FAA Safety Briefing — November/December 2010

The November/December 2010 issue of FAA Safety Briefing focuses on planning for the “unplanned” and outlines the tools and resources pilots need to handle abnormal and emergency situations. Articles provide tips on unusual attitude recovery, partial-power takeoffs, and understanding your aircraft’s electrical system.

Photo courtesy of Cessna

Features

WHEN THE BEST MADE PLANS GO AWRY

U.S. Department

of Transportation

BY SUS A N PA RSON

Federal Aviation

Administration

BETWEEN A ROCK AND A HARD SPOT

BY DOUG S T E WA R T ISSN: 1057-9648 FAA Safety Briefing

AW, CHUTE! MAKING THE PULL-PARACHUTE DECISION

November/December 2010

Understanding benefits/limitations and identifying

Volume 49/Number 6 Raymond H. LaHood Secretary of Transportation BY ME RE DI T H TCHE RNI AV SK Y J. Randolph Babbitt Administrator Margaret Gilligan Associate Administrator for Aviation Safety

THE RIGHT WAY BACK TO RIGHT SIDE UP

John M. Allen Director, Flight Standards Service Learning to recover from upsets and extreme Mel O. Cintron Manager, General Aviation and Commercial Division Susan Parson Editor Lynn McCloud Managing Editor BY W IL L A L L E N Anna Allen Associate Editor Tom Hoffmann Associate Editor

WHY SHOULD I BUY A 406 MHZ ELT?

James R. Williams Assistant Editor / Photo Editor John Mitrione Art Director

A senior aerospace engineer makes the safety case

Published six times a year, FAA Safety Briefing, formerly FAA Aviation News, promotes aviation safety by discussing current technical, regulatory, and BY DAV E S WA R T Z procedural aspects affecting the safe operation and maintenance of aircraft.

Although based on current FAA policy and rule interpretations, all material is advisory or informational in nature and should not be construed to have

“SURVIVAL 101”

regulatory effect. Certain details of accidents described herein may have been altered to protect the privacy of those involved.

BRE T T C. S TOF F E L The FAA does not officially endorse any goods, services, materials, or prod - ucts of manufacturers that may be referred to in an article. All brands, product names, company names, trademarks, and service marks are the properties of

WHEN THE LIGHTS GO OUT

their respective owners. All rights reserved.

The Office of Management and Budget has approved the use of public funds BY P E T E R ROUSE for printing FAA Safety Briefing .

CONTACT INFORMATION

The magazine is available on the Internet at: http://www.faa.gov/news/safety_briefing/ Departments Comments or questions should be directed to the staff by: • E-mailing: SafetyBriefing@faa.gov • Writing: Editor, FAA Safety Briefing , Federal Aviation Administration, AFS-805, 800 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20591 • Calling: (202) 267-8212 • Faxing: (202) 267-9463

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JOH N M. A L L E N DIR ECT OR , F LIGH T STA N DA R DS SERV ICE

Standing Down for Safety

As I write this I am heading off to Wichita, Kan., aeronautical decision-making, including gathering for the Bombardier Safety Standdown. This is not my all information on routing, weather, and equipment, first standdown for aviation safety. My first was many and make sure every training opportunity is as moons ago when I was an Air Force instructor pilot effective as possible. And, from the beginning, we at the former Williams AFB. I well remember those must focus on professionalism, whether or not early standdowns. They provided this young pilot a the pilot will be flying for fun or for a living. Every valuable time to focus on safety, to be introspective, instructor must foster a professional attitude.

to recalibrate, as well as to get up to speed on the In addition to the crucial role of instructors, latest developments. professionalism is well served when experienced At the Bombardier event I will provide an FAA pilots take the time to impart knowledge and update. But, more importantly, I will also talk about experience. We sell ourselves, and our entire flying professionalism. It is what FAA Administrator Randy community, short when Babbitt spoke passionately about at the previous we assume training stops Professionalism means doing the right Bombardier event. Professionalism has been one of in the classroom.

the administrator’s major themes since he took the To reinforce that we at thing even when no one is looking.

FAA helm in June 2009. the FAA “walk the talk,” we Cockpit professionalism is also one of my will have our second FAA Safety Team Standdown on major passions and has been so since I first climbed April 2, 2011. The theme is: “Stand Up to Error, Stand into an Air Force trainer. This passion stayed Down for Safety.” The main Standdown will be held with me as I have endeavored over the years—as in Lakeland, Fla., in conjunction with the Sun ’n Fun instructor, commander, and regulator—to instill International Fly-in and Expo.

professionalism in other pilots. In addition, the FAA Safety Team will be The administrator is absolutely right when scheduling special safety events during the month of he says FAA cannot regulate professionalism. April all around the country.

But, what is he really talking about? Just what is You will hear more about the FAA Standdown professionalism? and related events. If you have not already signed up Professionalism is attitude, discipline, and for an account on the FAA Safety Team Web site— attention to detail. It starts with precision and www.FAASafety.gov —you should do so today. You meeting every requirement. Little things mean a will find a wealth of safety information, updates on lot to a pilot who is a professional. Am I flying on future safety seminars, and much more.

speed, at altitude, or on glide path? Have I double- I will be at Sun ’n Fun standing down for safety and triple-checked my proposed flight path? Am I in April. I look forward to seeing you there!

keeping situationally aware at least 10 miles ahead of the plane?

Pilots are not born as proficient professionals.

