Accident Probes

I had flown to Florida to visit friends in their beachfront condo. They were not pilots and had no concept of things like trading fuel for cabin load or the dangers of overloading an airplane. That evening, after a few drinks, the idea arose of a day trip to Key West to take in the sights. Against my better judgment, I agreed.

Early in our primary training, we encountered the concept of maneuvering speed (VA), or design maneuvering speed as its sometimes called. Were basically told its the speed at below which we should fly in turbulence and when entering advanced maneuvers, hence its name. If were lucky and have a good ground-school instructor, well also learn that VA changes with weight: As the airplanes weight decreases, so will maneuvering speed. Although VA isnt marked on our airspeed indicators, there should be a placard listing it at the airplanes gross weight, with the admonition to not make full control deflections above it.

Spend much time around aircraft owners or a maintenance facility and youre likely to hear the term ferry permit. Whats being talked about is what the FAA calls a special flight permit. Its the paperwork the agency uses to approve the flight of an aircraft that may not currently meet applicable airworthiness requirements but is capable for safe flight. Perhaps the most common reason for a special flight permit is lack of an annual inspection within the preceding 12 months.

One of the great joys of flying is a routine flight. Im not referring to a flight that went as expected, which undeniably is the greatest joy, Im talking about flying a routine route. If you hop in your plane on a Saturday afternoon to fly to your favorite $100 hamburger location and get a respite from your weekday worries, or a cargo pilot plying a daily route, you probably know the pleasure I am talking about. Pilots who fly routine flights can feel at one with their aircraft, heightening their sensitivity to any little deviation, like unusual engine noises or subtle performance changes with different loads.

The FAAs BasicMed alternative to a traditional medical certificate is an attractive option for many pilots, especially those of us who are now senior citizens. However, we should recognize that medical issues are not the only factors affecting our ability to fly as we get older. Even in the absence of pathology, age alters our cognitive processes: how we recognize and interpret situations, decide on courses of actions, manage our workload, remember crucial information and skillfully execute our plans. We may joke about our senior moments, but many of us wonder if our ability to continue flying skillfully and safely is being undermined.

Im not a native Floridian, so I generally pay great attention to local weather forecasts when they include the words tropical storm or hurricane followed by someones first name. And because Ive never seen such weather-beyond the occasional tropical low that spreads relatively benign wind and rain across the state-Ive decided its a life experience I can do without. So it was in September with Hurricane Irma.

On July 7, 2017, an Airbus A320 operating as a scheduled Air Canada passenger flight and conducting a night visual approach to Runway 28R at the San Francisco International Airport overflew other airliners positioned on a taxiway and awaiting takeoff clearance. As we wrote in our October 2017 issue, Runway 28L was closed at the time; its lighting was turned off and a 20.5-ft-wide lighted flashing X (runway closure marker) was at its threshold. The Airbus lined up for its landing on parallel Taxiway C, which had four air carrier airplanes on it awaiting takeoff clearance-a Boeing 787, an Airbus A340, another Boeing 787 and a Boeing 737. Subsequent investigation reveals the Airbus crew advanced its thrust levers for a go-around when the airplane was about 85 feet above the taxiway; the minimum altitude recorded on the FDR once the go-around was initiated was 59 feet agl. The Boeing 787 is 55 feet 10 inches high.

Even relatively simple airplanes, those with welded-down landing gear and a fixed-pitch propeller, can have complicated systems. Most of the time, everything works as intended by the manufacturer and all is well. On rare occasions, however, equipment failures occur. When that happens, its easy to say that excellent systems knowledge will save the day. The reality is somewhat different, and pilots often do not have the time or third hand with which to look up systems information in the airplanes documentation.

August 1, 2017, Phoenix, Ariz.Grumman AA-1B TrainerAt about 1300 Mountain time, the airplane was substantially damaged when it impacted terrain shortly after takeoff. Both the flight instructor and student pilot sustained serious injuries. Visual conditions prevailed.According to witnesses, after the airplane lifted off and was in its initial climb to the west, the wings started to rock back and forth. The airplane began to descend, struck the airport’s western perimeter fence and collided with terrain before coming to rest on a road bordering the airport.

Over the years, Ive flown in and out of a specific airport on numerous occasions, day and night. Its a well-equipped facility, featuring a tower and a local approach control, along with scheduled service, multiple gates, two full-service FBOs and three runways. The nearby attractions are interesting when I want to stop, the food choices are excellent and the airport is a great choice for conducting practice approaches. Theres only one problem: I cant find it at night.