This article first appeared in the April 1982 Flight Test News.
The March Technical/dinner meeting for the St. Louis Chapter of the SFTE mixed business, entertainment, exotic food and wound up with a thoroughly refreshing break from the normal. Jointly sponsored by the SFTE, the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), and the Institute of Environmental Sciences (IES), the evening’s fare included dinner and a lecture by John Colomy of the FAA on accident investigation. The restaurant which was closed to the public for the occasion, served braised whole lamb, Mediterranean style, carving it from a huge platter in the center of the dining room. Accompanied by squash, rice, raisins and nuts, the meal alone was memorable. But that was only the beginning. Colomy gave an interesting lecture detailing the procedures and problems involved in solving the riddles faced by the FAA as a result of accidents concerning light aircraft. He pointed out that the conclusions are rarely obvious and cited a specific example. The airplane, originally faulted, wound up to be the innocent victim of an intoxicated and unlicensed pilot. It was landed inexpertly in the fork of a tree, surprisingly with no one hurt.
After the lecture, Bob Roths, Chapter 8 president, thanked Colomy by presenting him with a framed copy of the meeting’s announcement.
This article first appeared in the April 1982 Flight Test News.
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