They need to be taught. From the first lesson, we must teach pilots to think and analyze, to prioritize based on risk, and to always exercise discipline. We must approach every pilot start as if that individual could one day be called upon to land a large passenger jet in the Hudson River.

That means focusing on judgment. From the beginning, we must teach all components of November/December 2010 FAA Safety Briefing 1

Aviation News Roundup

A T I S

The first re-registration notices were sent on Oct.

New Aircraft Registration Procedures 1, 2010, for aircraft that were registered in March Now in Effect of any year. These aircraft have been assigned an Did you know about one-third of today’s 357,000 expiration date of March 31, 2011. The owners of these U.S.-registered aircraft have inaccurate records?

aircraft must apply for re-registration between Nov.

In order to improve the integrity of the aircraft 1, 2010, and Jan. 31, 2011. For aircraft registrations registration database, the FAA published a rule issued on or after Oct. 1, 2010, the certificates will be requiring aircraft owners to re-register their aircraft good for three years with the expiration date clearly over the next three years, and renew on a three-year shown. A full chart of the aircraft re-registration regular basis thereafter. Re-registration, renewal, schedule can found at: http://www.faa.gov/licenses_ and expiration will clear inactive aircraft from certificates/aircraft_certification/aircraft_registry/ .

the database and is essential to safety, regulatory If an aircraft registration certificate expires and enforcement, and all levels of law is not re-registered, the aircraft is not authorized for enforcement.

flight. In addition, the cancellation of the N-number assigned to that aircraft will take place approximately 90 days after the expiration of an aircraft’s registration.

Upon cancellation, an N-number will be unavailable for assignment or reservation for five years.

No More Waiting for Line Up and Wait On Sept. 30, 2010, the ATC instruction “taxi in position and hold” became history. You now hear “line up and wait” when ATC issues the instruction How does the process work? Approximately six for a pilot to taxi onto a departure runway and wait months before an aircraft’s registration expires, the for takeoff clearance. The phrase is used when FAA Civil Aviation Registry will mail instructions to takeoff clearance cannot immediately be issued, the owner using the mailing address of record. The either because of traffic or other reasons.

notice will identify the expiration date and the three- Under the “line up and wait” phraseology, month window during which application must be the controller will: State your call sign, state the made. As an added convenience, owners may also departure runway, and state “line up and wait.” re-register their aircraft and pay the $5 fee online.

The phrase “traffic holding in position” will still be used to advise other aircraft that traffic has been authorized to “line up and wait” on an active runway. Details on the change are available in the Do You Have a Top 10 List?

Aeronautical Informational Manual (AIM) and Pilot/ If you were making a top 10 list of best ways to Controller Glossary, both located under the Air avoid abnormal/emergency situations (this issue’s Traffic section of www.faa.gov.

theme), what would be on it? Alternatively, tell us There is an interactive course on www.faasafety.

what you consider to be the most effective habits gov called “Line Up and Wait – LUAW.” The course for handling abnormal or emergency situations that you haven’t been able to avoid? We will publish also reviews the new requirement for explicit ATC the best suggestions in a future issue. Send com - instructions to cross any active, inactive, or closed ments to SafetyBriefing@faa.gov .

runway, and reviews best practices for avoiding runway incursions.

2 FAA Safety Briefing November/December 2010 Laser Incidents on the Rise Save the Date: April 2, 2011 FAA reports a continued increase in the number Mark your calendars for of incidents involving unauthorized illumination April 2, 2011. This is the date of aircraft by lasers and cautions pilots to be on the of the second FAA Safety alert. As of September 2010, FAA had received 1,903 Team Standdown. This year’s reports of aircraft laser illumination events year-to- theme is “Stand Up to Error, date in 2010, a 50 percent increase from the same Stand Down for Safety.” The KidVenture gives period in 2009. Laser beams directed at aircraft have main Standdown will be held in Lakeland, Fla., children of all ages the potential to cause temporary adverse visual in conjunction with the Sun ‘n Fun International the opportunity effects for pilots, including distraction, startle, glare, Fly-in and Expo. In addition, the FAA Safety Team to experience flash blindness, and/or afterimage. Pilots exposed will be scheduling special Standdown safety events different facets of to laser illumination should avoid direct eye contact around the country.

aviation.

and shield their eyes to the extent possible consistent with aircraft control and safety.

“Pilots should also report any such incident to ATC as soon as possible,” says FAA Air Traffic Control Specialist Cornelius Moore. “This will ensure a rapid response from local law enforcement to locate the source of the laser.”

Celebrate the History of Flight

Refer to FAA Advisory Circular 70-2 ( www.faa.

November is National Aviation History month and what gov/regulations_policies/advisory_circulars/ ) for more better way to celebrate than to visit some of the country’s information.

best aviation museums and attractions. Some have sched - uled special events to commemorate man’s first steps in the science of aviation.

Shaping the Future Generation of Aerospace The Smithsonian Institution’s National Air and Space What better way to attract today’s “virtual Museum (www.nasm.si.edu) is one of the world’s most- generation” than through an online youth aviation visited museums. On the West Coast is The Museum of portal? As part of the Youth WINGS program, Flight at Seattle’s Boeing Field. Check it out at www .

the FAASTeam unveiled a new Web site, www.

museumofflight . org .

