Micron CEO Steve Appleton Dies In Plane Crash

[newtekie1]

That is one fast plane he was flying too. I wouldn't fly that unless I had lots of experience. Just because you can afford one doesn't mean you have the skill level necessary. I work in aviation BTW. I have seen so many wealthy individuals even hit things while trying to taxi their plane.

Stunt piloting is kind of asking for it. As a father you should remember to be safe as your family needs you.

Definitely, we don't know his experience, but it sounds like he wasn't an amateur.

And just because you can afford something doesn't mean you have the still level necessary to not wreck it and die, I totally agree. Just look at all the videos on youtube of rich idiots wrecking powerful expensive cars that they don't have anything near the skill level to be driving...

I flew a Glasair 3 at an airshow in NZ last weekend, the lancair (which I dont own but have flown) and the glasair I own are tricky on takeoff and landing and an in experienced pilot could easily loose control, I know this sounds bad but I bet this is pilots error, a second of lapse on concentration can cause this, I sold a Lancair I owned and I had it for 2 years NEVER an incident, the new owner flew it for 9 hours and crashed it, then 4 months after rebuilt he crashed it again, they are tricky to fly glasair and lancairs

This plane is certainly akin to the expensive fast cars that rich idiots can't drive, but deadlier. Without knowing his skill level or his experience with the plane, or more importantly what actually caused the crash, no one can say he was doing something dangerous. Heck, for all we know it could have been a system failure, something not totally uncommon in kit built airplanes. Though it definitely could have been pilot error as well.

I think the important thing that we should be concerned with is that a man is dead, a father and husband. That is a tragedy regardless of cause, and IMO, jumping so quickly to point the finger at the dead person is disrespectful. That isn't meant at anyone in particular. I'm just saying we should all show some respect and not start blaming a dead guy like he meant to die or was doing something he knew was dangerous.

 

[R_1]

I am wondering if it is possible to build a smal turbofan jet engine with integrated brushless electric motor/generator. Together with small fuel cell and supercapacitor array it will provide a lot of redundancy.

 

[Yo_Wattup]

Is that being treated as a "just the way it is" type of thing or what? An aircraft shouldn't be "tricky" for something as essential as taking off and landing. That's a design flaw. Correct the damn flaw.

That IS the way it is man, sometimes for a plane/car/whatever to be advantageous in some areas it needs to be flawed in other areas. Why do you think 700hp Lamborghinis are still legal when theres a 90% chance that a 18 year old who just got their licence would crash it? And guess which car could take 3 kids to school quicker? The Lamborghini, or a Dodge Neon? 2 flaws for the Lamborghini there.

 

[LAN_deRf_HA]

I wasn't thinking of legality. Everyone knows laws are flawed. A convenience trade off is fine. One that threatens your life or more importantly someone elses isn't. Don't put something on the market that proportionally outpaces its safety features.

 

[lashton]

I wasn't thinking of legality. Everyone knows laws are flawed. A convenience trade off is fine. One that threatens your life or more importantly someone elses isn't. Don't put something on the market that proportionally outpaces its safety features.

The aircraft is safe when flown carefully and properly, when someone pushes the lancair outside its flight envelope, I know the wing produces a Stall codition of the wind and huigh speed NOT like a high speed stall, the term experimental means it was kit built, NOT all kit but aircraft are dangeous, the "europa" which I also own is a docile and extremely easy aircraft to fly.
there is only really one sytem failure that can cause a crash killing pilot, and I see that as an elevator failure, although a few things could have occoured that over wound the pilot, the same thing happened to that kennedy bloke, he flew outside his skill level.

 

[twilyth]

I wasn't thinking of legality. Everyone knows laws are flawed. A convenience trade off is fine. One that threatens your life or more importantly someone elses isn't. Don't put something on the market that proportionally outpaces its safety features.

You have to understand that there are different rules for different classes of planes. I can build an ultra light that I fabricate from common parts and legally fly it myself but I wouldn't be able to sell it to someone.

Kit planes fall in between the ultra lights and commercial aircraft. If I buy a Cessna, you're right, it should be safe. But there is a huge community out there, people with money, who want the rules on things like this to remain somewhat lax. However unlike ultralights, there are still a lot of restrictions, just not as many as for something like a Cessna.

 

[Wile E]

I wasn't thinking of legality. Everyone knows laws are flawed. A convenience trade off is fine. One that threatens your life or more importantly someone elses isn't. Don't put something on the market that proportionally outpaces its safety features.

A 700+hp super car fits into the same category. Should we stop making them, too?