Ford Pinto + Cessna Skymaster - photos

[Frank S]

For this very reason Engineers and inspectors are a major part of any development project. Most better engineers will consult with other engineers on any critical design then once an item is prototyped it is tested and tested and tested again to see where it is going to fail inspected again redesigned checked by engineers sent to prototyping sent for testing only after having passed all tests is something, an air craft for example will undergo many flight test procedures before ever leaving the ground. Even then it will often times be put through a series of short hops TO&Ls, long before it takes to the sky.
Many test pilots have given their lives in the pursuit of new and better aircraft.
This thing obviously did not have an FAA certification for test flight or the welds bolts structural members would have been found out about before any test flight would have been authorized.
Just my opinion.

[old kodger]

Jon, it could clearly do the last one, the default position for aircraft is on the ground, only how it gets there is important

[Frank S]

It apparently did all 3 once, albeit the second one briefly however poorly it may have been.

[Scotsman Hosie]

For this very reason Engineers and inspectors are a major part of any development project. Most better engineers will consult with other engineers on any critical design then once an item is prototyped it is tested and tested and tested again to see where it is going to fail inspected again redesigned checked by engineers sent to prototyping sent for testing only after having passed all tests is something, an air craft for example will undergo many flight test procedures before ever leaving the ground. Even then it will often times be put through a series of short hops TO&Ls, long before it takes to the sky.
Many test pilots have given their lives in the pursuit of new and better aircraft.
This thing obviously did not have an FAA certification for test flight or the welds bolts structural members would have been found out about before any test flight

would have been authorized.
Just my opinion.

And, according to Jon's links, "the right wing strut attachment failing at a body panel of the Pinto." At a body panel attachment? This wing strut — a critical structural member — wasn't even attached to the frame of the Pinto?

I would think the original test pilot — having survived the initial flight's strut failure — "was unavailable" for the second test flight — because he wasn't about to belt himself into that death trap again.