A fatal accodent 38 years ago offers lessons valid today

[Live2Learn]

http://airfactsjournal.com/2016/07/survived-airplane-crash-heres-learned/

This is a pretty good read with several take home messages.  Some additional suggestions are offered by commenters. 

[grunt82abn]

Nice article!!! We talked about accidents and crashes similar to this all semester long in my aviation safety class.

[NIN]

Nice article!!! We talked about accidents and crashes similar to this all semester long in my aviation safety class.

I live not far from where that accident occurred.  Johnson Mountain is in the Ossipee Range, a small circular cluster of hills (can't really call them mountains, they're not that high) just north of Lake Winnepesaukee, and if you on the wrong side of it, you're pretty good distance from anything. As the author stated, he was about 3 miles from civilization, which is nothing when you're not sporting compound fractures of your ankles.

People laugh and point when we talk about our mountains here (we do have them), but the first error is underestimating the terrain. One of our mountains will rise up and smite you just as well as a 10,000 footer in Colorado. And if you're not equipped, you could be toast.

[grunt82abn]

Nice article!!! We talked about accidents and crashes similar to this all semester long in my aviation safety class.

I live not far from where that accident occurred.  Johnson Mountain is in the Ossipee Range, a small circular cluster of hills (can't really call them mountains, they're not that high) just north of Lake Winnepesaukee, and if you on the wrong side of it, you're pretty good distance from anything. As the author stated, he was about 3 miles from civilization, which is nothing when you're not sporting compound fractures of your ankles.

People laugh and point when we talk about our mountains here (we do have them), but the first error is underestimating the terrain. One of our mountains will rise up and smite you just as well as a 10,000 footer in Colorado. And if you're not equipped, you could be toast.

People rarely believe that many areas would cause problems until they're in trouble. You make a very valid point, one I wish more people would take into account whether they are flying, hiking, biking, or just out and about walking around. Doesn't take Mountain Ranges or back country forests to get into trouble.