Cockpit Safety
The NTSB closed out the old year with a quintet of Safety Alerts (SAs) covering issues it believes to be the top threats in general aviation operations based on recent accident history. The advisories are short documents outlining the areas of concern and citing accidents in which the advice could have prevented injury or death. According to the Board, U.S. general aviation accidents kill about 475 people per year, and seriously injure hundreds more. Since their debut in 2004, a total of 30 SAs have been issued, including five last March preceding the five issued last month.
The five topics covered in the recent set of alerts include:
- -"Armed" For Safety (Emergency Locator Transmitter issues)
- -Engine Power Loss Due to Carburetor Icing
- -Proper Use of Fiber or Nylon Self-Locking Nuts
- -Check Your Restraints
- -All Secure, All Clear (on properly securing loose objects in the cockpit)
In the last alert, the NTSB notes that unsecured (or forgotten) tools, portable GPS antennas, clothing and other carry-on items have jammed controls and caused accidents, including fatal loss-of control situations.
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