Aviation Safety

At about 1435 Mountain time, the aircraft was substantially damaged after the Private pilot experienced a partial loss of engine power and performed a forced landing on a dirt road. There were no injuries. According to the pilot, he was in cruise flight about 10,500 feet msl along a 7000-foot-high ridge line where mountain wave action was present. The airplane began to slowly lose altitude, and efforts by the pilot to increase engine power and arrest the descent failed. The pilot then turned east, away from the ridgeline, to avoid an uncontrolled descent into terrain. Once clear of the ridgeline and any possible effects of the mountain wave, the pilot determined that the engine was capable…

The airplane was substantially damaged following a loss of control during landing at about 1030 Central time. The Student pilot, sole occupant of the airplane, was not injured. Visual conditions prevailed for the solo cross-country flight. Subsequently, the 71-hour Student pilot reported that the airplane bounced on landing and she lost control. She tried to regain control of the airplane but the airplane departed the right side of the runway. The pilot reported the brakes were ineffective in the knee-high grass and the airplane impacted a tree….

At 1807 Eastern time, the airplane crashed into an unoccupied elementary school and burst into flames shortly after takeoff. Visual conditions prevailed; the Airline Transport pilot received fatal injuries and the airplane sustained substantial damage. Shortly after takeoff, the pilot requested a return to the Sarasota Airport and subsequently made a mayday call and declared that he was making a crash landing. There was no further communication. Witnesses stated the airplane was flying slowly with erratic lateral and pitch excursions; they did not hearf engine sounds before the airplane first contacted the building….

Even airframes certified for 6 G can stand only so much. The saga of the T-34 reveals what pilots dont know about how airplanes endure high-G flight.

Carriers have the resources and the rules to do things differently and more safely. What five things can you do to fly the same way?

Youve just crashed in a remote area. You and your passengers are injured. Will you have the equipment and knowledge to survive until youre rescued?

If humans had been meant to fly at night, they would have been given better internal gyros.

I was flying a Piper Arrow out of the Tamiami airport, south of Miami, for some touch-and-go landings on a windy, crystal clear morning after a cold front had blown through. I taxied out, did the run-up and took off, making right traffic. Even with a right quartering crosswind, I managed to complete three circuits uneventfully.

After my fourth landing, I noticed the view out the windshield looked different: The nose appeared lower than normal, about eight inches or more. Not good. Fully engaged in the touch-and-gos go portion, I was too fast to stop in the runway remaining. I also worried that applying maximum braking and trying to stop would cause a prop strike. I really had no idea…

The following information is derived from the FAAs Service Difficulty Reports and Aviation Maintenance Alerts.

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American General AG-5B
Seatbelt Doubler Installation
While replacing the rear passenger seatbelts, it was discovered the p/n 5102330-6 reinforcement plate had been installed on the forward side of the aft seat bulkhead under the seatbelt attach bracket. The -6 plate should have been installed on the aft side of the bulkhead in accordance with AG Drawing 5102299. Furthermore, an MS20364-1032 (thin shear nut) was used to secure the AN3-5A retaining bolts. MS 20365-1032 or MS21042-3 nuts should have been installed as called out on the drawing. This arra…

Got Game?
I just finished reading the article Big City IFR (July 2005). It was enjoyable and very timely. I recently took my F33A Bonanza into Chicago Midway (twice in two days). It was, well, an interesting experience.

I earned my Instrument ticket last fall and frequently travel into controlled airports within Class B, C and D airspace. But even with my experience at airports with high traffic volume, its just not the same as airports with high volumes of airliner traffic.

It was clear as I approached Chicago airspace that I was the small fish that was going to mess up everyones already busy day. It was obvious (and I somewhat expected it) that I would be worked int…