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Red Kaweah Accident
#18801 09/28/11 10:09 PM
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This summer, friends of CMC (Ernie) on this forum hiked in from Mineral King with hopes of climbing Square Top, a prominent point in the Kaweah range viewed from Mt Whitney. Unfortunately, a major injury turned the trip upside down. Scot's story is good reading...

Story written by Scot H:
Quote:

Roel V, Rudy W, Steve D and I left the trailhead at Mineral King early on Monday morning, August 22, 2011. We had a big day ahead--19+ miles over two passes: Glacier Pass at 11,600 feet and Hands'N'Knees Pass at 11,200 feet.

Steve got violently ill at the top of the latter crossing and was in misery for the balance of the day.

We arrived at the old patrol cabin in the Big Arroyo after 10 hours of steady hiking and set up camp. The mosquitoes there were legion. And they were hungry.

Day two, everyone was tired, but Roel and Rudy and I decided to attempt Red Kaweah anyway. We climbed 4,000 vertical feet from camp, only to get cliffed out (hit an impassable spot) just 250 feet from the summit in a couloir up the west face of the mountain. I found out later from one of the rescue crew on the chopper that we had attempted a route that he was pretty sure had never been climbed before. Not our intention. I forgot to bring the beta I had packed in with us. We should have actually gone up the much easier NW slopes.

The turnaround point came when I pull a boulder loose onto myself trying to sneak past the cliff blocking the top of the couloir. My wrist swelled up immediately and bled quite a bit. Rudy and Roel thought it might be broken. We decided that it was too risky to go up, so we headed down. We took some snow, packed it in a baggie, wrapped the baggie around my wrist, and I wore this as a bracelet for the rest of the day, re-filling it with snow as necessary. The swelling eventually went down, and I was able to move the wrist enough to determine that it was not broken.

We were crossing a boulder field at the bottom of the mountain at 12,100 feet, hopping from rock to rock, and I stepped on a flat boulder maybe two feet in diameter that looked solid but wasn't. It rose up, spun around, and rolled onto my left calf, slicing it to the bone. I watched this happen in slow motion, then sat down and said "Guys, I just got a deep cut in my leg. I'm going to need some help." For some reason I was really calm, not panicked at all. Roel looked over at my leg and turned white. "Holy s**t, Scot!" He said. "I can see your bone!". I could, too.

I held the wound together and Roel and Rudy start pulling stuff out of their packs to bind up the cut. Roel had a bandanna, Rudy cut the straps off his pack. There was blood EVERYWHERE, but we compressed the rip in my leg with their gear, plus some toilet paper, one of my gaiters, and my left sock. It held, the bleeding eventually stopped, and we descended 3,100 feet to camp.

We pull out the satellite phone we had borrowed from a friend, and I called 911 and reached a person who could care less who I was or what my problem was. Eventually I tried the Tulare police department dispatcher who connected me to the Tulare County dispatcher who connected me to the Sequoia Park dispatcher where I finally was able to talk to someone who knew our location. But by then it was 7 p.m., too late to mobilize a chopper. So we cooked up some trout Steve caught, ate dinner, and went to bed.

The next morning at 8, the sat phone rang. It was Sequoia Park dispatch, saying that there were two "advanced trauma" rescues that needed to happen "pronto" today, so they were going to bump me back to #3 on their list. I told them that I was somewhat ambulatory and in stable condition, so no problem. They said to expect a whirlybird around 11 a.m.

At that point, Rudy and Roel decided they would hike out, pick up my car, and drive it home. Steve, who went through hell on the hike in, decided to stay with me in hopes of getting a ride out with the helicopter.

Noon came and went as Steve and I hung out by the cabin. The chopper was a no-show. I called the park service at 12:05. Turned out that the first rescue of the day had not gone well and their park helicopter was still on the job trying to pluck an injured climber off of Thunderbolt Peak in the north end of the park. The park service guy said he'd have more info in an hour.

