March 5, 1997

Dubroff Crash Investigation Concludes: Craig Was Right

I weighed in with the only set of reasonable opinions in this debate. Today the NTSB validated every one of my points.

Last year I stated: "I predict that the FAA will find the Pilot in Command [Dubroff's instructor, Joe Reid] completely responsible for this accident due to improper judgment."

Today, the NTSB called the crash "a very avoidable accident." Knight-Ridder reported, "the NTSB ruled that the Cessna 177B ... had little business taking off in April from the rain-swept tarmac in Cheyenne, Wyo., into a gathering thunderstorm." It called Reid's decision to take off "improper."

Me: "They will name the weather, the improper loading of the plane and the self-imposed pressure of setting a record as mitigating factors in the crash."

NTSB, as reported by Knight-Ridder: "The crash's probable cause had many ingredients: It was 96 pounds overweight. It flew into blustery winds. And, the board found, the media attention about a young girl chasing her aeronautical dream probably contributed to Reid's improper decision to take off into poor weather...."

I hate to say I told you so.

I further commented: "My point is, Jessica's age just doesn't matter. We don't need to revisit pilot training rules. They're fine. She was not flying the plane. She was in essence a passenger who the pilot allowed to manipulate the controls when it was safe. She wasn't responsible for the decision to fly. It was tragic that she was killed by her instructor's bad judgment...."

NTSB Vice Chairman Robert Francis said the board never considered recommending a minimum age for pilot training because "there's no reason that flight instruction can't be done -- if it's reasonably done -- for someone who's 10 years old .... We just have to encourage people to use their common sense."

Yep, every once in a while the government gets something right.