Author Topic: Stratoliner Crash - cause determined (Read 220 times)

CMC Airboss · « **on:** June 19, 2002, 09:33:26 AM »

Stratoliner probe ends; it likely ran short of fuel

Seattle Times 06/19/02
author: Kyung M. Song

A nearly empty fuel tank almost surely brought down the Boeing Stratoliner that ditched in Elliott Bay in March, but the accident's lead investigator said the cause may never be known for certain.

Debra Eckrote, senior investigator with the National Transportation and Safety Board, said yesterday that she was unable to determine the vintage plane's unusable-fuel level which would have established whether the estimated 55 gallons of fuel aboard the Stratoliner at the time of its emergency water landing was tantamount to an empty tank.

The accident probe, now ended, failed to turn up any signs of mechanical failure, inaccurate gauges or fuel leaks.

Interesting that the flight crew or mechanical failures were not mentioned anywhere in the complete report. The real cause maybe inadaquate testing when the airplane was designed to determine the unusable fuel level.

MiG

LePaul · « **Reply #1 on:** June 19, 2002, 09:35:49 AM »

Either way, its moronic and the pilot & crew should be embarased beyond beleif.

4 engine piston plane running on fumes? Unacceptable.

Get some REAL test pilots to fly it next time, not old folks with good intentions. This was all preventable. On my checklist, step 5 is "Check Fuel, visibly inspect".

Dumb dumb dumb

Mickey1992 · « **Reply #2 on:** June 19, 2002, 09:47:16 AM »

http://www.hitechcreations.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=52936&highlight=stratoliner

Ripsnort · « **Reply #3 on:** June 19, 2002, 09:57:42 AM »

Remember as teenagers..pooling your money with friends to buy enough gas to get somewhere? And it was just enough gas...? Well, same theory applied here...wife said the Pilot and Co-pilot were argueing over fuel in the ER room when they brought them in for a routine check out after the ditch.

LePaul · « **Reply #4 on:** June 19, 2002, 10:00:25 AM »

Quote

Originally posted by Ripsnort
Remember as teenagers..pooling your money with friends to buy enough gas to get somewhere? And it was just enough gas...? Well, same theory applied here...wife said the Pilot and Co-pilot were argueing over fuel in the ER room when they brought them in for a routine check out after the ditch.

Yep, I was recalling your post as I was reading this. Its absurd.

Its really really sad that all the work and money spent to restore this plane is going to all be spent all over again. And I hope the morons who wrecked it are not allowed back in. Those guys deserve an Aviation Darwin Award....

CyranoAH · « **Reply #5 on:** June 19, 2002, 10:19:53 AM »

Aviation Saying: "Any attempt to economize fuel guarantees an increase in headwind"

Daniel

Dago · « **Reply #6 on:** June 19, 2002, 10:21:43 AM »

Quote

Get some REAL test pilots to fly it next time, not old folks with good intentions

It would seem by your statement that you dont know who the pilots were who were flying the aircraft, nor do you really know all the circumstances.

Its are easier to judge from the armchair with the benefit of hindsight, than be in a difficult situation, faced with problems and have to deal with them as they happen, sometimes lacking all the information necessary to completly understand the whole picture.

There was in fact a mechanical problem with the aircraft, the pilots are not just some old folks, and despite what some bozo sent around all over the place in a ludicrous email, the gear are not hydraulic but rather electrically operated and driven.

Ripsnort · « **Reply #7 on:** June 19, 2002, 10:21:53 AM »

Well, everything would have "gone as planned" had they not had a landing gear problem...evidently, the main gear was "acting up" and they had to fly around and around while they tried to work the problem out...thats hearsay though...Mig would probably know more than I about that particular part of the flight...