I called him at 1:20. The helicopter was still up at Thunderbolt, but they were now planning to send a Yosemite Search and Rescue (YOSAR) chopper to get us and said we should see it "before 3:30". 4:00 rolled past--still no chopper. So I called the park service again. Turns out that the YOSAR bird was diverted en route to a heart attack victim in Kings Canyon. They airlifted that guy to Lone Pine, then refueled and... should be coming to get us about 5.

Lo and behold, the helicopter arrived at 4:45, dropped right into our camp site, and two guys got out and ran over. They wanted to make sure I was all right, and I told them I was fine. They put a jump suit, a helmet and gloves on me, and I noticed that they are ignoring Steve. I asked them: "What about my buddy?". One of the guys said: "We were told there was only one injury here."

I told them Steve stayed behind to help me and he needed a ride out too. I had actually discussed this previously with the Sequoia Park ranger. But the head med told me: We don't have room for two guys. We have a full med crew of 6 on the bird and adding one more guy could mean we crash on take-off. Is that what you want?".

None of us wanted that. Even Steve, who was desperate for a ride out. So they limped me to the 'copter, tossed me in like a bag of potatoes, and off we went, leaving Steve in our prop wash.

The weakest hiker in our party was now totally alone in the wilderness, 20 miles from the nearest paved road. The sat phone had one bar of battery left. My heart was breaking as we climbed out of the Big Arroyo and landed in Three Rivers 20 minutes later. I tried to convince the crew that they needed to go back for Steve, but these are somewhat paramilitary people. They asked: "Is he injured? Does he have food? Does he have shelter? If he does, and if he is healthy and has a means of hiking out, we have no obligation to bring him out". They were correct, of course. Triage is a tough thing.

One guy said "You and your buddy will laugh about this over a beer some day". I was thinking that this wouldn't be any time soon.

We landed at Ash Mountain ranger station in Three Rivers, and who was waiting to meet us but Steve's wife Susan. I got off the bird with the 6 YOSAR people... and no Steve.

I marched into the ranger station, got in the dispatcher's face and reminded him that he promised Steve a ride and he now needed to go and get him. He was looking guilty because he knew this was true--he had even asked our individual weights at one point and asked how much gear we had. We jawed for half an hour and I did my best to paint Steve as a victim who couldn't make it out without a ride. But the ranger had no options either. His 'copter was still up at Thunderbolt Peak, and the YOSAR bird that brought me in was already off to rescue someone with a broken leg in Yosemite.

Susan and I left the ranger station, drove down into the little town of Three Rivers and contacted Steve on the sat phone to discuss options. He was in relatively good spirits. He had come to grips with the reality of his situation and had formulated a plan. I described for him what I thought was the best way home and we signed off.

Susan drove me down to the emergency room at Kaweah Delta Hospital in Visalia, where the PA on duty cleaned my wound, gave me a tetanus shot and some antibiotics, and marveled at the 8-inch crevasse in my calf (to the point that she invited two colleagues in to see it). She informed me that it was well past the 8-hour window to sew it up, so I would have to have it re-evaluated in 48 hours for possible stitches or staples. Two days later, on Friday, I returned to the ER and had the gash sutured shut with twelve shiny staples.


EPILOGUE/HAPPY ENDINGS

Rudy and Roel became horribly lost on their trek out, virtually unexplainable given Rudy's many years of experience hiking the trails of Mineral King. They end up arriving back at the car at 2 a.m. Thursday morning after a 17-hour, 28 mile retreat.

Steve unpacked a tent and sleeping bag after the chopper left him, ate a light dinner, and slept until 6 a.m. Thursday. He then hiked out over Little 5 and Big 5 Lakes and up Lost Canyon. Despite going off route near the top of Sawtooth Pass and another bout with altitude-induced nausea, he was able to make it to the trailhead by 10 p.m. Thursday night. Rudy returned to Mineral King to pick him up, and Steve was consequently able to deliver his son Jason for his freshman year at Point Loma as planned on Friday.

My calf was quite an attraction for several weeks, but now, a month after the accident, it has healed up nicely, and I'm looking forward to our next adventure in the Sierras.

