Aero-News: Quote of the Day

ANN's Quote of the Day usually derives from current news, though we reserve the right to pick quotes out of history that have a bearing on the day's events and issues.

Sometimes, you'll find them timely and in keeping with the content of the day's news... and sometimes, they'll just be thought-provoking.

Reader suggestions and comments are welcome... and if particularly intriguing, timely, or poignant, may themselves become future Quotes of the Day.

Let us hear from you, folks!

Aero-News Quote of the Day

"There was insufficient evidence to definitively link the pilot's prior intake of alcohol and/or cannabis with the occurrence. However, the adverse effects on pilot performance of post-alcohol impairment, recent cannabis use and fatigue could not be discounted as contributory factors to the occurrence. In particular, the possibility that the pilot experienced some degree of spatial disorientation during the turn as a combined result of the manoeuvre, associated head movements and alcohol-induced balance dysfunction could not be discounted."

Source: From the Australian Transport Safety Bureau's March 2004 report on a fatal accident that claimed the lives of six people onboard a Piper Cherokee Six that went down September 26, 2002 when pilot Andrew Morris attempted to turn back to the runway after the plane's engine failed on takeoff from Hamilton Island. The ATSB ruled that although high levels of cannabis were found in Morris' body after the crash, it was impossible to determine if that played a role in the accident.

FMI: www.atsb.gov.au