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Man killed when car plunges into Grand Canyon
CNN ^ | July 14, 2009

Posted on 07/14/2009 9:33:55 AM PDT by rdl6989

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To: pappyone
So if I stand on the top of the canyon and shoot a pistol at the bottom, the bullet will only travel 32ft/sec? Just askin, I’m math challenged.

No, it would be traveling the initial speed + 32 ft/second squared - deceleration due to wind resistance. Likely the acceleration due to gravity can be ignored because the gravity component would be neglible compared to the initial speed, and the time would be short.

121 posted on 07/14/2009 11:52:43 AM PDT by Onelifetogive (See www.buyingapuppy.com for News on Dogs and Puppies)
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To: ChocChipCookie

That was my son too!!! Once screamed at me that I was going to let his sister die because she was standing at the rail at the Ruby Falls Overlook.

He grew up to be a combat medic and has had to stablize injured persons in just such situations. His concern for his patients overrode his fear, but he still does NOT like heights. He trained with Airborne, jumped out of helicopters - would rather not.


122 posted on 07/14/2009 12:05:30 PM PDT by Roses0508
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To: ErnBatavia
My wife isn't a fan of heights and kept her distance from the edge when we visited the Grand Canyon. I, on the other hand...


123 posted on 07/14/2009 12:26:25 PM PDT by the_devils_advocate_666
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To: bill1952; MikeWUSAF
Unless the car was launched at an angle, the horizontal speed of the car is not relevant to the vertical distance it fell.

The formula to use is d = 0.5 * g * t^2.
Solving for t would give sqrt(600 ft * 2 / 32 ft/sec^2)= 6.1 seconds.

In those 6.1 seconds the car would travel (6 sec) * (40 mi/hr) * (5280 ft/mi) / (3600 sec/hr) = 358 ft away from the canyon wall, assuming the canyon wall was vertical and the horizontal speed of the car remained constant.

124 posted on 07/14/2009 12:48:55 PM PDT by Cooter
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To: ChocChipCookie

I get dizzy on a step ladder. Hubby was griping recently because I still haven’t hung the family pictures after 3 years in the new house. I told him to get his happy butt up on the ladder and do it himself!


125 posted on 07/14/2009 1:16:18 PM PDT by ravingnutter
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To: Osage Orange
I felt safer jumping out of an airplane...a few weeks ago.

I never understood what possesses people to jump out of a perfectly good airplane...you wouldn't get me in one to begin with, LOL!

126 posted on 07/14/2009 1:24:42 PM PDT by ravingnutter
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To: Puppage
When I die I want to go like my Grandfather, in my sleep. Not screaming & yelling like the people in the backseat.

Took a while to sink in, but it's so much funnier that way, thanks for the laugh (and hopefully that's not true - he he)
127 posted on 07/14/2009 1:27:34 PM PDT by Scythian
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To: the_devils_advocate_666

Dude, even looking at that picture takes my stomach away, uncool, very uncool ....


128 posted on 07/14/2009 1:29:23 PM PDT by Scythian
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To: Scythian
Took a while to sink in, but it's so much funnier that way, thanks for the laugh (and hopefully that's not true - he he)

:-)

129 posted on 07/14/2009 1:35:05 PM PDT by Puppage (You may disagree with what I have to say, but I shall defend to your death my right to say it)
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To: Cooter

Heh. Good job there.

Back to my original post, think of those last seconds during the final plunge!


130 posted on 07/14/2009 1:44:18 PM PDT by bill1952 (Choice is an illusion created between those with power - and those without)
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To: Lonesome in Massachussets

What I.m saying is that the bullet is aerodynamically designed to lessen drag . In that matter the terminal velocity will not be reached before the bullet hits the bottom of the canyon . The bullet should impact in about 4 sec. if the canyon is a mile deep . I shoot SHOTGUN target loads that travel at 1400 FPS .


131 posted on 07/14/2009 1:48:59 PM PDT by Renegade (You go tell my buddies)
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To: ravingnutter
I will tell you something nuts.....the plane that I jumped out of....crashed about 3 weeks after I jumped out of it!!

Thank God...nobody was hurt. But I inspected the "crash site"....and I bet it was scary!!

Nevertheless....I am jumping again!!

One of the best things I've ever done...!!

132 posted on 07/14/2009 1:52:41 PM PDT by Osage Orange (There ought to be one day-- just one-- when there is open season on senators. - Will Rogers)
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To: ravingnutter

Flying is safer than driving on the highway.


133 posted on 07/14/2009 1:53:54 PM PDT by Travis T. OJustice (I can spell just fine, thanks, it's my typing that sucks.)
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To: Travis T. OJustice
Flying is safer than driving on the highway.

How'd you come up with that brilliant conclusion...less women drivers? {snark}...

Not true. The only acceptable method to compare risk between air travel and automobile travel is based on the number of deaths per hour of exposure.

Data from a respected safety analyst, Trevor Kletz, show that air travel has a fatal-accident frequency rate four times higher than that for driving a car. For airplane travel there are approximately 2.4 deaths per million hours of exposure; for travel by car the figure is 0.6 deaths per million hours of exposure.

Simply put, for the same number of hours riding in a car or riding in an airplane, you are four times more likely to be killed in an airplane than in a car.

-- JOHN M. HOFFMANN President Safety Engineering Labs Inc. Detroit, Nov. 22, 1994

Statistically that is the case if you figure it on a per-hour basis. When you figure it on a per-trip basis, car, train and bus come out safer than the airplane.

The Last Inspector

Driving: 1.1 fatalities per fatal accident

General Aviation: 1.7 fatalities per fatal accident

Airlines: 31 fatalities per fatal accident

Source

134 posted on 07/14/2009 2:39:47 PM PDT by ravingnutter
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To: Travis T. OJustice

Not if you’re flying off the rim of a canyon, it’s not.


135 posted on 07/14/2009 2:42:36 PM PDT by RichInOC (No! BAD Rich! (What'd I say?))
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To: ravingnutter

Neah.

The correct way to figure it is to measure per miles of travel, not hours of exposure.
After all, you don’t get nearly as much “exposure” flying 600 miles as you do driving 600 miles. You get about 1 hour exposure on a commercial aircraft, vs. about 10 hours on the highway.


136 posted on 07/14/2009 2:46:48 PM PDT by Little Ray (Do we have a Plan B?)
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To: Pete

They tell you down front, “This is not Disney World! It’s wilderness, and it is NOT designed for safety.”


137 posted on 07/14/2009 3:08:34 PM PDT by thulldud (It HAS happened here!)
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To: reagan_fanatic
"Personally, I think he's insane."

Hope his pay is worth the risk.
I actually find that picture difficult to look at.

138 posted on 07/14/2009 3:10:26 PM PDT by StormEye
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To: Moose4
Thunderbird Lodge

Coincidence? I, think not.

139 posted on 07/14/2009 3:19:07 PM PDT by rabidralph (http://www.thealaskafundtrust.com/ http://www.sarahpac.com)
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To: StormEye

I do too. I get weak knees at the top of a 15ft. ladder. There’s no way I could ever do what he does.


140 posted on 07/14/2009 3:19:19 PM PDT by reagan_fanatic (When you put Democrats in charge, stupid things happen)
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