Microsoft Crashes, plane into houses

[drmike]

Bill Henningsgaard, a former Microsoft vice president and his son were killed in a plane that crashed Friday morning into residential homes.

The NTSB is saying all told 4-6 deaths from the airplane crash in East Haven, Connecticut.

 

[Slownode]

Small planes, not safe unless you have a great pilot and it's inherently sturdy.

 

[drmike]

Nothing sturdy at all about planes.  If you need the strength maximums and such of planes, you'd never probably go on one.

My neighbor use to work making planes and is a plane freak of sorts.   The horror of the stories, and he likes planes...

 

[MannDude]

Nothing sturdy at all about planes.  If you need the strength maximums and such of planes, you'd never probably go on one.

My neighbor use to work making planes and is a plane freak of sorts.   The horror of the stories, and he likes planes...

I love flying. Always wanted to get my pilots license. I've even been on a commercial flight that was forced to 'crash land' in Dayton, Ohio instead of Indianapolis. Flew later that week again too. Put me in a car on the interstate though, I'm tense and nervous as shit.

Unfortunate accident though, though most cases in small planes you can survive (unless you nosedive right into the ground or land in a house). Every 10 miles of US interstate has 1 mile of straight road in the event a plane ever needs to crash land and needs to use the interstate as a last resort. Bring that baby down in a cornfield or in a river. My ex's cousin and her dad were out flying in a little two seater Cesna a few years back, engine failure, crash landed in the Ohio river, she stubbed her finger and had to wear a brace on it. The Dad I think came out without a scratch.

 

[GIANT_CRAB]

Helicopters are safer than planes, just look at Apache - its a flying tank.

 

[Aldryic C'boas]

Helicopters are safer than planes, just look at Apache - its a flying tank.

You've obviously never actually been in one.

 

[GIANT_CRAB]

You've obviously never actually been in one.

I've piloted several helicopters in helicopters simulation games such as "Take on Helicopters" and "Arma 3".

Its far easier to control than flying a jet and most importantly, its slower.

Slow means safe.

 

[Aldryic C'boas]

Troll elsewhere, kid.

 

[GIANT_CRAB]

Troll elsewhere, kid.

On a serious note, how can helicopters not be safer than planes in terms of normal/non-combat flying.

I know it can't fly higher to avoid storms, that should be all.

 

[D. Strout]

Every 10 miles of US interstate has 1 mile of straight road

This intrigued me, as even though I'm very much in to aviation, I'd never heard of this. So I googled this exact part of the post, and found this: One Mile in Five: Debunked. Whether the variation is five miles or ten, it's false. What I can tell you is this: the U.S. is so in to aviation that if you're flying over any even semi-populated area, there is almost always an airstrip within gliding distance of your aircraft. It might not be long enough for it to land at, but if you're in a small plane, it should be.more than enough. Incidents like this don't happen because there's nowhere to land, they happen because of poor planning and/or piloting.

 

[drmike]

On a serious note, how can helicopters not be safer than planes in terms of normal/non-combat flying.

Well when/if helicopters (most of them) lose engine/jet/power their ability to coast is little to none.  They fall pretty quick.  Planes can/do glide.   Possible to safely land a plane that is disabled.  Helicopter, much rarer.

 

[drmike]

Helicopters like planes have to be mega thin metal and light structurally or they won't be able to fly.  The metal isn't strong in the big picture.

You see how badly cars get banged up in 60 MPH collisions right?   Well add the earth gravity sucking to that and direct compact earth hit typically.