Scot H
Tulare, CA


Pictures...

Wrist photo:         Calf wound: 

Calf with staples:

Re: Red Kaweah Accident
Steve C #18818 09/29/11 11:45 AM
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Wow, some of the stories on the WZ are better than reading a scary novel...this one had me nervous....glad it had a happy ending. Scot, glad to hear you're doing better and happy to hear you all made it home in one piece even if one of you is a bit torn up. I really felt sorry for Steve being so far deep into the wilderness all alone and not feeling well too. Scot, you've got great scars to show your grandkids. Wazzu's correct, you've got a built-in, custom, Halloween costume.


Lynnaroo
Re: Red Kaweah Accident
Steve C #18819 09/29/11 12:04 PM
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I'm scratching my head trying to figure out how the rock did that to his calf. Nasty.

Re: Red Kaweah Accident
#18820 09/29/11 12:11 PM
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A great story well told and even well illustrated. Yikes.

Brent

Re: Red Kaweah Accident
#18821 09/29/11 12:14 PM
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Well, at two feet in diameter (not to mention weight and sharp edges) I would imagine it "spun" in such a way and fell "onto" his exposed calf? I grimace just looking at the pics.

And to have it happen twice...


Journey well...
Re: Red Kaweah Accident
#18822 09/29/11 12:16 PM
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Originally Posted By: Burchey
I'm scratching my head trying to figure out how the rock did that to his calf. Nasty.

Good report and good read. Frankly, I was wondering the same thing as Burchey. I had a hard time picturing how a rock could swing up and slice open your leg like that.

CaT


If future generations are to remember us with gratitude rather than contempt, we must leave them more than the miracle of technology. We must leave them a glimpse of the world as it was in the beginning, not just after we got through with it.
- Lyndon Johnson, on signing the Wilderness Act into law (1964)
Re: Red Kaweah Accident
+ @ti2d #18823 09/29/11 12:16 PM
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It seems like it would be a pinch-injury, so there'd probably be damage to his shin as well or something similar. Very odd. I'll definitely be more careful in the boulder fields from now on.

Re: Red Kaweah Accident
#18824 09/29/11 12:19 PM
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That and probably invest in Kevlar gaiters if there is such a thing. I have rattlesnake gaiters but...

Talk about a bad day in the field...


Journey well...
Re: Red Kaweah Accident
Steve C #18987 10/06/11 09:41 AM
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I think that every accident report contains the opportunity for learning, hopefully for others to avoid having the same avoidable problems crop up. In this one, several things really jumped out.

Quote:
The weakest hiker in our party was now totally alone in the wilderness, 20 miles from the nearest paved road. The sat phone had one bar of battery left. My heart was breaking as we climbed out of the Big Arroyo and landed in Three Rivers 20 minutes later. I tried to convince the crew that they needed to go back for Steve, but these are somewhat paramilitary people. They asked: "Is he injured? Does he have food? Does he have shelter? If he does, and if he is healthy and has a means of hiking out, we have no obligation to bring him out". They were correct, of course. Triage is a tough thing.


How did this come about?

Quote:
At that point, Rudy and Roel decided they would hike out, pick up my car, and drive it home. Steve, who went through hell on the hike in, decided to stay with me in hopes of getting a ride out with the helicopter.


Notice the decision-making that has occured: a person who is being evacuated by helicopter, and a person who Scot believes should be evacuated because of weakness and tiredness, have been abandoned in the backcountry by their strong companions. Not, of course, by any malicious design, but that is what has happened. The problem is that helicopter availability is a tenuous thing, as the story shows. Weather changes, mechanical problems, other more pressing rescues...all can conspire to interfere. The helicopter that can carry 15 may have to be replaced by one that can carry 2.

Quote:
Steve, who went through hell on the hike in, decided [/u]to stay with me in hopes of getting a ride out with the helicopter.


I guess if Steve felt well, he'd have left Scot, too?

