REFLECTOR: Accident Titusville, exiting a burning, upside-down Velocity

[Sid Knox]

From: "Scott Baker" <sbakr at comcast.net>

> Uli and his passenger survived the crash - how, I don't know by looking at
> the photos of the aircraft engulfted in flames.  As of last evening, both
> Uli and his passenger were in an ICU burn center in Orlando.  Scott Swing
> learned that Uli was no burned badly, but that the passenger has burns
> covering 80% - not good.

I have a dial-up connection so my ability to view downloaded images is 
limited, but it looked like the Velocity wreckage was inverted (?).
This addresses my number one fear... and that is how to get out of our 
planes with their top-opening doors with the weight of the upside-down plane 
holding them closed.  Ok, some of us carry hammers (or hatchet) to try to 
smash out enough canopy to provide an exit hole and while (maybe) better 
than nothing, this seems almost like wishful thinking.  Further, in the 
chaos and confusion (and perhaps severe physical trauma) of the final 
few-hundred milli-seconds as the plane comes to rest, will we even be able 
to find or use the hammer?  Add flames and smoke and it becomes a horrific 
nightmare.

I don't have an answer.  Every time I load my son and we head off somewhere 
whether it be just a local flight or a cross-country, I hear this voice way 
back in my head that says "why are you risking him like this... what if 
something really bad happens..?"
But, off we go and have a great flight in a great airplane and obviously 
nothing bad has happened nor (statistically) will it ever if I can refrain 
from doing something stupid but it does give me pause for thought.

Sid Knox
Oklahoma

Velocity  173 RG  N199RS