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Safety

When a mechanic accidentally leaves you a surprise…

Jason Miller recently wrote a post for the Let’s Go Flying blog that showed the importance of why you should do a THOROUGH preflight exam – especially after a mechanic has worked on your aircraft. Specifically, he (just barely) found a rag left in the cowling. Jason the wrote that:

The humbling truth is … if this wasn’t my first time in this make and model … and it didn’t have retractable gear … I probably would not have seen this oil soaked rag, wrapped like perfect kindling around a motor that was about to see temperatures in excess of 240 degrees.

The rag was only noticeable when you were “flat on your back looking up through the open gear doors.” Moreover, a pilot would have had to have been looking for it as it was only clearly visible after the cowling was removed. Hence and from now on, Jason teaches his students that during any preflight exam:

“…make sure to look inside the cowling for rags … or wrenches … or anything else a mechanic might have accidentally left inside the cowling. … yes, you’d be surprised, it can happen”

(Not to mention bird or wasp nests or whatever else could show up if the aircraft has been sitting on the tarmac for awhile…).

Jason did not mention whether or not he had a private word with the mechanic who left the rag inside the aircraft… (We can only imagine what was said…)

The Lauren Scruggs propeller tragedy

A few more details have come about the last weekend’s accident where Lauren Scruggs, a fashion blogger / model accidently walked into the blades of a spinning propeller right after taking a night flight to view Christmas lights in Dallas (she has survived but did end up loosing a hand plus she has suffered severe injuries on part of her face and shoulder).

Apparently, the pilot has declined requests for interviews with the media and Lauren’s family is not blaming him for the mishap. Her parents also believe that Lauren may have been walking back to the aircraft, an Aviat Husky, to thank the pilot who might have been preparing to take off again.  

However, is the pilot to blame for the mishap? ABC News Aviation Consultant John Nance seems to think so since a pilot would never allow passengers near, in or out of an aircraft when both the engine and propeller are still running. On the other hand, he also added that its possible that Lauren went back to the aircraft and that he was unaware that she had done so. Moreover, it would have been difficult for her to detect or hear a spinning propeller at night when the aircraft’s engines were on – especially if she has not been around general aviation aircraft that much.

Nevertheless, the FAA is investigating the incident – which should serve as a warning to any pilot who plans to take passengers who are not accustomed to being around aircraft up for a spin.

You don’t need a checklist for a Cessna 150: Yes or no?

John Laming has written an interesting and bound to be controversial piece about checklists for Air Facts where he asked whether or not checklists are actually necessary – especially for GA aircraft designed to be flown by one pilot. To put things in perspective: John says he first heard about written checklists back in the mid-1950s when he was a squadron QFI (a check and training captain) where he was involved in the training of newly graduated RAAF pilots to fly Lincoln bombers (similar to the wartime Lancaster). John noted that checklists were not used because cockpit drills were memorized. However, John also mentioned that the introduction into Australia of American Cessna and Piper trainers along with their Pilot Handbooks meant that  printed checklists began creeping into general aviation.

John then recounted a story of how he once gave a dual check to a student with 15 hours in his log book but after the student was already strapped in, he announced that he had forgotten to bring his checklist and would need to go back to his car and get it. John said forget it and added: “You don’t need a checklist for a Cessna 150.” However and without his checklist, the student pilot said that he could not even turn on the engine.

John also wrote that the proliferation of read and do checklists in small general aviation aircraft now surprises him as these aircraft are designed to be flown by just one pilot. He then added:

I recall chatting to the smartly uniformed pilot of a visiting Trinidad. It was an immaculate aircraft with an impressive cockpit layout. While the pilot’s checklist was well designed and had lots of pretty colours, it was lengthy and included such read-out items as Check all clear for starting, taxi clearance received, ATIS received, cruise power set and a host of other reminders consisting of normal airmanship items which need not be included in a checklist. 

