on...
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...the enjoyment thing a bit - if you know what's good for you.
...whatever the cost in time and resources to ourselves as pilot-in-command.
Kelly was never a Pilot In Command on this operation. He was just another dope on a rope whose luck ran out a lot sooner than the vast majority of his ilk.
Good lift!
Fuck the good lift. Figure out what you're doing, know what you're talking about, use good equipment before you start thinking about any lift.
2015/06/03 18:43:12 UTC - 3 thumbs up - Mike Lake
