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Jim House of Aero Tuff

Kenny Gene

Well Known Member
Gang,

I understand that Jim House, his business Aero Tuff, supply's Vans Aircraft with our Safety belts has died in his RV on Sept 2. Our thoughts and prayers. I talked with Jim 2 weeks ago because I was ordering custom color belts for my Rv10. If any has additional information, please post.

Again, our thoughts and prayers for Jim and his family.

Kenny Gene
Wichita Kansas area
RV 7a
RV 10 484TC
 
Jim stopped in here to deliver some safety belts to our neighbors at Arion Aircraft and measure our Jabiru demo plane for an inertial-reel harness that day. He also spent some time talking to me about teaching his wife how to land his airplane. It was a real shock to see his airplane on the local news that night.

The preliminary report came out yesterday. The report raises many questions, but one line in particular stood out: "the pilot's seat and four-point harness remained intact."
 
The NTSB reports are out; this AM a friend forwarded the links below. As many suspected, it was a case of medical incapacitation. As we move into an era of self-certification, there are lessons here for us all.

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable
cause(s) of this accident to be: The pilot's incapacitation from
complications of a recent heart attack, which resulted in a loss of
control during cruise flight.


https://www.ntsb.gov/_layouts/ntsb.aviation/brief.aspx?ev_id=20150902X74630&key=1

https://app.ntsb.gov/pdfgenerator/R...ID=20150902X74630&AKey=1&RType=Final&IType=FA

https://dms.ntsb.gov/pubdms/search/...d5155b782-3ACFC74C-0DAE-11AB-C586E9D7AC046987

http://www.kathrynsreport.com/2017/02/vans-rv-6a-n216la-fatal-accident.html
 
I?ve been self certifying for as long as I?ve been flying, driving or riding a motorcycle. The Class one medicals I submitted to every six months included an EKG and merely indicated I met the minimum requirements for the moment. Whether I strapped into a Boeing or my RV4, I knew my health at the time met my go/no go requirements which were stringent enough to safely fly me and my passengers. I doubt the impending change to medical certification will result in increasing accidents due to medical incapacitation.

The primary lesson is look in the mirror, eat properly, keep your weight in control with exercise and if you don?t feel healthy the day of the flight, scrub the mission. :)

Cheers, Hans
 
I doubt the impending change to medical certification will result in increasing accidents due to medical incapacitation.

Nor do I. Sorry, I was too vague.

The interesting point in this report is that the pathologist found evidence of prior heart trouble, apparently unrealized by the deceased.

I think that to date, pilots have been more likely to go undiagnosed than the general population. Some percentage are in the habit of ignoring anything that goes away without treatment, rather than open a can of worms in Oklahoma City. It's why I'm in the group who believe the new rules will make us more healthy, not less safe. We no longer need fear our doctors, or approach a medical exam with a mission mindset.

Jim renewed a Class II about 3 months prior to the end. If he had reason to be concerned, he didn't bring it up. There's a good chance the new freedoms might have saved his life.
 
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I think that to date, pilots have been more likely to go undiagnosed than the general population. Some percentage are in the habit of ignoring anything that goes away without treatment, rather than open a can of worms in Oklahoma City. It's why I'm in the group who believe the new rules will make us more healthy, not less safe. We no longer need fear our doctors, or approach a medical exam with a mission mindset.

Jim renewed a Class II about 3 months prior to the end. If he had reason to be concerned, he didn't bring it up. There's a good chance the new freedoms might have saved his life.
I would testify to that. I had a fairly major MI and an emergency stent a few years ago. If I had seen a doctor a few days before, when I had some odd feelings that came & went, I'd have been in much better shape. It didn't feel like anything we've been told an impending heart attack would feel like, just an odd feeling that came and went once in a while. Enough to get my attention, but not enough to cause panic. If I hadn't been leery of having to explain and document it on my next 3rd class physical, I'd have gotten checked out and avoided an ambulance ride to the ER - but I rationalized that it must just be a little stress, or maybe something I ate (which it was; 30 years worth of burgers, eggs & bacon).

I had been feeling fine that day and was in the parking lot of the airport, getting ready to take the club Skyhawk up to brush up and then do some night takeoffs and landings when I realized that I was having a heart attack and had better get to an ER.

I'm not opposed to having medical standards for pilots. I am opposed to the way those standards are implemented and enforced. It can and does create an adversarial relationship between pilots and their doctors that doesn't do anyone any good.
 
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