Aviation Safety

At about 1645 Mountain time, the airplane collided with power lines and was substantially damaged. The private pilot was killed. Visual conditions prevailed. According to witnesses, the pilot announced over the Unicom frequency he was low on fuel and inbound for landing. A short time later, he stated the airplane was gliding. Another witness reported the airplane struck power lines east of the airport and went straight down.

The private pilot was flying about 75 feet above the ground, looking for a landing area on a frozen river. The wind was gusting, the airplane rolled 90 degrees, and he was unable to counter the roll before impacting terrain. He reported there were no mechanical problems with the airplane prior to the accident.

At about 1800 Eastern time, the airplane lost power during cruise flight and struck a pedestrian while making a forced landing on a beach. The pilot and passenger were not injured but the pedestrian was killed. The airplane sustained minor damage. Visual conditions prevailed for the IFR cross-country flight.

The airplane sustained substantial damage at about 1140 Pacific time when it impacted terrain while maneuvering. The airline transport pilot occupying the front seat and the commercial pilot in the rear seat were killed. Visual conditions prevailed for the local flight.

At approximately 1055 Pacific time, the airplane sustained substantial damage during a forced landing following a loss of engine power. The private pilot and the flight instructor-rated passenger were not injured. Visual conditions prevailed for the post-maintenance test flight, which had been airborne for approximately 10 minutes.

The amphibious airplane was substantially damaged at about 1600 Central time when it nosed over while performing a water landing. The pilot sustained minor injuries; the passenger was fatally injured. Visual conditions prevailed.

At 1823 Central time, the airplane sustained substantial damage during a forced landing following a loss of engine power. The commercial pilot, who was the sole occupant at the time of the accident, was not injured. Visual conditions prevailed for the skydiving flight.

This aviation “thing” brings with it the potential for events seemingly designed to test our internal response systems. You know the kind: situations with substantial potential for our adrenal glands to start working overtime. Learning how to deal with these kinds of events is one of the things flight training is all about. The time we spend with an instructor practicing various scenarios-from broken gyros and other useless instruments to no-flap landings and complete engine failure-teaches us how to combat a number of not-uncommon problems. And, unless were flying a glider, hot-air balloon or powered aircraft lacking an electrical system, the prospect of losing those flowing electrons-especially when in flight conditions where we really, really need them-is one very real prospect.

Most of my flying career was spent with an oxygen mask either five seconds away, or with it on and breathing 100-percent oxygen. After many sessions of lectures, altitude chambers and flight missions, oxygen education became a kind of gray thing. While the essentials stayed in the back of my mind, the details faded. That is, until my best friend died at the hands of the hypoxia monster. I learned and re-learned a lot during those next few weeks. One of the things I learned (or re-learned) is just how hostile is the high-altitude environment when were not prepared for it. Often, unfortunately, even if we are prepared, it can still rear up and bite us. Of course, the big problem with high-altitude flight operations is it can be a long way down to a safer level, where the air is denser. As well discover, an inability to breathe without some kind of assistance is just one of the problems.

The FAAs Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS) has been widely hyped as a boon to safety because it offers more precise approach guidance with vertical capability. While thats true on some approaches, it can also cost an aircraft owner a bundle of money. Worse, the market offers limited choices in equipment-Garmins GNS430/530W and G1000 are among the short list. There are plenty of reasons to buy WAAS, and for many new installations WAAS comes standard. Theres also ADS-B, which relies on a WAAS-enhanced GPS position. But is the safety enhancement worth the upgrade costs for the typical pilot? And what exactly are you getting out of the WAAS deal?