Aviation Safety

Two different Cirrus SR22 aircraft (powered by Continental IO-550-N27 engines) were discovered by the same shop to have broken magneto gear teeth. The first instance was discovered as a result of engine roughness during a pre-takeoff engine run-up: The l/h magneto was not firing properly and, upon inspection, the distributor gear (p/n: 10-357586) was found to be missing approximately ten teeth. The second instance was discovered during a routine 500-hour inspection. There was no pre-inspection indication of a problem with the magneto.

New motorcyclists often ask how much they should spend for a helmet. The flippant answer is, “How much is your head worth?” While not very satisfying, its true to a great extent: The helmets offering the best protection and comfort are typically the most expensive. This is largely true for ELTs; the solution most likely to enable a timely rescue under adverse conditions is probably going to cost a lot. As pilots, we constantly balance cost, risk, safety, practicality and utility. There are always trade-offs to weigh in making just about any decision. Now, we can add ELTs to the list of items whose cost we must balance against the risks well encounter and the degree of safety we want to achieve.

If youve flown much in front of a Garmin G1000 or Avidyne system equipped with datalinked weather, you know they can deliver nearly as much information as an FSS briefing or a Duat session. While datalink weather was never intended to substitute for a full weather briefing, the reality is many pilots use it that way. But does it substitute for a full-up weather briefing, practically or legally? The answer to the first question is “maybe,” but to the second, its a fuzzy “no.” Still, getting your weather brief literally “on the fly” in the cockpit can save a bunch of time. If the route is familiar and conditions relatively mild, the only thing youll miss is the FSS briefers closing plea for Pireps.

Its all but settled wisdom that a good landing is always preceded by a good approach. But define good? Does “good” mean you had the numbers nailed from the point you turned into the downwind? Or can you call an approach good if you sailed over the numbers on speed and kissed the pavement to make the first turnoff, even though you started too high and too fast and got behind on flap and gear extension? The second answer is the best one, in our view, because it implies two things: airmanship and judgment. The airmanship part means you have the skill to coax the airplane toward the right speed and attitude to land safely if not prettily. Judgment means you know when youre too far outside the envelope to even try to salvage an approach.

Its inevitable. Youll be standing on the ramp, clutching an avgas receipt rivaling Greeces national debt. Your chest throbs. You cant breathe, and ripping off your bolo tie, you scream, “Enough! I cant take this anymore!” Heart attack? Time to kiss 30 years of flying good-bye? Perhaps, but in this scenario, no. Instead, as you wander off toward your car, its first-love rekindled as you spot an old flame lounging in the grass across the field: a 1946 Aeronca Champ. And as your six-place Twin Turbo-Moneysucker is tugged off to its hangar, you stumble zombie-like toward the little taildragger and stammer to its owner, “I learned to fly in one of these….” She, then, takes your hand, guides you into the front seat and whispers, “Its time. Weve been waiting for you.” When she swings the prop by hand the 65-hp engine barks like a puppy on Christmas morning, and off you fly back to your aviation roots. Your flying life isnt over. Its merely come full circle, thanks to old airplanes that qualify as Light Sport Aircraft (LSA).

Its no secret that 100LL aviation gasoline is one of, if not the, last leaded fuel in regular use in the U.S. Its also no secret-or at least it shouldnt be-that no other fuel offers the same capabilities throughout the general aviation piston fleet. Despite years of attempts to develop a substitute for tetraethyl lead (TEL, an additive helping boost fuel octane, preventing knock and valve-seat recession) or 100LL itself, nothing is FAA-approved as a replacement. Yes, promising research is being conducted into a substitute fuel or additive-especially over the last year or so. As those paying attention to environmental issues associated with aviation fuels know, the lead content of 100LL has long been an issue. The element is responsible for several long-lasting health issues, including neurocognitive, neurobehavioral, sensory, and motor-function effects in children exhibiting relatively miniscule blood lead levels.

If pilots engage in many cross-country flights during their careers, theyll often find themselves landing at a destination airport and then departing shortly thereafter. The landing may be to pick up a passenger, to refuel, to take a potty break or for any number of other reasons. As we gain experience, we also develop familiarity with the aircraft and with various aspects of the pre-flight ritual. One of these aspects is getting a weather briefing for the next leg, something were often tempted to short-circuit. After all, we just flew through that weather and landed here-how much could it have changed while we were in the head? The temptation during a quick turn like this is to pay the fuel bill, check the fuel caps security, light the fire and push on to the next stop without doing much else. We just climbed out of a perfectly good airplane. What could go wrong?

A regional turboprop captain and his fatigued first officer engage in a wide-ranging discussion while maneuvering for an approach into Buffalo, N.Y. While descending in icing conditions, the crew allows their airplane to get slow enough the stick pusher activates. Instead of powering up and reducing the angle of attack, the captain abruptly pulls back on the yoke, forcing the airplane into a stall/spin from which it doesnt recover. All 49 aboard the Bombardier Dash-8 are killed, plus one on the ground.

Terrific article about what to do in the event of an alternator failure (“When The Sparks Stop,” May 2010), right up to the part where the author says, “if you dont feel like its an absolute emergency, dont declare one.” He then goes on to say ATC will realize the seriousness of your situation, and provide extra help.

At 1345 Central time, the airplane sustained substantial damage on impact with terrain during landing. The left main landing gear collapsed during the landing roll-out. Visual conditions prevailed. The pilot and company mechanic were uninjured. The local flight originated from the same airport at 1330.