By now its all over the news about the couple in their 90s who died an hour apart holding hands in the hospital.
The media do not seem to be mentioning that the 94 year old driver was facing revocation of his driving privileges when he failed to yield at a stop sign and that the woman he struck has massive internal injuries and a broken neck.
Loss of mobility has severe economic and psychological impact. His victim suffered severe impact too. He was rich enough to have hired personal assistants. He didn't. He chose to continue to drive at age 94.
Politicians in the very "grey" states such as Florida will probably be silent on this issue too as will the AARP.
Saturday, October 22, 2011
Friday, October 14, 2011
AF447 Transcript and Pilot Error orientation...
Its well known that the French investigation is focused on avoiding any allocation of blame. With all the inter-linkages between Airbus, Air France and the French government it is clear that the BEA is actually investigating the French government. The level of disclosure tolerated by the French is abysmally low in comparison to what the NTSB would be revealing.
The above paragraph from an earlier posting on this blog is being repeated in response to some inquiries I've had regarding the recent publication of more complete transcripts in a book that focuses clearly on pilot error and pilot standards.
The French view is that only pertinent conversations get published. The American view is that everything, including the final expletives, get published. It is a question of openness and a dedication to seeing that absolutely nothing is to prevent the deaths that have taken place from being deaths that contribute to future air safety.
There are serious issues as to whether the initial climb was the result of pilot commanded inputs or not. The book fails to address this issue. The fact that irrelevant conversations were taking place is meaningless. The plane was not at an altitude where rules impose a "sterile cockpit" devoid of non-pertinent conversations or activities.
The pilots were suddenly confronted with a situation where the computer suddenly said "your plane". As young pilots with an instructor beside them they've heard that phrase a zillion times but suddenly they are "hearing" it without warning and they are no longer in some small two-seated training aircraft. The computer gave up when limits were exceeded and dumped them into alternate law amidst a flurry of warning messages and loss of instruments coupled with loss of any sense that remaining instruments were or even might be reliable. Its pure hell when a complex system cuts out.
Other, non fatal, incidents indicate a serious likelihood that that initial climb of a few thousand feet was not selected by pilot initiated control inputs. After that the cascade of events proceeds with confusion and unreliable information. The start of the fatal event was that initial climb. Blame the pilots for it? Not yet!!!
The above paragraph from an earlier posting on this blog is being repeated in response to some inquiries I've had regarding the recent publication of more complete transcripts in a book that focuses clearly on pilot error and pilot standards.
The French view is that only pertinent conversations get published. The American view is that everything, including the final expletives, get published. It is a question of openness and a dedication to seeing that absolutely nothing is to prevent the deaths that have taken place from being deaths that contribute to future air safety.
There are serious issues as to whether the initial climb was the result of pilot commanded inputs or not. The book fails to address this issue. The fact that irrelevant conversations were taking place is meaningless. The plane was not at an altitude where rules impose a "sterile cockpit" devoid of non-pertinent conversations or activities.
The pilots were suddenly confronted with a situation where the computer suddenly said "your plane". As young pilots with an instructor beside them they've heard that phrase a zillion times but suddenly they are "hearing" it without warning and they are no longer in some small two-seated training aircraft. The computer gave up when limits were exceeded and dumped them into alternate law amidst a flurry of warning messages and loss of instruments coupled with loss of any sense that remaining instruments were or even might be reliable. Its pure hell when a complex system cuts out.
Other, non fatal, incidents indicate a serious likelihood that that initial climb of a few thousand feet was not selected by pilot initiated control inputs. After that the cascade of events proceeds with confusion and unreliable information. The start of the fatal event was that initial climb. Blame the pilots for it? Not yet!!!
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Jo Yeates Murder Case. Trial evidence.
This was a strange case. A very young and attractive female whose movements were confined to a narrow time frame and a geographically limited area containing intensive surveillance camera coverage. Although some items became of particular interest only after the initial reports it appears that the Avon and Somerset Constabulary made some very significant errors early on in the case.
The boyfriend who returned from his out-of-town family visit reported what was essentially a missing persons case but which clearly had overtones of missing under highly unusual circumstances indicative of violence since she was missing from her apartment yet her coat and cell phone were in the living room indicating at the very least an abrupt departure and most likely indicating an involuntary departure.
It seems that the police made two crucial errors. They did not empty the trash bins in the immediate area and thus failed to discover a pizza box that was in the killer's trash bin. It was sometime after the crime was reported that surveillance film revealed her purchasing the pizza. It also seems that the police concluded virtually immediately that the apartment was too neat to have been the scene of a violent struggle. Later evidence indicated a series of screams and the sound of a brief struggle took place promptly after her entry into her home and the presumed inadvertent discovery of her next door neighbor's presence in her apartment.
In any situation such as this any situation involving a hasty departure is to be explored. A neighbor stopping over for a moment, a knock on the door that is a ruse, or anything else wherein the missing woman's evening is suddenly interrupted by a person who is known to her and perceived as non-threatening. Similarly, any telephone message or answering machine message or notepad in the area is normally explored for any indication of a reason why she might have made an abrupt departure from home but left behind her cell phone and coat on a cold night.
All manner of garbage bins inside the home and in the general area would normally be investigated. Weapons, clothing, blood, anything someone had an urgent need to dispose of may at trial become crucial evidence. These are customary steps and hardly need explaining.
