Don's accident stands in sharp contrast to a similar situation (dead engine) which demanded a forced landing of a Legacy, that of Shannon Knopflein.  The contrast exists in how these two individuals handled the emergency once it occurred.  The difference is day and night, or in this case, life and death.
  Don made the investment of his time and money to be properly trained in his plane.  When his engine quit, he knew what to do, executed his plan to perfection and walked away without a scratch.  Contrasted with the way in which Shannon handled his engine failure and the tragic result, the value of that training for every single Lancair builder becomes even more clear.
  Accidents affect all of us in many ways, some more than others.  In my view, you can't be a good pilot of a plane you're scared to fly.  Training is the answer.  The drills and practice will instill a confidence you never had and give you the foundation to do as Don did by immediately handling the emergency the right way rather than panic.  If you're willing to invest the time and money in building one of these machines, the time and money to get proper training is chump change.  Don's experience proves the value of it. If you haven't had training in your Lancair, please think very hard about getting some - soon.
  Skip Slater
  N540ES