FAASTeamYouth.org , at KidVenture during If you plan to be in the Tucson, Ariz., area, visiting the AirVenture 2010. The Web site’s goal is to provide Pima Air & Space Museum is a must. The museum boasts education resources for the next generation of a collection of more than 300 aircraft, including some rare aerospace industry workers and to encourage wider and one-of-a-kind displays. Pima Air & Space maintains its integration of aviation sciences. own aircraft restoration center and offers exclusive tours of the Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group “Our subject matter readily lends itself to (AMARG), also known as the “Boneyard,” located across K-12 programs and beyond through exercises and the street at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base. Check it out at: workshops that will provide a more interesting and http://www.pimaair.org/ .

practical foundation for science, technology, math, Wherever you may be this November, get out and cele - and engineering courses in our school systems,” says brate aviation! You are likely to have a place nearby that can FAASTeam Representative John Teipen.

help you explore the exciting history of air transportation.

During its AirVenture launch, more than 100 Tell us about your favorite aviation museum or attraction: parents signed up their young aviator “wannabes” SafetyBriefing@faa.gov .

for the new site. Kevin Clover, National FAASTeam Manager, reports, “The meetings held during AirVenture with future sponsors and course or activity providers were overwhelmingly supportive.” November/December 2010 FAA Safety Briefing 3

Fast-track Your

Medical Certificate

With FAA MedXPress, you can get your

medical certificate faster than ever before.

Here’s how: Before your appointment with your Aviation Medical Examiner (AME) simply go online to FAA MedXPress at https://medxpress.faa.gov/ and electronically complete FAA Form 8500-8. Information entered into MedXPress is immediately transmitted to the FAA and forwarded to your AME before your medical examination.

With this online form you can complete FAA Form 8500-8 in the privacy and comfort of your home and submit it before scheduling your appointment.

The service is free and can be found at:

https://medxpress.faa.gov/

4 FAA Safety Briefing November/December 2010

F R E D E R IC K E . T I LT O N, M. D.

F E D E R A L A I R S U R G E O N

Survival Skills

There was a time when aircraft accidents and circulation, decompression, stress, hypoxia, were most likely fatal. Though too many fatalities and hyperventilation, among others. In addition still occur, advances in aircraft technology have to the basic academic contents, this course offers greatly increased survivability. Now, a crucial practical demonstrations of rapid decompression safety issue could be post-impact survival. As we (8,000 to 18,000 feet AGL) and hypoxia (25,000 saw in the Aug. 9, 2010, accident that killed former feet AGL) using an altitude chamber. It also U.S. Senator Ted Stevens and four others, locating includes a demonstration of vertigo, using a spatial the wreckage and getting first responders on site disorientation demonstrator.

took almost seven hours. Alaska has lots of remote Each year, CAMI offers more than 170 classes terrain, but you don’t have to be very far from a to more than 2,000 people. In addition, the Airman major city in the lower 48 to find that weather, Education Program staff members are working terrain, or a number of other factors could delay to launch online courses based on the training rescue and leave you to fend for yourself and your materials. In the future, passengers until help arrives. this will enable everyone to Advances in aircraft technology have have access to the courses It’s All about Preparedness greatly increased crash survivability, on www.FAASafety.gov and What can you do? That’s where the Office pilots will be able to get which means a crucial safety issue of Aerospace Medicine’s Airman Education credit in the WINGS pilot could be post-impact survival.

Program comes in with its specialized training proficiency program.

and resources. A basic survival training course, If you cannot make it to Oklahoma, you can still conducted at the FAA’s Civil Aerospace Medical benefit from the information. The FAA has an online Institute (CAMI) in Oklahoma City, Okla., covers library of videos on survival training, aerospace survival in desert, arctic, and water environments.

physiology, human factors, and more at: www.faa.

CAMI instructors provide two perspectives: how to gov/pilots/training/airman_education/ .

prepare before the flight and the skills needed to Lastly, one of the best things about all this endure environmental extremes.

training, whether in person or online, is that it is free.

The one-day course includes discussion of the Whether you come to CAMI in person or visit the psychology of survival, aircraft egress, search-and- Web site, there are resources available. Check it out.

rescue operations, signaling devices, fire starting/ You will be glad you did.

building, personal survival kits, rafts and accessories, and helicopter pickup devices. Better still, there is a Frederick E. Tilton, M.D., M.P.H., received both an M.S. and a M.D. degree hands-on portion that, depending on availability of from the University of New Mexico and an M.P.H. from the University of personnel/equipment, may include a fire-starting Texas. During a 26-year career with the U.S. Air Force, Dr. Tilton logged lab, signaling lab, thermal (cold) chamber, ditching more than 4,000 hours as a command pilot and senior flight surgeon flying a tank, underwater egress trainer, and an aircraft variety of aircraft. He currently flies the Cessna Citation 560 XL.

emergency evacuation (smoke) simulator. In short, the course gives general aviation pilots and their passengers a thorough grounding in preparing for survival both before and after an aircraft accident.

