The ADS-B track from the NTSB’s preliminary report shows chilling flight paths for the accident aircraft at KVGT. [Image: NTSB]
Key Takeaways:
Mid-air collisions and near misses commonly occur in airport traffic patterns, especially during landing, often due to factors like differing aircraft speeds, blind spots, and procedural deviations.
These incidents are often explained by the "Swiss Cheese Model," where multiple factors align, highlighting that even control towers do not guarantee prevention.
Effective prevention relies heavily on pilots maintaining vigilance ("see and avoid"), adhering to established traffic pattern procedures, making precise radio calls, and utilizing available tools like ADS-B for situational awareness.
I was four days away from my private pilot check ride. My CFI, an Air Force Academy graduate, was with me as I practiced specialty takeoffs and landings at the towered airport. I had just completed the pre-landing GUMPS check on downwind, when he cried out the magic phrase—”I have the controls”—and I replied, “Your airplane!” and let go.
CREATE A FREE ACCOUNT
Sign up to keep reading
Create a free account to continue. Already a member? Sign in below.
Meg Godlewski has been an aviation journalist for more than 24 years and a CFI for more than 20 years. If she is not flying or teaching aviation, she is writing about it. Meg is a founding member of the Pilot Proficiency Center at EAA AirVenture and excels at the application of simulation technology to flatten the learning curve. Follow Meg on Twitter @2Lewski.
