Pilot who fell linked to NASA theft probe

Houston Chronicle ^ | November 19, 2002 | TERRY KLIEWER and RUTH RENDON

[Diddle E. Squat]

A Capricornicide.

[dead]

Pilot who fell linked to NASA theft probe

What did the NASA theft probe weigh?

Maybe it fell out the window first and pulled him along with it.

[dead]

His real name is Jose Himenez.

“Is that a crash helmet?”
“Oooh, I hooope not.”

[Tijeras_Slim]

You can only fall so fast, it's called "terminal velocity" appropriately enough. Depending on the position of the body in relation to the ground its between 120 and 180 mph. Plenty fast enough, but there should be remains. The area does have rice fields and ponds, so he could be under water.

[Dog Gone]

Thank gawd somebody caught that reference.

[cinFLA]

Now, here's the rest of the story. That laptop contained classified information which shows that the moon landings were faked.

He didn't fall... He was taken by aliens.

[RightWhale]

It's like looking for a needle in a haystack

Or like looking for a lawn-dart in a bog.

[Charles Martel]

The guy was never in the plane. It's a faked death, and the dude is on his way to South America even now.

Yes, that is certainly a possibility. If they recover a body, though, I imagine what transpired might be similar to the last few minutes of Where Eagles Dare.

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

NASA had to have him killed, of course, and this crazy story was concocted to cover it all up.

You have earned the award for "Top Tinfoiler of the Day"!
Here's your reward:

[eno_]

Damn, now you've done it! I keep getting portscanned by the Bilderbergs while reading this thread.

[6ppc]

Is it possible to conceal a parachute under a shirt or jacket?

[AnAmericanMother]

We're just not talking about overpowering forces here. If the pilot was doing steep banks, he probably wasn't at top cruise speed (not going all that slow, either - wouldn't want to stall out one wing and spin it, although the 150 spins nicely and recovers naturally and easily - my instructor made me learn spins even though they were no longer included in the flight test, and I still vividly remember a field full of cows - all looking UP.) Of course, "top cruise speed" of 100 mph (about 90 kts) is just so much sales hype . . . you would be lucky to get 85 cruise out of a typical 150 at a reasonable RPM of 2350-2400. The cars pass you on the interstate - it's actually somewhat embarassing. I once ferried a 1962 150 from Atlanta to New Jersey - took me two days.

I understand the 152 uses the Lycoming instead of the old workhorse Continental and claims to squeeze a few more knots out . . . but never having flown one I can't say.

As I said, my flight instructor used to routinely open the door in flight and hang his leg out. He'd brace his foot on the strut. The slipstream did tend to hold the door closed, but not in any overpowering way. My dad used to open the window on his 1967 210 Centurion in flight - noisy, but it didn't rip the window off the airplane or anything. I think there are "dead zones" of air along the sides of the fuselage, particularly given the bulky engine cowling right ahead of the door.

All that said, this whole episode has my antennae gently vibrating. It seems very odd that the instructor-pilot didn't immediately radio the tower that his passenger had left the aircraft and give at least general bearings and landmarks. I flew with a flying club out of a small field near Atlanta, and we all had a very good relationship with the ATC guys. I would have been on the horn as quick as I could grab the mike. Hooks Field has a tower: David Wayne Hooks Memorial Airport Perhaps since they were at 9,000 feet they had climbed well away from the field (takes a long, long time to get a 150 up that high), but in that case I would have called Houston approach or SOMEBODY.

[Dog Gone]

Is it possible to conceal a parachute under a shirt or jacket?

Not that I know of. They are like a backpack, and you're cinched up so tight, you're a soprano who can barely walk.

[Dog Gone]

Why, thanks! I worked hard to get today's honor!

[eno_]

Is it possible to conceal a parachute under a shirt or jacket?

Short answer: Yes. Emergency bailout chutes can be quite small - smaller than a life vest. But that's still hard to conceal under clothing (similar chutes are used in movies, but there the camera is trying not to reveal the presence of the chute).

Could he have stolen one of those, too? Maybe. But I would put no more than a small covering bet on that. My money would be riding on a straight suicide.

[KSCITYBOY]

I kind of wonder if the guy had a chute and is trying to be dead. You would think that the guy at the controls would notice a chute. I also find it hard to believe that he went out the door and all the pilot saw were his feet. I wonder if the pilot is in on it.

[Dog Gone]

I'd guess it's straight suicide and the pilot is a moron for not noticing it in progress, or the pilot was in on a scheme to fake a death, and Filler never even left the ground in that plane.

Unless and until they find the body, that latter possibility has to be considered.

[mhking]

Where in the world is D.B. Hooper?

[absinthe]

Or like looking for a lawn-dart in a bog.

Lawn darts! Don't you remember that the U.S. Congress--in an astounding display of focusing on real national issues--banned them a number of years back?

[No Truce With Kings]

Oh great. Now NASA is going to have to kill me.

It will be slow and painful. They will make you sit through six straight management reviews in Bldg 1.