So wait a minute. If Steve was so badly affected, why did he not turn back? "Going through hell" that requires a helicopter evacuation, doesn't sound like a situation that was worthy of ignoring, while others went around climbing things, until a helicopter was conveniently coming. It sounds like something that was worthy of immediatly planning attention.

Or else the whole big song and dance about laying the guilt trip on the SAR people, (which happens all the time), was really just a deflection of the guilt onto the SAR. Do the SAR really deserve to go home with those feelings, rather than nothing but the thanks that they clearly deserve?

I have been moved by the stories that Bob R has told me of the families of recovered bodies of hikers and mountaineers, grateful for the closure and return of their remains, making contributions, sometimes quite generous and over the course of years to China Lake Mountain Rescue Group.....while at the same time, living rescued folks virtually never do the same, apparently forgetting the sacrifices of the SAR's immediately afterwards in the rush of things that need to be taken care of in the continuation of life. Ironic, I've always thought.

By the way, as is always true, I am happy that all involved got out with their lives and ability to hike intact. While I take a wire brush to the tale, the fact is that it is gracious that it is posted for commentary and learning.

Re: Red Kaweah Accident
Ken #18999 10/06/11 06:32 PM
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Along with Ken, I'd add a couple of thoughts.

1) One lesson here is a good first aid kit. This doesn't have to be super-fancy, but a couple of rolls of Kling; athletic or paper tape; some form of antibiotic ointment; maybe a triangular bandage; and some 4 X 4 gauze compresses. That'll cover most trauma. One of these forums had a thread on what to carry, but this covers most of mine. I also carry a large syringe (no needle) for directed irrigation of wounds. That would have been useful here. Sierra water is pretty clean and can be used to irrigate any dirt or debris out in the absence of sterile water.

2) I'm becoming a fan of Sat phones. Make sure you have an extra battery and a list of direct phone numbers to the emergency services center of the area you'll be in. These allow people to talk directly to the SAR folks, describe what's going on; get advice; and allow the agency to triage and decide what to do.

3) Ken's comments on how people divided up, leaving the weakest there were spot-on. This happens a lot. Never, never, never even think that a non-injured person is going out by helicopter. It's done occasionally for a juvenile who needs a parent for treatment permission, but this is always the pilot's decision.

Each SAR mission is dangerous. No matter how bad the other person feels, you're much safer walking out than flying. You don't want any more weight on that aircraft than absolutely has to be there.

If they had to take an extra day to make sure Steve got out -- that's what you do.

4)
Quote:
I marched into the ranger station, got in the dispatcher's face and reminded him that he promised Steve a ride and he now needed to go and get him.


I sure hope the writer has repented and apologized for this. It is pretty outrageous behavior towards a dispatcher and agency who got your ass out of deep, deep s#*t. As a side note, the Thunderbolt SAR then ongoing was one of the most dangerous and complicated SAR operations in the park in years. Those guys (and two helicopters) had their hands full without having someone in their face, whatever the imagined justification.

Quote:
Do the SAR really deserve to go home with those feelings, rather than nothing but the thanks that they clearly deserve?


ditto...

Hindsight is 20/20 but this is not an unusual situation. So:

Worth remembering: who gets hauled out is, ultimately, the pilot and crew's decision. No one else can promise anything.

Also worth remembering: each member of the group is responsible for making sure everyone else is OK. You don't leave anyone who's compromised somehow.

Glad everyone's OK!

George

Last edited by George; 10/06/11 06:34 PM.

None of the views expressed here in any way represent those of the unidentified agency that I work for or, often, reality. It's just me, fired up by coffee and powerful prose.
Re: Red Kaweah Accident
George #19000 10/06/11 06:58 PM
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This has to be one of the most useful accounts/commentaries that I have run across since following the boards. I really appreciate all parties taking the time to 1) post the account 2) comment on the account & be frank about it (this PC world nauseates me)

My first takeaway was not the obvious ones, rather, as I wrote to Ernie: There have been a few times that I have ventured into the backcountry with very experienced X-country hikers who knew the route, and I trusted THEM to know the route, and I gladly followed. Had either of my buddies been in the situation of being flown out, and I was left behind to fend......

