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Failure To Feather

Each aircraft type has its own set of limitations with which operators must comply if it’s to meet its airworthiness and certification standards. The aircraft’s documentation—a collection of manuals, handbooks, placards and revisions—tell us what those limitations are and how we are to fly it. But what if a critical bit of information wasn’t in that documentation? Or what if it was buried somewhere not easily accessible in flight? How would pilots and operators know of it?

Gemini Sparkle

Key Takeaways:

  • A fatal accident of a Piper PA-31P Pressurized Navajo occurred due to the pilot's inability to maintain control after losing power in the right engine.
  • A primary contributing factor was the pilot's delayed feathering of the right propeller, which the NTSB attributed to the aircraft's Pilot Operating Handbook (POH) lacking or burying the critical procedure requiring feathering before engine RPM falls below 1000.
  • The incident underscores the vital importance of having accurate, easily accessible, and comprehensive emergency procedures within aircraft documentation to ensure pilot proficiency and safety.
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Each aircraft type has its own set of limitations with which operators must comply if it’s to meet its airworthiness and certification standards. The aircraft’s documentation—a collection of manuals, handbooks, placards and revisions—tell us what those limitations are and how we are to fly it. But what if a critical bit of information wasn’t in that documentation? Or what if it was buried somewhere not easily accessible in flight? How would pilots and operators know of it?

One way is through recurrent training, especially the sim-based kind. It’s expensive, but so are accidents. When flying a pressurized piston twin, that training should be obtained from a person who knows the airplane and its limitations, and how it should be flown. That costs money, too.

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