Know Thyself CAMI also offers a class on aerospace physiology. This one-day training session includes such topics as physics of the atmosphere, respiration November/December 2010 FAA Safety Briefing 5

D r . Wa r r e n S . S i l b e r m a n

Ask Medical Certification

Dr. Warren S. Silberman and his staff administer roughly 250 times per minute. Not all of these beats the aeromedical certification program for about get through because the heart must have a resting 600,000 holders of U.S. pilot certificates and process period, or what is called a refractory period, where 450,000 applications each year. it cannot discharge an electrical impulse and thus contract. The atrial chambers in someone with

Q: I have recently undergone a laparoscopic

atrial fibrillation appear to contract irregularly, or robotic-assisted radical prostatectomy. The surgical fibrillate, much like a bowl of JELL-O®. This can pathology report shows the lymph nodes were clear result in the stagnation of blood since the chambers of any malignancy and follow-up urological visits do not completely empty. This, in turn, can lead show a PSA, which was negligible. During my recent to clot formation and the clot(s) breaking loose third-class medical, the examiner elected to defer resulting in what is known as an embolus. This my situation to the FAA. While my documentation embolus can cause a stroke. Thus, many people with from the urologist was not of the highest quality (he atrial fibrillation require anticoagulant medication was on vacation), it stated that there is no need for to prevent the body from forming clots. Here’s a subsequent chemo or radiation. Can you advise me National Institute of Health Web site with more detail as to the best method to clear this roadblock?

on atrial fibrillation: http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/

A: The FAA has accepted all forms of treatment

af/af_what.html for prostate cancer for Authorization for Special There are many reasons why an airman could be Issuance (waiver) consideration. Once an airman denied for this condition, including: has one of the forms of treatment, he must consider himself grounded pending review by the 1. The airman has been diagnosed with coronary Aeromedical Certification Division. FAA policy artery disease, which has not been adequately requires the airman wait treated.

at least six weeks until 2. The airman has been found to have a problem Send your question to SafetyBriefing@ he provides the FAA with with a heart valve, which may result in other faa.gov. We’ll forward it to Dr. Silberman a waiver request. As for problems.

without your name and publish the the specifics of your case, 3. The atrial fibrillation heart rate is not answer in an upcoming issue.

the FAA will need the adequately controlled.

operative and pathology reports from the procedure, 4. The airman is not taking the proper a current status report from the treating urologist anticoagulant.

that addresses any complications and treatment, 5. The atrial fibrillation resulted in a stroke.

and a current PSA level. The FAA will then consider the waiver request. If you have not yet provided this You need to ask the FAA why you were denied medical information, please do so.

and what you need to do for reconsideration.

Q: Why was I denied a medical for atrial

fibrillation?

Warren S. Silberman, D.O., M.P.H., manager of FAA’s Aerospace Medical Certification Division, joined FAA in 1997 after a career in the U.S. Army

A: Atrial fibrillation is a cardiac arrhythmia

Medical Corps. Dr. Silberman is Board Certified in Internal Medical and (irregular heart rhythm). Normally one’s heartbeat Preventive/Aerospace Medicine. A private pilot with instrument and multi- originates from what is known as the sinus node, engine ratings, he holds a third-class medical certificate.

an area located in the atria, the heart’s two upper chambers. An adult’s average heart rate is about 51 to 99 beats per minute. A person who has atrial fibrillation has many beats originating throughout the atria and bombarding the heart’s lower chambers 6 FAA Safety Briefing November/December 2010

S U S A N PA R S O N

When the Best

Made Plans

Go Awry

Photo by Adrian Eichhorn

As any test pilot could tell you, the

discipline of planning for both positive

and adverse outcomes is one of the most

essential elements in the mysterious

mix that makes up the “right stuff”

to be a pilot. The practice of planning

is, accordingly, threaded through all

aspects of aviation activity. Some of

our planning, such as developing the

information needed to file a flight plan

and conducting a preflight inspection,

is directed to ensure a normal outcome

as we fly from airport A to airport B in a

safe, legal, and expeditious manner.

November/December 2010 FAA Safety Briefing 7 The Scottish poet Robert Burns got it right the point that pilots need to plan for the unplanned when he wrote about the best made plans that can and have the tools necessary to handle scenarios go awry. This is why we do contingency planning, considered too unlikely to merit a specific checklist.

such as reviewing Planning for a Normal Outcome emergency-action This issue’s theme is handling abnormal and Basic flight planning is about planning the flight checklists and emergency situations associated with mechanical in such a way as to ensure that it is perfectly practicing engine- malfunctions. As the saying goes, the superior normal and completely unremarkable. out landings and pilot uses superior judgment to avoid abnormal or partial-panel emergency situations that would require the exercise approaches. This kind of planning is directed toward of superior piloting skills. That’s what basic flight dealing with abnormal and emergency situations planning is about: planning all aspects of the flight in that we can readily imagine or anticipate.

such a way to ensure that it is perfectly normal and But, as 19th-century Prussian general Helmuth completely unremarkable.

von Moltke famously observed, even the best The first step, of course, is ensuring the aircraft battle planning—essential though it is—rarely you fly is legally airworthy, which means it conforms survives contact with the enemy. This is a wry to its type certificate and all required maintenance acknowledgment that circumstances can sometimes and inspections have been accomplished. Bad things produce challenges no one could have specifically sometimes happen to machines between required planned to handle. The 1989 Flight 232 accident maintenance and inspection events, so the purpose in Sioux City, Iowa, when a DC-10 lost all three of preflight inspection is to make sure the aircraft hydraulic flight-control systems, provides a classic meets another airworthiness requirement: Be in example of the curveballs that real life can throw at condition for safe flight.

aircraft and pilots. That accident powerfully makes Because many preflight inspections find nothing amiss, it is dangerously easy to become complacent and, in essence, phone in the performance of your preflight inspection. Tempting as that may be, it is a bad call. Your best chance of avoiding an abnormal or emergency situation in the air is to discover the condition that might cause it while you are safely on terra firma.

