Originally Posted by
GordonR_Cape
One quick note/mea culpa:
The "Pushed himself back into his seat' charade was because I was (technically) (Well really) performing aerobatic maneuvers within 4NM of an airway. Which meant if I admitted to deliberately entering the maneuver I could be busted by the feds. Since I had to hike a couple of miles back to civilization (with one sneaker and a sock) I had plenty of time to find a rational explanation for how my airplane entered into an autorotative state without doing actual aerobatics.
Second note: The report is inaccurate and confusing when it says I was in the box when the failure occurred. A simple look at the map will tell you that the failure occurred over the Altamont.
Last Note, and a good one: Our family (Including my 10 and 12 year-olds) is going to go to the crash site on June 17th. The actual location is a bit unknown as it was in the middle of a ton of grass, some hillsides, two ponds, and a gazillion cows. But the image I first saw when I looked up from my hands will never leave me, and the wreck can't be far from there. Granted most pieces were removed 20 years ago, but the engine case was buried up the the middle of the last bank, so I'm betting if we look hard enough we'll find evidence of the event.
All of which is simply amazing. I went from seconds separating me from life, to a family and a life unknown.
Lucky am I...
dce