My basic rule with respect to articles in the news on aircraft accidents is that they are always wrong.  It is generally a safer bet that the author has garbled most of the facts than to assume the author has gotten any of them right.

 

Here are the basic aviation facts that most people (including reporters) “know”:

 

1)      An aircraft “stalls” when its engine stops.

2)      When an aircraft “stalls” it immediately plunges straight toward the ground in a “death spiral”.

3)      By having 2 engines, you can prevent an aircraft from stalling, since the other engine will keep running.

4)      Therefore twin engine planes are much safer.

5)      All airplanes have bathrooms.

6)      All pilots and passengers in small planes wear parachutes, since it is easy to jump out of a small plane.

7)      People who fly experimental aircraft are crazy.

 

(actually the last one is correct)

 

D. Brunner N241DB

 

400 happy and accident free hours in a Lancair Legacy