If the same old routine is contributing to a less than thorough preflight, here are suggestions for jazzing it up. First, approach each item with a “something’s wrong” mentality, much as you would do in one of the preflight inspection contests you see at air shows. In a contest, you know someone has rigged the airplane with squawks and you look more carefully. Real life should be no different. In fact, the incentive to find the broken or missing parts is far greater than in a contest.

One technique is to consider reversing the order of your preflight inspection. If you normally Photo by James Williams start on the left side, try starting on the right. Or, if you normally start at the baggage door and move next to the empennage, try going next to the nose— stopping, of course, to inspect the areas in between.

Because it is less familiar, this technique will force you to pay closer attention than you normally might.

Two cautions: Always use the checklist to be sure you have covered all necessary items and do not use this technique if mechanical considerations dictate 8 FAA Safety Briefing November/December 2010 Photo by James Williams following the listed sequence. The bottom line: problems with your airplane. Consider Ensure you treat the preflight inspection with writing some of the emergency checklist all the care and seriousness it deserves.

items on index cards—one for each Another step to help ensure a normal situation—and clip them to your outcome is to pay attention to what your airplane kneeboard or tuck them into a readily is telling you on each flight. Whether you own your accessible pocket for quick retrieval.

aircraft or rely on rentals, chances are good that We can also prepare by you see the same equipment regularly. If you make borrowing the visualization a point to watch and note the various engine and technique that world-class athletes use to get system indications for each aircraft you fly, it will not mentally prepared. Test your mastery of the take long for you to develop a good sense of what abnormal and emergency procedures checklists by is normal. When you see indications outside those closing your eyes and visualizing the onset of the familiar parameters—even if they are still within the problem. Say out loud what you will do and then manufacturer’s acceptable limits—it is time to start reach out and “touch” the control or instrument you asking questions about why they changed.

have just mentioned. If you do not want to imagine it Today’s pilots have a huge advantage in terms of all, try this exercise while sitting in your airplane.

the many approved engine and system-monitoring Simulation is another great tool for planning devices available. These gadgets easily pay for and preparing yourself to handle abnormal themselves by helping you spot away-from-normal and emergency situations. It can be one of the trends at the earliest possible stage. Early detection best tools, since you can safely try things in the of the abnormal offers the best chance of avoiding an simulator that might create a real emergency if emergency situation that could eventually develop.

performed in an actual airplane.

Planning for Abnormal and Emergency The right stuff includes solid training, regular Today’s flight- Situations practice, and the discipline to strive for training devices for Even if you have done everything you can proficiency and perfection on every flight.

general aviation possibly do to ensure a normal outcome, stuff offer a tremendous happens. Engines fail. Vacuum pumps malfunction.

range of possibilities. With the assistance of a These are abnormal or emergency situations qualified instructor, you can experience engine common enough to have driven the development failures after takeoff and see why the 180-degree of situation-specific checklists. You will find turn (though tempting) is usually not a safe option.

these checklists in the emergency section of your You can see for yourself how subtle a vacuum Aircraft Flight Manual (AFM) or Pilot’s Operating failure can be in a conventionally-instrumented Handbook (POH).

aircraft or experience primary flight display (PFD) The key to handling these abnormal or and/or multi-function display (MFD) failures in emergency situations is—you guessed it—planning a simulated glass-cockpit aircraft. Your instructor and practice. Your flight instructor probably required can also give you practice with electrical failures, you to memorize the three to five boldface items control-system malfunctions, and more.

that typically lead each emergency or abnormal “Do not try this at home” is a familiar warning, procedures checklist. Do you remember those items but there are some things you can try at home in and review them regularly? If not, this is a good this area. Flight simulation software can let you place to start in your planning and preparation practice handling a variety of malfunctions and for handling abnormal or emergency mechanical failures. Indeed, most of these programs will allow November/December 2010 FAA Safety Briefing 9 you to set up random failures during a flight and let These are the times when all the other you experience them much as you would in real- “right stuff” elements come into play. When world flying. One of the biggest benefits of such circumstances conspire to create a Sioux City event, practice is the ability to experience both sudden there is no scrap of knowledge or skill that cannot and subtle failures, become familiar with their be put to use in meeting the challenge. For a good early indications, and practice overcoming the pilot, the right stuff includes solid training, regular natural human tendency toward denial (“this can’t practice, and the discipline to strive for proficiency be happening to me”) and rationalization (“it’s and perfection on every flight. It includes probably just a gauge problem”). understanding your aircraft’s systems—how they Finally, applications such as Google Earth™ work, how they fail, and how those failures could offer a whole new world of opportunity for planning affect other systems or controls. Know as much as what to do in situations, such as an engine failure. you possibly can—then learn more.

By “pre-flying” your planned route over the Google The right stuff also includes mastery of crew Earth map, you can acquaint yourself with terrain, resource management (CRM), which is relevant and obstacles, city layouts, and, in case you need them, applicable even if you are a crew of one. A pilot with suitable off-field landing sites. good CRM skills is one who has strong situational awareness of the aircraft and its flight path, and also Planning for the Unplanned of the range of resources, e.g., air traffic control, that Now you know how to plan for a normal outcome can assist. Finally, the right stuff includes planning, and how to prepare for certain kinds of routine which can make all the difference between normal abnormal and emergency situations. Yet, what, if and abnormal or emergency situations.

anything, can you do to prepare for what we’ll call Sioux City events, or those failures and malfunctions Susan Parson is a special assistant in the FAA Flight Standards Service. She is considered so unlikely they are not addressed in the an active general aviation pilot and flight instructor.

