I'm sure that I speak for all the members of this club in extending our sympathies to the families of Dany Heatley and Danny Snyder after the horrific crash in which Snyder was killed. See link. http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/031006/483/ny15010061915

What I still can't come to terms with is how much damage the car sustained given the speed of the crash. While 80 MPH is fast, hardly a day goes by that I'm not passed by blue-rinsed octagenarians in their Caddys, pimpled-faced pubies in their fartcan ricers and unemployed hillbillies in their clapped out pickups at this and higher speeds. Not racing, just going about their daily business.

Heatley's Ferrari is/was supposed to be the epitime of automotive

engineering. Best engine/brakes/suspension/aerodynamics..you name it... that money can buy. A car capable of cruising safely (supposedly) at 180-200 MPH. Yet the car totally disintegrated on impact at what is little more than posted highway speed.

As both occupants were ejected from the car there was no use of the"Jaws-of-Life" or other such equipment to account for the damage. The car split in two and the roof and both doors

were torn off, ripping out the seat belt anchors as well. Is it any wonder they were ejected?

Could the extensive use of carbon fibre in construction of modern high-end sports cars be an issue? I remember seeing a video of an F-117-A Stealth fighter disintegrating in mid-air at an air show, supposedly due to failure of the carbon fibre in the wings.

Regardless, its scary to see that amount of damage in one of the best engineered sports cars in the world, particularly at such a relatively low speed.

Comments?

Peter

FWIW I think the 80mph was just a preliminary estimate of the speed. My first thought when I saw the photos was that the actual speed was probably a lot higher.

There is a crash test thread currently with photographs of what happens to a Z. The speeds are relatively low compared to the 80 we are talking about here. The Z is pretty folded at 30 mph.

I think we forget how fast 80 is. In my opinion, highway speeds are not safe at all, yet we seem to think they are. Perhaps it is because of the wide "runoff" areas common to interstate highways allowing room to slow down. I don't think there is anything wrong with carbon fiber construction. 80 is just way too fast.

Actually the Cause of the F-117 crash you mentioned was because of faulty maintanance. A critical bolt in the wing was not secured properly causing the failure.