OK after listening to the tape, the first thing that crossed my mind was the way the New York controller seemed to take exception to the fact that the pilot had declared an emergency, but was continuing on to his destination. I'm not trying to bash the controller in any way, but the pilot clearly stated he was "partial panel", and that he had lost his vacuum system but was "VFR on top" at that time. Believing that the weather would be better at his destination than where he left or was currently, and making the decision to continue on seems perfectly legitimate to me at that point. How many times is there an aircraft going to JFK with an emergency or that has one develop while on approach and still lands there. Declaring the emergency should've let the controllers know, hey I'm having issues and won't or can't do certain things right now, so we need to work together to try to get to the best outcome. The controller did do all that I can think he could've done after he gave them the weather at Hartford. I don't know what equipment the pilot did or didn't have working, but I've done training in simulators and with safety instructors in VFR conditions simulating vacuum system failures. Trying to fly by GPS and turn coordinator alone in the simulation is one thing, but doing it real world is a completely different animal. Doing it in actual IMC conditions, I can only imagine how difficult it would be. Without trying to be a backseat pilot or second guess what this pilot did based on his circumstances and weather, the only thing I can say I might have tried to do, would be to try to stay VFR as long as possible, and hope better weather would develope somewhere I could get to. My deepest condolences to the family's of those who died.