AFM/POH emergency procedures section?

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D O U G S T E WA R T

Between

a a n d a

Handling a Partial-Power Takeoff

here is a lot of information and advice available mid-70s, the air was smooth with light and about how to handle an engine failure. variable winds on the ground, and the high T Though I am not minimizing its seriousness, pressure helped to create visibilities that do not a complete engine failure (especially if it occurs get much better, especially in New England. My during cruise flight) does have some advantages. best friend and I flew up to visit a retired FAA First, emergency approach and landing after a safety program manager and his wife. We had a complete engine failure is a skill we learn early in wonderful visit; I was thinking this had been my flight training and then practice throughout our best day of the summer.

flying careers. Second, there are well-established Driving back to the airport, we meandered checklists for handling an engine-out emergency. on a dirt road through gentle hills and thick forest Third, and I learned this from the experience I am and suddenly emerged at the airport. The only Photo by James Williams about to describe, a complete engine failure has real indication that we were at an airport was a the advantage of simplifying decision-making. windsock, a couple of hangars, and my parked Assuming that the restart checklist has not Cessna Cardinal RG. Although the runway had produced the desired effect, your priorities are to fly the airplane, choose the best available landing spot you can reach, and land under control at the slowest possible airspeed.

As I discovered a few summers ago, it can get a lot more complicated when you discover that the engine is producing partial power after been dirt for many years, it was now asphalt. It was takeoff, especially when flying from an airport with not flat, but had a rolling contour similar to the trees rising at the departure end. end of a roller coaster ride.

The airport narrowed toward the departure It All Seemed So Perfect end, with rising, wooded terrain on both sides and It was late August, one of the most beautiful trees at both ends. I remember thinking that density days of the year. The temperatures were in the altitude would not be an issue, given moderate November/December 2010 FAA Safety Briefing 11 temperatures, high pressure, dry air, and a field I did not have many options or much time to elevation of only 510 feet. The windsock indicated consider even the few I had. Remembering that light winds at about 3 knots, favoring a departure to lowering flaps can have a momentary balloon the southwest. The winds would not be much help, effect, I extended them another 10 degrees to help especially in clearing the trees, but it was better than us over the tops.

having no wind.

Back Side of the Power Curve Something’s Not Right Here The balloon maneuver got us over the initial After a thorough pre-flight inspection, we fired stand of trees, but it was costly in energy and up the Cardinal . We completed an uneventful run- airspeed. With more trees just ahead, I quickly up and ran the before- needed to increase both. But, with power already takeoff checklists, set at maximum and no way to repeat the balloon My best techniques were not enough to then taxied to the end maneuver with flaps, there were even fewer options.

overcome the fact that we did not have the of the runway. I was Recognizing that retracting flaps would produce a power—or the airspeed—to climb fast flying from the right settling effect, I had to eliminate some of the drag.

seat, which after so I retracted the flaps back to the 10-degree setting, enough to clear the pine trees.

many years of flight turned toward the lowest of the trees, and considered instructing, is a natural and comfortable position. what to do about the still-extended landing gear.

Holding the brakes, I applied full power and Gear in transition produces the worst climb rate, confirmed that we had the proper manifold pressure, but I had no hope of achieving best climb with it RPM, and oil-pressure indications before I released extended. I opted to raise the gear.

the brakes. With maximum power still applied, I Now, returning to airspeed. Here we were on released the brakes and started the takeoff roll. the back side of the power curve with trees fast Watching to confirm that the airspeed indicator approaching. In case you’ve forgotten that concept, was alive, I saw the airspeed come up to 55 mph the back side of the power curve exists whenever indicated airspeed. Then I noticed it drop back down there is insufficient power to overcome the induced to about 52 mph. I momentarily considered aborting drag created by high angles of attack. Continuing to the takeoff, but we were already about two-thirds increase pitch would result in the airplane sinking, down the runway and rather than climbing, and could lead to a stall.

the possibility of not It was very clear the engine was not making being able to stop before enough power for us to climb. I would have to lower Why didn’t I abort the takeoff at the first the end of the runway the pitch attitude to accelerate back to Vx, but we instant I had that thought?

ran through my mind. were still below even the lowest of the trees. I was As quickly as I had that thought, I saw the truly between a rock and a hard spot: I could not airspeed reach our rotation speed of 65 mph; I increase pitch without stalling and losing control of elected to continue the takeoff. After we rotated, I the airplane. Although I knew that lowering pitch positioned the pitch attitude to achieve a best-angle was the only way to gain the airspeed I needed, speed (Vx) of 72 mph (slightly lower than the max anything lower than my current pitch attitude would gross Vx of 75 mph). My best efforts and techniques surely put us into the treetops.

were not enough to overcome the fact that we did not have the power—or the airspeed—to climb fast enough to comfortably clear the pine trees whose tops we were rapidly approaching.

Photo by Ken Peppard 12 FAA Safety Briefing November/December 2010 Hoping I could buy a few more feet and a little more time, I worked the pitch in an effort to keep As Easy As A-B-C us above both stall speed and the trees. The stall Emergency approaches were one of the hardest warning horn sounded intermittently. I thought areas to master when I was learning to fly. I struggled we just might make it, but then the propeller hit a to remember what to do first, fumbled around the sky branch. The airplane yawed and banked to the right looking for the best field, and constantly lost my place and then pitched down as we descended through on the emergency checklist.

branches and leaves.

