Aviation Safety

To obtain a better picture of LOC accidents and their root causes, I looked at fatal GA accidents in 2011, long enough ago that NTSB final reports are available. I used the NTSBs Web-based database (www.ntsb.gov). I confined my search to U. S.-based Part 91 fatal accidents and excluded amateur-built aircraft and Part 135 accidents. In the word search box, I used the term loss of control. The search turned up 47 accidents, each including a factual report and a probable cause finding. I reviewed both for all 47 accidents.

The GAJSC, like its airline counterpart the Commercial Aviation Safety Team (CAST), was established in the 1990s. According to its Web site, GAJSC works to improve general aviation safety through data-driven risk reduction efforts that focus on education, training, and enabling new equipment in general aviation aircraft. The CAST has been spectacularly successful in its efforts, as evidenced by an 80-percent reduction in airline fatal accident rates.

The FAA, NTSB and the aviation community have spent a lot of time and effort analyzing how and why pilots lose control of their aircraft, historically the leading cause of fatal general aviation accidents. A recent report by the FAA/industry General Aviation Joint Steering Committee (GAJSC-see the sidebar on the opposite page), closely looked at the reasons why, highlighting dozens of recommended mitigations to reduce loss-of-control (LOC) accidents. Many of its recommendations have great value.

Almost anyone whos flown a passenger has at least one open-door or open-canopy story. Here are two of mine.The plan was for a full day of flying, and we were getting an early start. My right front seat passenger had done this before, so I more or less delegated securing the cabin door to him. We took off, and immediately realized the doors upper latch hadnt engaged. During my pre-takeoff checks, I usually reach up and push against the doors trailing side to ensure the latch was engaged. I didnt this time.

I was out recently with a friend/neighbor/CFI, brushing the rust off some basic skills. After 20 or so minutes of slow flight, stalls, steep turns and some erratic, uncoordinated maneuvers purporting to be Lazy 8s, we rolled straight and level for a few minutes to chat and move away from a cloud deck.

The navigation light circuit breaker switch trips and will not reset. Fault in circuit breaker switch (p/n 35-380132-101). These switches are the new and improved versions installed under AD 2008-13-17, but are continuing to fail internally.

I agree with Clete Knaubs overall conclusions in Old? Or Young, February 2015. I also agree with the comments on page 18 that there could be many other factors involved that could explain what is going on-confounding factors. There are known and unknown factors, and we dont know how they impact the outcomes or how they might be correlated with each other, nor how they interact among themselves. Its a classic multicollinearity problem

Recent general aviation and air carrier accidents

While were discussing the various precision approach scenarios, lets think about whats going to happen once weve acquired some airframe ice. The POH probably makes it clear flaps are a big no-no when landing with ice on the airframe. Weve seen the NASA videos on tailplane stalls, so we know, intellectually, that adding any flap deflection at all, or slowing down, could very well jam us into the planet. We fly the ILS flaps-up, at the power setting that nailed the glideslope, until we roll the wheels on the runway.

Putting ADS-B aboard small drones is not only possible, its already out there in limited volume. Sagetech Corp., which makes the Clarity and Clarity SV ADS-B portable receivers, has a line of micro transponders and ADS-B equipment. And we do mean micro. These devices are the size of a business card and about 0.7-inch thick. They weigh 100 grams, less antenna. Thats about the weight of a GoPro camera.