Aviation Safety

A second pilot on board can be a help or a hindrance. Take a page from the airlines book when flying with a crowded cockpit

A control lock left in place prompted a departure stall, but loading and maintenance could have negated the pilots forgetfulness

After a 20-year hiatus, I returned to flying a couple of years ago and try to fly as often as I am able.

I filed for a 2:00 p.m. departure from New Orleans Lakefront to St Louis Downtown Airport but, as I drove to the airport, it was apparent that I would be delayed by some heavy thunderstorms that moved into the New Orleans area and seemed intent on staying for awhile.

I spent the time at the airport watching the radar and talking with some Navy pilots who were on a training mission and planning their return to Texas.

At about 5:30 p.m., the storms were clearing from west to east and, after discussing it with a briefer, I decided to depart toward the northwest with a turn to the n…

When I traded my traveling airplane for my sport plane a year and a half ago, I knew life was going to be different. For years I had filed an IFR flight plan for virtually all flights out of the local area – even on trips of 150 miles in severe clear weather. I was very comfortable in the ATC system and had learned how to work it as well as how to work in it.

Having the Citabria has been a blast. Ive used it for some light cross-country duties during fair weather and relied on borrowed or rented airplanes when the clouds were low. Then the FAA went and changed all that.

The AD on Lycoming TIO-540 crankshafts has dramatically changed my local environment, and suddenly its not as easy…

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

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Control cables are a critical component of most aircraft flight control systems. The cables are usually manufactured from carbon steel or stainless steel and are lubricated during the manufacturing process.

Both types are susceptible to the effects of corrosion, especially if the lubrication is wiped away by fairleads, stuck pulleys, or is oxidized away over long time periods. Moisture accelerates the process.

The FAA has received reports of corrosion in Cessna 172 aileron control cables in the area at the top of the rear doorpost. Corrosion is most likely i…

As an AME, I read with interest Les Ruthvens article Pass on Pills [Medical Matters, September] relating to depression and stress. While I certainly agree with much of his article, I wish to remind readers that clinical trails have also demonstrated the benefit of pharmacologic therapy and that this treatment can be life saving in the case of major depression.

In addition, the medical and psychological models of depression are not mutually exclusive and often these approaches can be complimentary. On a number of occasions I have had a clinical psychologist refer a patient back to me for institution of medical treatment to supplement the psychological therapy.

I do wish to take issu…

At approximately 11:47 CST, a Learjet 35A was substantially damaged when the airplane undershot the threshold for Runway 19 while landing at the Rogers Municipal Airport. The first officer and one passenger suffered minor injuries, the captain and seven passengers were not injured. The 671-mile Part 135 flight originated from Winston Salem, N.C., at about 10:17. On landing, the airplane touched down 12 feet short of the landing threshold. The left main landing gear struck the concrete foundation for the approach lighting system and collapsed. The airplane traveled another 1,700 feet before coming to rest on the east side of the 6,011 foot asphalt runway. The winds were reported from 150 degr…

At about 11:23 EDT, a Beech Baron collided with a Cessna 172K while on final approach to runway 09L at Lakeland-Linder Regional Airport during Sun-n-Fun. Both airplanes were destroyed. The Baron pilot reported minor injuries and the two occupants of the Cessna also reported minor injuries. A witness said Baron did not make the correct entry to downwind or base leg for landing. The Baron flew the downwind leg at about 1,700 feet instead of 1,200 feet and the Cessna was observed on a low final. The Baron cut in front of another airplane and descended toward the Cessna, overtaking it and colliding with the Cessnas vertical stabilizer and the top of the fuselage. The nose of the Cessna pitched…

At about 11:39 EDT, a Flight Safety Piper Seminole crashed while attempting an emergency landing while on a check ride. Neither the check pilot nor the multiengine rating applicant were injured. While at 4,000 feet they simulated the failure of the right engine, shut down the engine and placed the propeller in the feathered position. After completion of the maneuver, the pilot-in-command was instructed to restart the right engine. As they were doing this, they heard a loud bang from the left side of the aircraft and looked out to see the left engine hanging down about 45 degrees from the normal position. They completed starting the right engine and turned toward the Vero Beach Airport for an…

At about 05:18 PDT, a Beech 36 hit trees and power transformers and crashed on a city street near Montgomery Field, killing the two occupants. The airplane was on an ILS approach to runway 28R when the accident occurred. At 05:18, the air traffic controller asked the pilot if he was receiving the glide slope satisfactorily and the pilot replied affirmative. The controller then advised the pilot to contact the Montgomery Advisory Frequency, since the control tower was not operating at this time. At 05:19, the controller issued a low altitude alert for the pilot -mile east of the outer marker. Two witnesses reported hearing an explosion, after which the streetlights went out. One witness sa…