I eventually came across a simple ABC checklist for When the airplane came to a stop, I found I emergencies, which calls for an immediate focus on the had been thrown left to the limits of my seat and most important tasks. Over the years, I added a few let - shoulder belts. My side of the cockpit was crushed ters and developed the concept into a detailed outline in and offered no exit. My friend in the left seat was for ground and flight training. It works. Even the most unconscious, so I released my seatbelt and managed flustered flier can instantly recall the alphabet. The to crawl across her to get to the door. Once outside checklist is structured to stimulate recall of the right tasks in the right sequence.

the airplane, I was determining how to get her out when a firefighter appeared. He and a second Airspeed. Memorize best glide speed and try not to firefighter quickly took charge.

lose any altitude until reaching that speed. Once there, trim the aircraft for hands-off glide.

Lessons Learned Best field. Note wind direction and strength, then We were both fortunate to make a full recovery current position. Are you directly over a suitable field from our injuries. For me, the physical recovery now? Is there a suitable field at downwind position?

was the least of it; the bruises were also mental Is there a suitable field at base or final position? Also, and emotional. I spent many a sleepless night note present altitude relative to traffic pattern altitude, going over and over the accident and the events or 800 to 1,000 feet above ground level (AGL). Are you that led up to it. I tend to be harsh on myself, but too high or too low? How can you fix it—flaps, extend, being harsh is how I continually strive to learn and slips, S-turns?

improve as a pilot.

Checklist. Start with a flow pattern across the There were many unanswered questions. The panel. If altitude and circumstances permit, review the most important one was: What could I, or should written restart checklist. Under all circumstances, it’s I, have done differently to avert this disaster? That more important to fly the airplane than to check the list.

question led to more: Why didn’t I abort the takeoff Declare an emergency. Note current position and at the first instant I had that thought? Why had then tune the radio to 121.5 MHz, which should already I continued and lifted off as soon as we reached be in the standby position. When making the mayday rotation speed? What was I thinking?

call, state who (tail number), what, where, and how I knew there was an airspeed abnormality, many aboard. Set the transponder to 7700.

which led to my early thoughts of aborting the Exit preparation. Prepare the passengers for the takeoff. Like many pilots, I was more concerned landing. Ensure seatbelts are tightened, then brief about running off the end of the runway and passengers on exit procedures and assignments. Make damaging my airplane. But, it was almost game sure the first aid/survival equipment is in a convenient over. In the few seconds I had to consider place and prepare the aircraft, for example, cracking the situation, I simply did not figure out the open doors, if the Pilot’s Operating Handbook/Aircraft consequences of trying to climb out over trees with Flight Manual so directs.

less than maximum power.

Fire prevention. Shut the fuel off, along with the There was also a sense of complacency at three Ms: mixture, mags, and master. Ensure the fire work. I knew my airplane and the engine had been extinguisher is close at hand.

running well. There were no issues with density Ground plan. Touch down at the slowest possible altitude. Weight and balance was not a concern.

airspeed, and then evacuate the aircraft. Account for I was confident that my Cardinal would have no everyone and use the first aid/survival equipment as problems in clearing trees that stood more than needed.

2,500 feet from the start of our takeoff roll. I was — Susan Parson so confident, I saw no need to make the actual performance calculations.

November/December 2010 FAA Safety Briefing 13 Nevertheless, I had sensed something was emphasis on “performance and limitations; and amiss. It reminded me of Ernest Gann’s Fate is the short-field takeoff with maximum performance Hunter when the author notes: climb.” In preparing for the oral portion of this exercise, I pored over my airplane’s performance … I already sense something is wrong. We tables to calculate the performance I should have are halfway down the runway and have only had on the day of the crash. Even with a fudge factor achieved sixty miles an hour … Appreciation for a 30-year-old airframe, the book said I needed through habit is nearly instantaneous, but only 1,560 feet (including a 960-foot ground roll) to understanding is not. What the [expletive deleted] clear a 50-foot obstacle.

is wrong now? … Yet all is apparently in order.

As I made these computations, I realized my These are the moments of truth in a pilot’s life major mistake. The first number you obtain from the when he must decide within seconds whether he performance charts is for the ground roll. How often, should abandon take-off and jump the brakes, or however, do we move on to consider whether there fully commit his airplane to flight.

will be sufficient distance from the obstacle to clear it? Had I done the planning—with all the correct Gann made the same choice I did. He fully committed. He broke ground and lumbered out information relative to density altitude, wind, weight and balance, and runway surface and gradient—I of ground effect only to would have known I needed 960 feet for the ground realize that he would not Regardless of how many hours in your roll, with the rest needed to clear the obstacle.

clear a bigger obstruction logbook, the learning never ends.

than trees—the Taj Mahal— In my case, the airspeed faltered at a point 200 feet beyond the 960 feet of ground-roll distance. Had without non-standard action. And, just as I did in order I done the calculations, I would have known my only to clear the first set of trees in my path, he deployed choice was to abort. That choice might have led to more flaps, which ballooned him to barely clear the spike of the first minaret and then the second. some damage to the airplane, but it would have kept an abnormal airspeed indication from developing A Do-Over into a life-threatening emergency.

In case you’re wondering, check out chapter 13.

