Structural failure accidents, often from getting too friendly with thunderstorms, kill both people and what little good press GA is able to garner. In the last decade, 50 accidents-about 10 per cent of all accidents-were due to in-flight structural failure. Worse, even with better weather data in flight, these accidents arent going away.
Structural failures from turbulence are a persistent issue in general aviation, partly because weather radar displays precipitation, not the actual turbulent forces that cause damage.
The common advice to slow to maneuvering speed (VA) in turbulence is insufficient, as VA does not guarantee protection against structural failure from combined pilot inputs, external gusts, and associated airspeed fluctuations.
A safer practice is to fly at the turbulence penetration speed (VB), which is typically 10-20 knots slower than VA and must be adjusted downwards for lighter aircraft weights.
When encountering severe turbulence, pilots should slow to VB, hand-fly the aircraft (disengaging the autopilot), accept altitude deviations, and may consider extending landing gear for increased drag and stability.
Structural failure accidents, often from getting too friendly with thunderstorms, kill both people and what little good press GA is able to garner. In the last decade, 50 accidents—about 10 per cent of all accidents—were due to in-flight structural failure. Worse, even with better weather data in flight, these accidents aren’t going away.
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