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Sport Class Competitor Accident

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  • Sport Class Competitor Accident



    I hope and pray for a full recovery.

  • #2
    Re: Sport Class Competitor Accident

    In-flight fires under any circumstances are scary. I had two in my career...scared the piss out of me both times. But an in-flight fire in a composite airplane is a worst-case scenario. You can see from the photos that once the resin starts to burn, there's not much going to stop it. Good job for Alan to get Spirit of America down while still the structural integrity of the plane was still intact. Keep him in your prayers to recover from his burns.

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    • #3
      Re: Sport Class Competitor Accident

      Wow. I hope he recovers. Its been a tough year for sport class racers. Is that the 3rd one this year that has burned till there was nothing left? Not good.

      Will

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      • #4
        Re: Sport Class Competitor Accident

        Prayers for a full and speedy recovery, feeling bad for the sport class right now, overjoyed that Alan made it out alive nonetheless.
        Reno from '99 to '22

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        • #5
          Re: Sport Class Competitor Accident

          This has to be one of the most difficult of all injuries to live through. May the great spirit watch over him and speed his healing and ease his suffering.
          Wayne Sagar
          "Pusher of Electrons"

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          • #6
            Re: Sport Class Competitor Accident

            Prayers to Alan for a full recovery.
            Lockheed Bob

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            • #7
              Re: Sport Class Competitor Accident

              My prayers and thoughts are with you.............what a shame.

              Brian

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              • #8
                Re: Sport Class Competitor Accident

                Thoughts are with him, Hopefully he will recover fully.

                I am curious though, is it the norm to not wear Nomex/Fire retardant flight suits and parachutes when flying these types of aircraft on a daily basis?

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                • #9
                  Re: Sport Class Competitor Accident

                  I'm glad to see he was able to make it out alive,
                  but as mentioned above burn injuries are some of the worst to have to recover from.

                  Sending up prayers.

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                  • #10
                    Re: Sport Class Competitor Accident

                    Originally posted by ChrisMX105 View Post
                    I am curious though, is it the norm to not wear Nomex/Fire retardant flight suits and parachutes when flying these types of aircraft on a daily basis?
                    I'd say it depends on the airplane. Some are so highly strung it is a good idea to have everything at your disposal all the time. Others, dare I say most of, the sport class racers are flown regularly in a non-racing environment. It is a risk vs reward situation. Most of the time the risk doesn't demand the parachute or fire suit. So, you don't wear it. I only wear mine if I am racing, testing (at race speeds/power), or flying formation. Not always during formation, but if the flight involves a lot of airplanes and the mission is to do just formation, then sure I'll wear everything.

                    In the case of Alan Crawford flying #21, he has a non-turbocharged Legacy. Generally speaking that is a very reliable machine. I would confidently fly a stock Legacy without a fire suit or parachute. Statistically you are going to be in good shape. Sadly for Alan, he expected that last flight to be totally normal, just like anybody else would. Bad deal...
                    Unleashed Air Racing

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                    • #11
                      Re: Sport Class Competitor Accident

                      Wait, wasn't the problem with Wolstenholme's plane an onboard fire? Wonder if there is something in common? Bob's is turbocharged with a few other goodies that could've caused it but theyre both legacies if you break them down to the roots..
                      Reno from '99 to '22

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                      • #12
                        Re: Sport Class Competitor Accident

                        Tribute Flight this Evening; MS Simulator.
                        Prayers lifted for Mr. Crawford

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                        • #13
                          Re: Sport Class Competitor Accident

                          Originally posted by GRNDP51 View Post
                          Wait, wasn't the problem with Wolstenholme's plane an onboard fire? Wonder if there is something in common? Bob's is turbocharged with a few other goodies that could've caused it but theyre both legacies if you break them down to the roots..
                          Well, the only thing those two airplanes have in common is the name. Very little else is common. Bob W's Legacy is really different in almost every aspect, not to mention probably double the horsepower. Anyone making that much power is truly on the edge of reliability at that point. A normally aspirated Legacy like Alan is way more predictable.

                          The fire that Bob W had was some sort of engine related failure. Meaning, the Legacy airframe wasn't the cause of the fire. I suspect the NTSB will release a factual report on that eventually. All I know is that it was on the right side, around the turbo.

                          I keep my eye (as do others) on the Lancair accident statistics. A very common source of engine failures is oil lines and fuel lines. I'm not saying that was the problem in either of the accidents in question, but it was the driving force behind me replacing all of my perfectly good oil and fuel lines this year, just to be safe.

                          Speaking of all this, I think I'm going to order another fire extinguisher for the cockpit.. 2 is better than 1 right?
                          Unleashed Air Racing

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                          • #14
                            Re: Sport Class Competitor Accident

                            Is the cost/weight of a fire suppression system worth it or would it even fit?

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                            • #15
                              Re: Sport Class Competitor Accident

                              Originally posted by ChrisMX105 View Post
                              Is the cost/weight of a fire suppression system worth it or would it even fit?
                              I'd say worth it if your a Gold contender. I'm pretty sure all of the Aerochia Super Legacy aircraft have it. There is a halon bottle mounted on top of the ADI tank, plumbed to outlets all around the engine plenum.

                              Most of the Gold airplanes are strictly racing airplanes. When you get into the Silver and below, it is less likely. Like I said before, risk vs reward. In the silver and below your chances of a big engine event are much lower.
                              Unleashed Air Racing

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