From: AVIDWIZ@aol.com
Message-ID: <da.986faf0.288fac97@aol.com>
Date: Wed, 25 Jul 2001 01:01:11 EDT
Subject: N424E Crash reply to Mike
To: lancair.list@olsusa.com, CasaDeHate@aol.com
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Reply to Mike Dehate:

With regard to your recent post:

1) On three Lancair IVP aircraft I have seen (N424E and N131DL and N934TD) in 
none fo these cases did the position of the shoulder harness alow enough 
freedom of movement that one could reach the fuel selector of the harness was 
snugly adjusted.   Since you have so many hours in Lancairs you may have some 
insights which many on the list do not.  If so please let us all know what we 
have been doing wrong.  However if the only answer is to leave the harness so 
loose that it can be shrugged off at will, I question if it is really 
providing any protection at all(?).

2) Regarding your comment that the aircraft in question had experienced 
previous engine and/or fuel problems as well as your postulation that I had 
some vendetta for the builder, you should search the archive for the LML and 
you will see that in fact the first engine failure was CAUSED by the builder 
Mr. Kerner crimping the fuel vent line when he removed the left wing tip 
since it would not fit into his hanger otherwise.   This information came 
from the builder himself as well as Tony Durizzi who fixed the problem during 
a repair stop.   This crimp caused a suction to be created and as such when 
Tony and I switched to the left tank the engine stopped.   Furthermore, the 
entire issue of fuel capacity was discovered in the initial testing when it 
was determined that the aircraft only held 72 gal.   In this instance Mr. 
Kerner was again paid to fix this problem and he indicated that by boring out 
additional holes in the rib he had repaired the problem and he and Tony were 
able to fill the plane with a full 80 gallons.  It is only now that we can 
see from an interior inspection that the real problem was the fuel vent in 
BL-141 was never built in to the wings and hence even if 80 gal were in the 
wing, the missing vent would preclude it from being available.   Mike, for 
the record I like Mr. Kerner and do not personally wish him any harm.   BUT 
and this is important, the fact remains that the large percentage of Lancairs 
which have crashed are planes he built.   In addition I have had several 
confidential emails from fellow members of the list who have identified other 
aircraft built by the same builder which have had major problems with the 
workmanship.   This information has been passed on to the NTSB as it should 
be.

3) Your assertion that finger pointing may cause all insurance to be 
un-available I would remind you that the reason AVEMCO is considering bailing 
out of the Lancair market is because in the past 60 days there has been three 
total losses on Lancairs which they insured with a total hull coverage loss 
of $1 Million.   This would equate to 100 years of policy preimum without 
loss in order for the insurance company to have any hope of recovery.   It 
should also be noted that in the case of the loss in Kisseme FL the aircraft 
was not built by the owner but donated to a Church group for missionary work.
Furthermore, the aircraft in question was inspected by an expert with much 
the same experience as yourself and deemed un-airworthy due to poor 
construction.   However the owner flew the plane anyway after getting a sign 
off from somewhere and for reasons which will be known soon enough thru the 
NTSB report, crashed with fatal results.

4) You mention that someone was at the crash site after the FAA/NTSB had left 
to sift thru the wreckage.   For your information the aircraft was under 
guard by the Flagstaff Police from the time the site was discovered until the 
aircraft was loaded onto the truck and removed.   When I arrived the FAA was 
still on site and I can vouch that neither they nor the police ever left the 
scene until I watched them load the aircraft onto the trailer for removal.  
Similarly, no one other than the FAA investigator was allowed to touch any 
part of the aircraft and in fact I am still waiting for some personal items 
to be returned which were in the plane.   Simply put there could have been no 
possability of any tampering with the evidence at the scene.

CONCLUSION:
Mike I hear your frustration at the events which have transpired.   I also 
feel sorry for the builder as I know he is taking it hard as Tony was his 
friend too.  But because of the attention this accident has received, several 
good things have come from it, to wit:

a) The factory will start making inertia reels available for the shoulder 
harnesses.

b) One of the more prolific interior shops who finish Lancairs is developing 
at my request a four point restraint for the Lancair seating system.

c)  A well respected DAR, Lancair owner and Insurance check pilot has started 
incorporating complete fuel system capacity and total useable fuel 
verification procedures into his certification procedures.   This process 
takes an additional 5 hours and would have told the story in the case of 
N424E so I would expect that this additional procedure will catch wing 
closure problems, missing vents and stuck slosh doors in the future.

d) A well respected DAR, Lancair owner and Insurance check pilot has agreed 
to assist a major US airbag company in developing an aig bag system for 
experimental aircraft.   I in turn have agreed to finance this development.

e)  The insurance markets are considering the requirement for a more 
comprehensive inspection of the PLANE and not just the PILOT prior to binding 
insurance.   I cannot see how that does anything but increase safety and I 
would find it hard to believe any Lancair owner would object to having 
someone make sure their aircraft was safe.

Finally you may take exception to my comments but they are factual.   The 
hope was that those of you on the list who are experts may be able to shed 
light on the causes of the accident which would save other lives.   I would 
imagine that any pilot would want the truth to come out in full and not have 
a fatal accident written off to "pilot error".  Since these aircraft are so 
unique it is only thru contributions of experts such as yourself that the 
real data required to solve the mystery will be available to the 
investigators.   The replies, speculations and ideas which have come from 
this discussion have already proven very valuable and hence, the objective 
has been attained.

Regards,

Dave Riggs
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LML website:   http://www.olsusa.com/mkaye/maillist.html
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Please send your photos and drawings to marvkaye@olsusa.com.
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