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While bent over your model tweaking with the needle valve, too oftenyou hear "I ain't got it...," followed by a low frequency thump. Usually,several expletives will be inserted, some used imaginatively. A hand-craftedmasterpiece of airframe miniaturization crammed with state of the art electronicequipment and powered by an exquisitely machined engine is no more. Thepilot, who is frequently the builder/owner, has made an unscheduled landingor has discovered the radio in his hands has a greater range than the eyesin his head.
Your immediate problem is how to react. Generally, it is consideredbad form to immediately ask if you may borrow the pilot's glo plug battery.Similarly, you probably shouldn't ask if he's finished with the clip.
Any equipment related reasons for the crash you hear are by definitionreasonable. Pilot error is too rare and sensitive to suggest, so don'tsay, "That's odd, I haven't had any problems on that frequency today,"until at least an hour after the crash. Offer to help go look. Don't say,"It sounded like it hit something solid." Note that most lost models arefound and returned. Don't ask if he had his name and phone number in themodel or wonder out loud if the model hit a house or car.
If it looks like more than enough people have "volunteered" to helpwith the search, try to weasel out of going. There are ticks and poisonivy out there, and seeing a grown man cry isn't pleasant. If the pilottakes a plastic bag with him or comes back empty handed to get one, assumethe worst. Actually, in a really bad crash, two hands and a pocket areenough space for everything worth salvaging.
Whatever you do, don't hold a postmortem on the spot. The pilot probablydoesn't want to discuss:
battery condition
poor construction
pilot error
used rubber bands
fuel tank capacity
light blue covering
model selection vs. pilot skill
As best you can, avoid specifics, sound supportive, and look appropriatelygrave. You'll want the same consideration some day.
[from LIRCS Newsletter, Long Island, NY.]
