Message posted by jdcardiac on July 09, 2007 at 23:09:27 PST:
Conspiracy vs. coverup; or is it the same? My 26-year background in the cardiac field may give a little to this thread. Certainly, one can have a fatal coronary/cardiac episode when one does not have a clue that they have a problem. Usually, these are people who have significant risk factors such as family history, smoking, and high chlorestoral; and don't see a doctor on a regular basis for physicals, blood work, etc. In upwards of 200,000 cardiac deaths each year in the U.S. can fit into this category. HHMMMMM!!! :P
That being said, one would think it would be common for a pilot of this stature to be checked out on a yearly basis and at the very least have a 12-lead ECG and probably a treadmill or nuclear stress test done. The exam should include blood work for lipid profile (chlorestoral)and liver funtion due to medication that the patient would take. I personally have been involved with many pilots, private and commercial, who have had or are threatened to have their licenses yanked due to findings on a physical and have made their way into my cardiac cath lab. One, in fact, was a former shuttle pilot from the mid-80's!
The statement that the pilot withheld info is the crock part of this story. Any decent MD associated with flight surgeon-type exams would perform these routine exams on a pilot with this type assignment, I would think. This is probably where a coverup comes into play. The MD was in on it or his findings were surpressed. Then again, maybe the aircraft was intentionally sabotaged!!!!!
In Reply to: Janet Beech that crashed enroute from A51 to TTR posted by Chris on July 09, 2007 at 16:36:58 PST:
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