I recently read Mr. Marcums excellent comments concerning the crash of JFK, Jr.s Piper Saratoga II. As a pilot and flight instructor, and as a clinical laboratory scientist for over 50 years, Id like to suggest there are additional factors that command consideration. First, with no reported passenger in the right seat, was there an asymmetric load on the aircraft which was initially compensated by the autopilot? Could the pilot have experienced a runaway electronic trim malfunction when resuming manual control of the aircraft?
Author Michael Sealfon suggests additional contributing factors to the JFK Jr. plane crash, including potential asymmetric loading or trim malfunction, the pilot's physiological state (hypoxia, hypoglycemia), extreme stress, and challenging "black hole" visual conditions at the destination.
Crista Worthy shares anecdotes on fuel management, detailing the utility of intentionally running fuel tanks dry to test a totalizer, and recounting a fatal Marchetti crash caused by the pilot's failure to switch fuel tanks after takeoff, leading to fuel starvation and a risky attempt to turn back.
I recently read Mr. Marcum’s excellent comments concerning the crash of JFK, Jr.’s Piper Saratoga II (Unicom, August 2016). As a pilot and flight instructor, and as a clinical laboratory scientist for over 50 years, I’d like to suggest there are additional factors that command consideration.
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