On a side note: a few years ago, I was kayaking through a slough into an open bay. I was -- again -- the guest of another more experienced kayaker who knew the complicated route through the slough, while I did not (think: 15 different wrong ways to go!) On the way back, the "leader" panicked because of large swell, so he abandoned his "followers" to find their own way back. Luckily, I have an excellent memory & I was innovative enough to climb up a fence adjacent to the slough for a better look and guided the others home.

Never trust your navigation to anyone but yourself.


The body betrays and the weather conspires, hopefully, not on the same day.
Re: Red Kaweah Accident
George #19001 10/06/11 07:10 PM
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Originally Posted By: George

4)
Quote:
I marched into the ranger station, got in the dispatcher's face and reminded him that he promised Steve a ride and he now needed to go and get him.


I sure hope the writer has repented and apologized for this. It is pretty outrageous behavior towards a dispatcher and agency who got your ass out of deep, deep s#*t.



George, respectfully, I'm going to have to disagree. That is, with a disclaimer that the writer actually did get a verbal agreement from the dispatcher to lift two people out of the park that day. It may very well be the pilots decision, and sometimes that decision is made for the pilot and not by the pilot (factors such as weight, winds, density altitude, etc.), but if the dispatcher made a guarantee that he had no business making, he deserves every bit of the ass chewing that he got. He basically lied to the guy.

On the other hand, if what the writer got was a "we'll do the best we can" from dispatch, I completely agree with you.


One day I'd like to hike the entire John Muir Trail and not leave a single footprint. -Randy Morgenson
Re: Red Kaweah Accident
GandC #19005 10/06/11 09:45 PM
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Originally Posted By: GandC
Originally Posted By: George

4)
Quote:
I marched into the ranger station, got in the dispatcher's face and reminded him that he promised Steve a ride and he now needed to go and get him.


I sure hope the writer has repented and apologized for this. It is pretty outrageous behavior towards a dispatcher and agency who got your ass out of deep, deep s#*t.



George, respectfully, I'm going to have to disagree. That is, with a disclaimer that the writer actually did get a verbal agreement from the dispatcher to lift two people out of the park that day. It may very well be the pilots decision, and sometimes that decision is made for the pilot and not by the pilot (factors such as weight, winds, density altitude, etc.), but if the dispatcher made a guarantee that he had no business making, he deserves every bit of the ass chewing that he got. He basically lied to the guy.
On the other hand, if what the writer got was a "we'll do the best we can" from dispatch, I completely agree with you.


We run into this a lot in my profession, where people think that things are "guaranteed". Very little in life is.

As for deliberately misleading (you don't really believe the dispatcher did that, do you?):

Quote:
We jawed for half an hour and I did my best to paint Steve as a victim who couldn't make it out without a ride.


Quote:
Steve unpacked a tent and sleeping bag after the chopper left him, ate a light dinner, and slept until 6 a.m. Thursday. He then hiked out over Little 5 and Big 5 Lakes and up Lost Canyon. Despite going off route near the top of Sawtooth Pass and another bout with altitude-induced nausea, he was able to make it to the trailhead by 10 p.m. Thursday night.


What was that, a 14.5 mile, 4,000 elevation gain, 6,000 loss hike out? Quite a miraculous victim. (sarcasm intended)

Re: Red Kaweah Accident
Ken #19012 10/07/11 09:06 AM
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This is a greatly informative thread.

Thanks to everyone for posting.

1) Glad everyone got out safely!
2) Holy crap that's quite a gash! Ouch!
3) This makes me want to replace my SPOT with a Satellite Phone, or maybe the SPOT connect with extra batteries / solar charger / something
4) I need to revise my first aid kit

Is there a SAR fund that one can donate to for Sierra rescues? I haven't had to use those services and hope I never will, but I am thinking a donation could be made this winter.

-K

Re: Red Kaweah Accident
kurt765 #19017 10/07/11 11:57 AM
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Fascinating story. Amazing what adventure and struggle for survival can occur just by stepping onto an innocent looking stone.Nice lesson to take nothing for granted even crossing a boulder field or even a stone stepped water crossing.

