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Old 5th Jan 2013, 16:40
  #40 (permalink)  
ShyTorque

Avoid imitations
 
Join Date: Nov 2000
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Sid, thanks for posting that link. The accident report is one of the most comprehensive I've ever seen and there are a number of things that should be taken on board by every pilot, irrespective of the type of flying they do, be it professional or private.

So sad to think that the hiker was already bravely rescued by the pilot who then effectively wasted both of their lives by a basic mistake. That mistake was that having rescued the girl, he took off again in conditions that lay beyond his capabilities.

It can take big balls to be a seen as a hero but sometimes it takes bigger balls to say "No!". In fact, you can often say "Yes, but just wait a while!"

Unfortunately, management pressure (and one obvious individual in particular) played a large part in this accident. I've seen this a number of times before in my career and made myself very unpopular at times by resisting a flight where I knew it was unsafe to launch. But at least I'm still here.
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