Gavin, Neil, et al,

The incident was covered in our local news last night.  My thoughts on it
were mixed.  The Otter series are used frequently (without seats, of course)
at sport parachuting drop zones, and that use forms the majority of my
experience with the aircraft, thought I have taken flights on them when
visiting my sister in rural Arkansas (excuse the redundency).

The initial reports that were given lead me to believe the passenger's
"exit" was intentional.  This is just speculation, but the fact that the
plane seats 15, and there were only 5 on board suggests that she need not
have been sitting in the exit aisle.  Since after the crewman came by, moved
her in order to access and lock the door, and took off again, she still
decided to sit so close to the exit, one has to wonder.

Further, the plane is not pressurized.  If the door were completely opened,
she would have been pushed into the cabin by the air force, and every other
passenger would have had their belongings tossed about, in a way that would
have  been noticable.  To exit a plane in flight, you JUMP out, or PUSH
yourself out into the air using your arms on the door frame as a catapult.
By design the airflow around a plane is resistant (think of the "air doors"
used in restaurants to keep flies out).  If however, she wanted to do so,
she could have unlocked and opened the door, then exited, allowing the air
pressure to reclose the door, though it no longer would have been locked,
triggerring the pilots warning light.

I doubt this was an accident, though further information may prove me wrong;
and this is all based on the assumption that she was actually on the plane
when it took off.

Rs~
Russ Smith, Systems Consultant
Problem Solved, Vacaville, CA
r s m i t h @ c u - h e l p . c o m
h p 3 k - l @ e - 3 0 0 0 . n e t

----- Original Message -----
From: "Gavin Scott" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Friday, December 15, 2000 10:42 AM
Subject: Re: [HP3000-L] tough way to go


> Neil writes:
> > The perils of traveling in Silicon Valley. This is really
> > a bizarre story and truly sad.
> >
> > http://www.technews.com/news/00/159452.html
>
> The details in the Mercury News are a bit different.
>
> http://www0.mercurycenter.com/breaking/docs/AA114360.htm
>
> They say that the door opened shortly after takeoff, after which they
landed
> and closed it, then enroute from there to SJC the door opened again, at
> which point the copilot walked back and closed it.  It's not clear at what
> point the victim departed aircraft, or whether the other passengers were
> aware of what happened.
>
> IIRC the Otter is not a pressurized aircraft, so the phrase "sucked out"
> should not be applicable in this case.  Generally in pressurized aircraft,
> it's not possible to open an emergency exit in flight because all the exit
> doors and windows open "in" and are held in place by the air pressure
> differential.
>
> In an unpressurized aircraft a seated passenger should be in little danger
> from suddenly opening exits, especially with one's seat belt fastened.
>
> G.
>