On the other hand and after re-reading John’s article twice, Ron Rapp of The House of RAPP blog concluded that Mr. Laming has just encountered too many badly-designed or written checklists:

As anyone who’s operated a wide variety of aircraft types (I’ve flown over 60) can tell you, poor checklists are more often the rule than the exception, and the worst of them will leave a long-lasting bad taste in your mouth. They disrupt the flow of a flight much the way an actor with poor timing can disrupt a scene. One of the great aviation mysteries is why so many lousy checklists continue to exist. They’re not limited to small aircraft, either.

Ron wrote that the manufacturer-provided checklist for the Gulfstream IV is “comically long” and he doesn’t know “who designs these things.”

Hence, we want to ask you our readers what you think: Do you really need a lengthy checklist to operate a general aviation aircraft like a Cessna 150? Moreover, does Ron have a point when he wrote that there are too-many badly designed checklists?

What would you do if you see a pilot accident waiting to happen?

John Zimmerman has posted a thought provoking question in a recent issue of Air Facts Journal asking what would you do if you see a pilot acting in an unsafe manner. To first put things in perspective: John recalled an incident where he says he watched as a:

…pilot loaded himself and three other large adults into a rough-looking 172, clearly putting the airplane over maximum gross weight. To make matters worse, this was on a 95 degree day and at an airport with a 2500 ft. long runway. It really was an accident waiting to happen, but nobody intervened. Fortunately, the airplane staggered into the air and eventually disappeared over the horizon.

So what should he have done? Commenter Joseph pointed out that he will usually take the stance that the pilot should know better BUT the problem is with the passengers who are likely ignorant of the risks a pilot might be taking. Another problem that Joseph pointed out is with the “Politics” that occurs at most small airports. Hence, Joseph feels that if safety issues are recurring, the best thing to do might be just to report the pilot to the FAA.

Moreover, Hunter Health commented that in his or her aviation and non-aviation experience, the pilots/drivers/motorcyclists/boaters who did not maintain or inspect their machines, did not bother to use checklists, overloaded them, departed in conditions beyond the capability of their machines or their abilities, performed risky maneuvers etc. are, generally speaking: “Highly resistant to input from bystanders.”

Meanwhile, Garth Elliot suggested that one way to handle such situations would be to come up with a check off form and jot down everything you see a pilot do that is potentially dangerous or unwise – and then give it to the pilot.

However, we want to ask you our readers: What would you do if you see a pilot who is an accident waiting to happen? Would you confront the pilot or alert the proper authorities immediately? What would you do if you see a pilot who consistently acts in an unsafe manner?

Landing on a wet grass runway proves fatal

General Aviation News will often reprint accident reports from the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), including an October 2009 accident report that involved a Piper Archer in Oliver Springs, Tennessee.

According to the accident report, a pilot was attempting to land on a grass runway that was wet. When the Piper touched down on the runway, it bounced back into the air.

The Piper then touched down on the runway for a second time. However, the aircraft then turned about 45° to the left and skidded toward the woods bordering the runway. The aircraft crashed through a fence and hit a tree with the left side of the cockpit taking the full force of the impact – causing one fatal injury and three minor injuries.

To avoid having the same situation happen to you, check out a great article by William L. Gruber that’s posted in the Flight Training section of the AOPA’s website. Gruber noted that landing on a grass field takes extra care because they are constantly changing depending upon the season and the amount of recent rainfall in the area. He also noted that it will take much longer to get off the ground on a wet grass runway than on one that is dry.

In other words, be extra careful during any wet season and be sure to talk to pilots who have recently used the grass runways you intend to use.

Anatomy of a Cirrus stall accident video

Hat tip to the FlightSchoolList.com for posting this video showing the anatomy of a Cirrus stall accident that was put together by AVweb a few years ago.  The video noted that over-the-top or cross-control stall accidents have been common in general aviation for many years. However, no one has ever really documented what happens in such an accident until more recently thanks to the widespread use of glass cockpits.

Hence, this video shows a recreation of exactly what happened in one such fatal stall accident that was also well documented by accident investigators thanks to modern technology.