As yet unreported in the press, the ability of the Dutch engineer to enter via a common door in a refurbished wall is of unknown ease and the presence of that door is unknown to someone viewing the wall from the victim's flat.
The victim's landlord who was briefly of interest in the case mainly due to his eccentric reputation will be giving evidence in the separate phone hacking inquiry.
ADDENDUM: So far the trial has been the usual cowardly stance of She let me in, I misinterpreted her signals and never having had any intent to rape or kill simply panicked and tried to keep her quiet thus making it manslaughter not murder. Of course after this sudden panic he quietly ate a pizza and disposed of her corpse.
I do so hope the jury sees through all that utter nonsense and makes it premeditated murder with malice aforethought.
It seems that 10 out of the 12 jurors did see it as premeditated murder. The sentence is life with a mandatory 20 years in custody.
As is often the case, there was a post-conviction revelation of the defendant having had dozens of images of women being strangled on his computer.
The boyfriend who returned from his out-of-town family visit reported what was essentially a missing persons case but which clearly had overtones of missing under highly unusual circumstances indicative of violence since she was missing from her apartment yet her coat and cell phone were in the living room indicating at the very least an abrupt departure and most likely indicating an involuntary departure.
It seems that the police made two crucial errors. They did not empty the trash bins in the immediate area and thus failed to discover a pizza box that was in the killer's trash bin. It was sometime after the crime was reported that surveillance film revealed her purchasing the pizza. It also seems that the police concluded virtually immediately that the apartment was too neat to have been the scene of a violent struggle. Later evidence indicated a series of screams and the sound of a brief struggle took place promptly after her entry into her home and the presumed inadvertent discovery of her next door neighbor's presence in her apartment.
In any situation such as this any situation involving a hasty departure is to be explored. A neighbor stopping over for a moment, a knock on the door that is a ruse, or anything else wherein the missing woman's evening is suddenly interrupted by a person who is known to her and perceived as non-threatening. Similarly, any telephone message or answering machine message or notepad in the area is normally explored for any indication of a reason why she might have made an abrupt departure from home but left behind her cell phone and coat on a cold night.
All manner of garbage bins inside the home and in the general area would normally be investigated. Weapons, clothing, blood, anything someone had an urgent need to dispose of may at trial become crucial evidence. These are customary steps and hardly need explaining.
As yet unreported in the press, the ability of the Dutch engineer to enter via a common door in a refurbished wall is of unknown ease and the presence of that door is unknown to someone viewing the wall from the victim's flat.
The victim's landlord who was briefly of interest in the case mainly due to his eccentric reputation will be giving evidence in the separate phone hacking inquiry.
ADDENDUM: So far the trial has been the usual cowardly stance of She let me in, I misinterpreted her signals and never having had any intent to rape or kill simply panicked and tried to keep her quiet thus making it manslaughter not murder. Of course after this sudden panic he quietly ate a pizza and disposed of her corpse.
I do so hope the jury sees through all that utter nonsense and makes it premeditated murder with malice aforethought.
It seems that 10 out of the 12 jurors did see it as premeditated murder. The sentence is life with a mandatory 20 years in custody.
As is often the case, there was a post-conviction revelation of the defendant having had dozens of images of women being strangled on his computer.
Monday, October 3, 2011
Amanda Knox Acquittal and Release order
I'm glad things may be drawing near an end for Amanda Knox and her unfortunate and much-undeserved ordeal. She just didn't understand Italian courts are primarily theatrical venues.
She is indeed innocent of any involvement in or knowledge of the murder. The Kercher family maintains an internet tattoo of "the parents publicity campaign of sweet innocence prevents Amanda Knox from acknowledging her dark side of violence and murder". In many respects, the massive publicity campaign of the Kercher family is far more troublesome than the nonsense that emanated from the Italian prosecutor, Italian press and UK press.
Its not that I don't have sympathy for the Kercher family, I do, but they should realize some low-level burglar and dope dealer burst into the home, raped and killed their daughter alone and unaided and then fled to Germany. Instead they have an almost pathological need to support every absurdity that makes Amanda Knox or her boyfriend appear as if they were either present at the time or involved in any way.
I still think all the emails that would show a friendly relationship between Amanda and the victim didn't disappear from the hard drive by accident but were instead intentionally erased while it was in the custody of Italian forensic "experts".
She is indeed innocent of any involvement in or knowledge of the murder. The Kercher family maintains an internet tattoo of "the parents publicity campaign of sweet innocence prevents Amanda Knox from acknowledging her dark side of violence and murder". In many respects, the massive publicity campaign of the Kercher family is far more troublesome than the nonsense that emanated from the Italian prosecutor, Italian press and UK press.
Its not that I don't have sympathy for the Kercher family, I do, but they should realize some low-level burglar and dope dealer burst into the home, raped and killed their daughter alone and unaided and then fled to Germany. Instead they have an almost pathological need to support every absurdity that makes Amanda Knox or her boyfriend appear as if they were either present at the time or involved in any way.
I still think all the emails that would show a friendly relationship between Amanda and the victim didn't disappear from the hard drive by accident but were instead intentionally erased while it was in the custody of Italian forensic "experts".
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