NTSB re-assmbling Fossett's plane

[Uben]

They are airlifting the debris with blackhawk helicopters so it can be re-assembled.

Why? Why go to all that expense? It must cost millions of dollars to try to find a needle in a haystack. He crashed, he's dead.
In this day of fiscal crises, can't we start using a little more fiscal discretion?

[Cooley Hurd]

1. They need to reconstruct the aircraft to find the cause of the crash...

It's SOP in any accident investigation. Perhaps the Citabria he was flying had some sort of flaw?:shrug:

[Uben]

2. Doesn't everything?

I mean, doesn't every model of vehicle have some flaws? I spent my whole life in manufacturing. It's as common as sunshine!
If the problem is inherent, why don't they just check other samples of that model and year? Why spend millions on this one?
That, IMO, is beaurocratic wasteful spending.

[Orsino]

4. You have to test the one that broke, if you can...

...much as police investigate actual (car) crash sites rather than testing similar models in laboratories.

The NTSB's mandate is to find the specific cause of the crash, so that if there is a design flaw, other planes of the same model (or same year or place of manufacture, say) can be grounded and fixed before there's another such crash. They may be able to identify pilot error or other causes, and thereby relieve our fears of flying in similar aircraft.

[Uben]

7. Would it not be cheaper?

....to just check say ten samples of same model and place of manufacture that are still intact for all flaws?

[garlicmilkshake]

9. Checking 10 that aren't broken doesn't tell you what broke on the other one.

:eyes:

[Orsino]

11. Of course it would be cheaper just to "check" others.

But until you know exactly what happened to the one that crashed, you wouldn't know what or how to test.

[yodoobo]

14. Even cheaper not to do anything!

Sad fact is, that some lessons are only learned in blood.

[slampoet]

3. So some other reckless Billionaire perishes...sounds like a win-win.

[Cooley Hurd]

5. Not every Citabria driver is a billionaire...

I have 20 hrs in one and, trust me, I'm no billionaire...;)

[garlicmilkshake]

10. I have a Cessna 310 and I'm not even close to a millionaire (with an M)

;-)

[slampoet]

16. Sorry for the snark but I am tired of footing the bill for all these EXTREME "athletes"

Mountain climbers, Base jumpers, the 4x4 crowd, etc.



Pay for your hobby sure...but pay for your rescue too.




(and kick a little to pay for some new bathrooms at our state parks too)



You guys might do this kind of thing.....but did Fossett?

[dixiegrrrrl]

6. NTSB is required by law to investigate evry airplane crash, right?

Except in Penn. on 9-11.
When the cause of the crash was very much an issue.

[JohnyCanuck]

8. Good point n/t

[geomon666]

12. Well to be fair...

they couldn't really reassemble that plane. I mean, have you ever completely shattered a glass or dish and tried to put it back together?

[yodoobo]

13. Its what they do. They are making you safer

If theres a crash, the NTSB's job (one of many) is to determine the cause of the crash.

Its all about learning from our mistakes. Collectively

The majority of crashes are pilot induced. Good chance that this one was as well. But maybe not.

Some are mechanical problems, some are design problems.

Sometimes, important lessons are learned from these investigations, that result in design changes for future aircraft, or modifications to existing aircraft.

Sometimes those improvements end up on aircraft that YOU fly on...or fly over your home.

Have you ever flown on any aircraft? Or had an aircraft fly over you?

If so, that aircraft, if manufactured in the last 50 years incorporated safety improvements that were only introduced because the NTSB discovered flaws that someone else died from.

[XOKCowboy]

15. Excellent reply... Thanks