Reference the article, “Can your airplane save your life?” in the Sept. 8 issue, in which the NTSB (initially) points to wake turbulence as a probable cause, it is disheartening to read that the pilot blames the accident on ATC, because “the tower cleared him to take off one minute and 28 seconds behind a Dash 8, when three minutes should have been the minimum allowed…”
At what point prior to takeoff did the pilot turn over command of his aircraft to the tower? If the pilot (in command?) thought the spacing was not adequate he should have acted accordingly.
Gordon Witter
Solana Beach, Calif