Aviation Safety

A student pilot was preflighting the cockpit of a Cessna 152, and as part of his routine, was checking the travel and friction of the throttle, mixture and carb heat knobs. Most pilots dont do this, but it was the detailed, deliberate and particular nature of this individual to check just about everything possible on the plane.

He was the kind of guy who would occasionally find himself the subject of some good-natured jokes from the other side of the FBO windows that faced the ramp, many of which were probably the result of a common, unspoken jealousy for a lack of a similar thoroughness. You can well imagine that the jokes came to a rapid stop the day he cycled the mixture from full lea…

Aviation, its been said, is intolerant of carelessness or neglect. Most pilots are concerned about their safety, at least to some extent, and pay more than lip service to keeping their skills sharp and their airplane worthy.

As human beings, however, its impossible to know everything about the airplane, the pilot, the trip and the weather. Trust is an inherent part of flying. You trust your mechanic to have competently maintained the airplane. You trust the briefer to provide you with a reasonably accurate picture of the weather en route. You trust controllers to sequence you safely and FAA technicians to properly maintain nav aids.

While many people think of flying as you against…

When it comes to capturing the imagination of old and young, sport fliers and professionals, nothing can beat the appeal of warbirds. Antique biplanes and World War II fighters have been popular for years, and recently the availability of former Eastern Bloc jet fighter trainers has expanded the appeal of very hot airplanes among those who have ridden the stock market (among other things) to riches.

But just as its said that a fool and his money are soon flying more airplane than he can handle, the accident record for warbirds paints a very discouraging picture. Valuable and irreplaceable aircraft, including P-51 Mustangs, hit the ground for reasons that can only be described as irration…

For many pilots, the end of the flight is the beginning of a routine. They land, taxi to the ramp, go into the FBO.

If theyre planning another leg, theyll order fuel, use the restroom, check the weather and maybe have a snack. They pay the fuel bill and walk back to the plane.

If theyre home or planning to spend a day or two, they put in a fuel order and leave.

Sometimes its the worst thing you can do.

For example, a Cessna 421C crashed in good weather in San Antonio, Texas, killing the pilot and one passenger instantly. Another passenger was seriously injured and died several days later. The pilots gamble came during the preflight and engine runup.

The flight was opera…

I guess you would call me a senior pilot although I have been flying for just 11 years. I learned to fly at age 66 and got my instrument rating at age 72. I share a Cessna 182 with a friend in Florida and a Cessna 172 with a friend in Cleveland. This story is about the 172.

Last spring triple two Juliet was presented to the maintenance shop at Cuyahoga County for its annual inspection. No major problems were reported, with a few small items listed and corrected. All AD requirements met, the plane returned to our hangar.

The aircraft was not flown for several weeks because weather and personal reasons kept us from flying. But finally at the end of April I was able to make some time fo…

I own a Cessna 170 thats a great plane and has received a lot of attention of would-be buyers. I am not interested in selling the plane but have received a number of unsolicited inquiries. I believe some of that interest led to what turned out to be a new lesson for me in the value of a thorough pre-flight inspection.

My wife and I had decided to take a quick day trip to Wendover, Utah, for brunch and a little gambling. My airplane is kept at Salt Lake International Airport, where access is restricted through a gate with an electronic access code.

When we arrived, everything appeared to be in order. We began removing the tie downs, chocks and windshield cover and then I conducted my…

Theres a pilot I know who is a perfectionist to such an extreme it makes me sick.

Youll never catch the guy with outdated charts. One time the database on his IFR-approved GPS expired and he wondered if he should fly his entire route by VOR.

He has an IPC every six months, regardless of how much actual instrument time or how many approaches hes had since the last one. Even though he holds a private license, he attempts to fly to ATP standards at all times. His instructor says he usually succeeds. When he doesnt hes depressed for a while.

When its time for a BFR, he challenges the instructor to teach him something. Often he ends up teaching the instructor a thing or two as well…

The following information is derived from the FAAs Service Difficulty Reports and Aviation Maintenance Alerts. Click here to view “Airworthiness Directives.”

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The FAA has approved Exxon Aviation Oil Elite 20W-50 for use in Lycoming O-320-H and O-360-E series engines as fulfilling the requirements of AD 80-04-03R2 – making it the third oil approved as an alternative method of compliance.

The AD was aimed at preventing excessive wear and oil contamination due to spalling of the hydraulic lifters. It requires operators to add a Lycoming-approved oil additive at each 50-hour oil change. In 1987, the FAA determined that Aeroshell Oil W…

The following information is derived from the FAAs Service Difficulty Reports and Aviation Maintenance Alerts. Click here to view “Airworthiness Directives.”

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As the result of a fatal stall/spin accident in Canada, the FAA is issuing Airworthiness Alert 2720 for Cessna 150/152s manufactured after 1966. In July 1998, a Cessna 152 with a student and flight instructor failed to recover from an intentional spin. A 150/152 should recover from a spin by simply releasing the flight controls.

Examination of the wreckage showed the rudder jammed past its normal travel limit.

A 50-hour inspection was completed the day before the acciden…

I enjoyed Wally Millers article Big Pile of Trouble [Weather Tactics, June], but I was sorry to see that he did not list my favorite pre-flight planning guideline and flying technique for handling wind and the mountains. At my flying club in Seattle, they teach us to plan for at least 1,000 feet of ridge clearance for each 10 mph of wind at altitude. If your airplane cannot fly at that altitude, take a different one (we have a pressurized Centurion) or do not go. Following this guideline does not assure that you will stay out of trouble – as pointed out in Millers article – but it does give the pilot a minimum altitude to fly and reasonable basis for a go/no-go decision.

-Daniel Wise…