NTSB reports pilot's attention diverted....

http://www.ntsb.gov/ntsb/brief.asp?ev_id=20001212X18632&key=1

Mile High Club gone horribly wrong?

I'm not a pilot, but if there is instrument flight capability, would there not also be an auto-pilot to take control? Assuming this is a small plane, would the weight shifting around be too much for the auto system to handle?

Thank God for cruise control and tilt wheels on Cherokees!!!!

Notice they fall just short of saying 'she was on top'
Rescue squad call back in the 70's, sat nite 0100, couple were in the back seat communing with nature at a local nite club, when he, on top, slipped a disk. His screaming finally attracted the attention of a doorman who called police and rescue squad. We had to cut the roof off and put her and him on a backboard, they were 69'd. Took em in that way too and let the ER sort them out
His wife showed up at the ER same time we did and wanted to know what happened, got her answer when we wheeled the litter in even though we had em covered, I think the extra feet sticking out the head end gave it away ....
Wont go into the details of the 200+ club patrons that were watching thru the second floor club window and the parking lot.

lol... RichP and does this: "Cheap, Fast or Good, pick two" relate to your story by any chance? ....

What was that movie where the girl was hmmm.... servicing a guy... and he had a ring on you know what... and that ring got stuck insdie the throat? I can't imagine someone's imagination being that skewed.. it must have been based on a real life story so I guess it just means that there are stupid people.. and even more stupid people out there...

Kejtar

Wasn't there a case (or was it a movie) where there was, er, "oral interaction" in the backseat when the vehicle got rear-ended, and something got bitten off? Or am I thinking things again?

It's wierd what goes into ER's, no?

5-90

Yeah, the movie was "The World According to Garp" with Robin Williams as Garp, John Lithgrow as a cross dressing NFL player and Glenn Close as Garps mother Jenny. It's the sequel to the short story "Jenny and the Ball Turret Gunner"
Tom

"I'm not a pilot, but if there is instrument flight capability, would there not also be an auto-pilot to take control?"

I am a pilot and the answer is, no. A lot of planes used for instrument flight do have auto-pilots, but it isn't any kind of a requirement.

This plane is a twin-engine, though, so it's no little trainer. As a result I'm surprised that it didn't have some kind of an auto-pilot. The again, maybe it did and they just didn't engage it.

Iwould say as many if not more light twins do not have a auto pilot as do. auto pilot is a very 'spensive add on.

That said a Senica is a fairly high end twin, I would think it had one on it. Of course bumping the control yoke in the heat of passion would override the auto pilot. then you are in a poor flight attitude and befor eyou can get to the controls it bocomes unrecoverable.....

What a dumb way to die....

Not a bad way to go...considering other ways such as being eaten by a white shark.

The burning question (bad pun) is "did they get to finish?"