Last edited by Rod; 10/07/11 11:58 AM.
Re: Red Kaweah Accident
kurt765 #19018 10/07/11 01:31 PM
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Originally Posted By: kurt765
This is a greatly informative thread.

Thanks to everyone for posting.

1) Glad everyone got out safely!
2) Holy crap that's quite a gash! Ouch!
3) This makes me want to replace my SPOT with a Satellite Phone, or maybe the SPOT connect with extra batteries / solar charger / something
4) I need to revise my first aid kit

Is there a SAR fund that one can donate to for Sierra rescues? I haven't had to use those services and hope I never will, but I am thinking a donation could be made this winter.

-K


CLMRG is funded somewhat under the United Way program, and by the Kern County Sheriff's Office, and we rely on private donations. If you would love to donate to this good cause, please send a check to CLMRG, P.O. Box 2037, Ridgecrest, CA 93556-2037. You will receive our gratitude, a thank-you note, and our newsletter, The Talus Pile.
Funding is applied toward (1) updating search and rescue equipment such as stretchers, climbing ropes and hardware, radios, and first aid supplies, and (2) SAR operation expenses. All CLMRG members provide their own individual equipment and take leave- without-pay to go on rescues.

Inyo Sar:

https://www.justgive.org/nonprofits/donate.jsp?ein=95-3419326

Re: Red Kaweah Accident
Ken #19024 10/07/11 06:38 PM
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Re: Red Kaweah Accident
Steve C #19117 10/11/11 10:11 AM
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I see this differently.

As one of the taxpayers who paid for the helicopter "rescue" of your friend, I am amazed at the overall tone of ingratitude and entitlement in his story.

Let's recognize that your friend stepped on that rock because he got off-route. And the reason he got off-route? He "forgot to bring the beta." Who's fault was that?

What was the mysterious malady that required a helicopter rescue for friend Steve? Sounds like being out of shape and insufficiently acclimated? Who's fault was that?

And did Steve need a helicopter rescue? Of course not. He walked out on his own.

Your friend suffered a couple of serious contusions. Were they painful? Yes. Were they scary? Yes. Were they life threatening? No. Could he have walked out if he had to? Yes. I have seen people with far, far less resources self rescue with far, far worse injuries.

Basically, what happened is your friends went into the back country and got lost (three times!), got hurt, and cried for help. Because a bunch of dedicated people, many of whom for for free, expended time, money and effort your friends got out easily.

All I can say is that I'm happy your friends are ok and I'm disgusted by their ingratitude.

Re: Red Kaweah Accident
walkabout #19119 10/11/11 10:48 AM
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And this is why people who have accidents almost never report their experiences. Hindsight is always 20/20.

Sounds like walkabout is recommending people who aren't dead walk out on their own rather than call for a rescue. And we should charge everyone for their rescue, just like we charge people for cleaning up after a traffic accident, and charge them for putting out the fire when their house burns down.

We are fortunate that Scot had the courage to write up the story and allow me to post it. We can all learn from this group's experiences -- information that would not be available if he hadn't provided it.

Sometimes bad things happen that we cannot forsee. I am glad they all got out safely.

Re: Red Kaweah Accident
Steve C #19124 10/11/11 03:20 PM
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Some years ago, I took a magazine called, Flying. At the end of every issue was an article that was sent in by a member of the GA (general aviation) public, that was basically an anecdote about some near catastrophic (and sometimes catastrophic) incident. It usually wrapped up with some sort of lesson learned, or a commentary from a flying expert explaining what happened. Appropriately, the title of the section was called:I Learned About Flying From That...(or something similar) While some of the mishaps may have been caused by outright stupidity, the pilots were never treated disrespectfully by the experts in their post commentary. It would be nice to see our trip reports of misses and near-misses treated the same way -- just deal with the facts of what they did wrong and how it could have been done differently, as rancour would not offer usable analysis.


The body betrays and the weather conspires, hopefully, not on the same day.
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