The pilot, 69, had almost finished a six-month refurbishment of a Piper PA-12 Super Cruiser. He had been rebuilding airplanes for 40 years, and his habit was to have a certain A&P mechanic perform a “semifinal” inspection as each project neared completion. The mechanic would give him a list of things that needed to be done before he could sign the airplane off. According to the mechanic, it often happened that before he returned to perform the final inspection the pilot would already have performed a “fast taxi test.” This “test” typically went well beyond the usual understanding of taxiing: The pilot would accelerate, lift off, fly along the runway a few feet above the ground and then set down again. The mechanic objected to this practice and had repeatedly scolded the pilot for it, pointing out that it was not just illegal but also unsafe. The pilot’s insouciant reply, with a shrug and a big smile, was that he had done it many times and it hadn’t killed him yet.
This time — it was near the end of September 2009 — the mechanic was not available to look at the airplane when the pilot called him. He suggested a subsequent weekend, but the pilot did not want to wait; he said that he would look for another inspector, and if he couldn’t find one, he would call back. He didn’t call, and to all appearances didn’t find another inspector either.
