Aviation Safety

Easing the potential for mid-air collisions around reliever airports means knowing where traffic is bound to be

BFR can stand for Been Flying Right or Bogus Federal Restriction. You get out of it what you put into it

Recently I was in the flight planning room at an FBO in Knoxville, on the phone with Flight Service to file an IFR flight plan to Orlando. The weather in the southeast was just lousy with thunderstorms.

The weather radar showed a clear corridor down the center of Georgia if we left now. I had briefed the weather on the computer but had called FSS to file the flight plan.

When I told the briefer I wanted to file, he was nothing short of indignant. Hadnt I looked at the weather? Did I know about the hazardous weather? His tone made his real question crystal clear: Do you know how stupid you are for planning to fly a light aircraft through there on a day like this?

Well, Im pretty s…

It would seem The Perfect Landing article [Stick & Rudder, June] contains less than perfect information.

The author emphasizes that the pilot execute a 180-degree standard rate turn, roll out on final and land the airplane. According the sidebar figures his airplane descends at 750 feet per minute, which would give you 80 seconds of flight time. A standard rate, 180 degree turn requires 60 seconds; so if you time 25 seconds outbound, youd be on the ground five seconds before you roll out on final.

A closer look at the formulas derivation reveals that it is predicated on turning 180 degrees in 30 seconds, or double the standard rate turn. There is obviously a disconnect here, bu…

The following briefs were selected from the preliminary reports filed with the NTSB in April 2003. Statements in quotes were taken directly from the NTSB documents. Click here to view “Accident Totals, April.”

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April 01, Lakeland, Fla.
Mooney M20C
At about 1630 eastern time, a Mooney M20C struck a ground marshaller during taxi after landing at Lakeland Linder Regional Airport. The ground marshaller was seriously injured and the airplane received minor damage. The pilot said he was taxiing west on taxiway Delta when he saw the ground marshaller off his left wing. The ground marshaller waved him on and then ducke…

At about 1630 eastern time, a Mooney M20C struck a ground marshaller during taxi after landing at Lakeland Linder Regional Airport. The ground marshaller was seriously injured and the airplane received minor damage. The pilot said he was taxiing west on taxiway Delta when he saw the ground marshaller off his left wing. The ground marshaller waved him on and then ducked down. A witness said the marshaller made a 90-degree turn to tell the witness, who was on a motorcycle, where to lead the airplane. The airplanes left wing struck the ground marshaller in the back, knocking him forward. The left wing then struck the ground marshaller in the back of the head, knocking him to the ground….

At 0935 eastern time, a Beechcraft B200 struck a building while on approach to Fitchburg Municipal Airport, killing the two pilots and four passengers, and leaving one passenger seriously injured. One person inside the building received minor injuries. The airplane had been cleared for the GPS RWY 14 approach into Fitchburg. The airplanes radar track showed the airplane flew the approach accurately up to the point where it crossed the missed approach point. At that point, the pilot apparently flew a circling approach to runway 32 from very close to the runway. A witness said the airplane banked 90 degrees in a continuous turn from downwind to final at about 450 feet agl until the airplane s…

At about 1045 Pacific time, a Piper PA-36-375 collided with a Grumman American AA-5B while both airplanes were attempting to land at Bottimore Ranch Airport. Neither pilot was injured. The pilot of the Piper said he was landing when he heard the collision, then noticed the Grumman, which had just touched down on the same runway. He went around and diverted to Franklin Field Airport. The pilot of the Grumman said the aircraft went all over the place just after the main landing gear touched down. He said he did not know he had been hit by another airplane until he saw the Piper flying away from him….

At approximately 1740 central time, a Piper PA-18 struck a tree while landing at a private airstrip near Moran. The pilot was not injured. The pilot said he was landing to the west and touched down about 10 feet short of the 800-foot grass strip. The airplane bounced, drifted right and struck a mesquite tree. Wind at the time was from 290 at 15 knots, gusting to 20….

At about 0745 eastern time, an Air Tractor 502B and an Air Tractor 502 collided on runway 09 at Belle Glade State Municipal Airport. The pilot of the 502B suffered minor injuries but the pilot of the 502 was killed. The 502B was started his takeoff roll but did not see the 502, which had landed and was taxiing off of the runway, until it was too late to avoid a collision. Neither airplane was equipped with a VHF radio for using the airports common traffic advisory frequency….