Regardless of how many hours in your logbook, Gann arrived at his destination to learn that, contrary the learning never ends. Thankfully, I am alive to to his fuel order, the tanks had been topped off. He keep learning.

was operating with 3 tons more weight than he had planned to carry. In my case, the NTSB determined Doug Stewart is the 2004 National CFI of the Year, a Master CFI, and a that “the engine failed to produce sufficient power to DPE. He is also chair of the Society of Aviation and Flight Educators and climb for an undetermined reason.” operates DSFI, Inc. (www.dsflight.com), based at the Columbia County Regardless of the engine’s role, I know I played Airport (1B1) in Hudson, N.Y.

one. As is often the case after an accident, the FAA © 2010 Doug Stewart required me to take a re-certification check ride to Written permission from the author is required to reprint this copyrighted article.

the Commercial Pilot Practical Test Standards with Photo by James Williams November/December 2010 14 FAA Safety Briefing

M E R E D I T H T C H E R N I AV S K Y

Aw, Chute!

Making the Pull-Parachute Decision

Photo courtesy of Cirrus very pilot since the inception of powered flight data over the last 20 years suggests that off-airport more than a century ago has learned—and some landings have serious—and sometimes fatal— E learned the hard way—that if your single engine consequences. Recent data suggests, however, quits, you have no choice but to fly the airplane all that deploying an the way to the ground. But, what if your airplane airframe parachute, It’s crucial to develop your own pull-or-land is equipped with an airframe parachute system if one is available, criteria before you leave the ground.

that would greatly increase chances of survival for increases the all onboard in the event of a catastrophic engine odds of survival, failure? Would you still attempt a forced landing and especially in situations where the pilot loses control hope that your power-off short-field technique is up of the airplane due to physical incapacitation or to the task? structural failure.

For pilots who own or fly airplanes outfitted How an Airplane Packs a Parachute with an airframe parachute, the opportunity is there While parachutes for light GA airplanes are to deploy the parachute and allow the airplane to proliferating, I have the greatest familiarity with make a safe and steady descent toward the ground.

those installed in Cirrus airplanes and will use However, pilots may struggle with the chute-pull this particular make and model as the basis for decision, having learned through many hours of discussion in this article.

flight training that the instinctual response to an All airplanes manufactured by Cirrus are engine failure in a single-engine airplane is to delivered with what is known as the Cirrus Airframe trim for best glide speed and set up for a power-off Parachute System, or CAPS. The parachute system’s approach to whatever suitable surface lies below.

design and operation is fairly simple. A harness This is why it is crucial to establish some embedded in the aircraft’s skin is attached to the criteria before you ever leave the ground for making fuselage and connected to a parachute located the pull-or-land decision. The NTSB’s accident November/December 2010 FAA Safety Briefing 15 when and how you would use the system. The emergency section states, “The Cirrus Airframe Parachute System (CAPS) should be activated in the event of a life-threatening emergency where CAPS deployment is determined to be safer than continued flight and landing.” You Are Still Pilot in Command The fact that Cirrus leaves the CAPS deployment decision up to the pilot is consistent with the pilot in command’s authority and responsibility outlined in Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations (14 CFR) part Photo by Tom Hoffmann 91. However, the independent, not-for-profit Cirrus Owners and Pilots Association (COPA, of which the inside the empennage. The parachute is extracted by author is a member) takes a much stronger stance a small rocket activated by pulling a handle inside on the system’s use. As COPA founder and president the cockpit. In a few seconds the parachute opens.

Rick Beach has stated at COPA safety seminars, “Way And, consistent with following the Pilot’s Operating too many accident reports show that the pilot had Handbook (POH) Emergency Procedures for CAPS the opportunity, the altitude, and the airspeed, but Deployment, all forward velocity is gone, and the died without activating the parachute that has saved aircraft begins to descend under the canopy in a 70 lives in similar circumstances.” slightly nose-low attitude.

The pilot of a Cirrus SR22 that crashed approximately 2.5 miles west-northwest of Strom It’s Not About Saving the Airplane!

Field Airport in Morton, Wash., on March 19, 2010, Once the system is deployed, the aircraft may have wished he had done just that. According occupants are essentially along for the ride. The to the preliminary NTSB report, the private pilot flight controls will not have any effect and the was killed and the passenger sustained serious aircraft will float in the direction of the prevailing injuries after the pilot attempted to land the airplane wind. Altitude loss during deployment of the chute following an engine failure in VFR conditions.

depends on a variety of factors. Although altitude According to a preliminary briefing by the NTSB, the losses of fewer than 400 feet have been demonstrated pilot of another aircraft reported hearing a mayday from level flight deployments, FAA aerospace call from the accident aircraft indicating that the engineer Wess Rouse notes, “Certain conditions may Cirrus was “dead sticked and did not think he would require considerably make the airport.” more altitude for the You must have a clear understanding of the The passenger of the accident airplane told the parachute to fully open, NTSB that the pilot suddenly placed his hands on system’s limitations as well as its benefits.

as covered in the Cirrus the controls, told her the engine had lost power, and POH.” Under canopy, that they were going to land at a nearby airport. He the aircraft descent rate will stabilize, and according entered a steep right turn toward the airport. The to the POH, “impact in a fully stabilized deployment passenger could not recall hearing anything unusual.

is equivalent to a drop from approximately 13 feet.” The passenger also indicated the pilot had discussed Interestingly, the POH for both the Cirrus the CAPS with her prior to the trip and showed her SR20 and SR22 instructs pilots to establish best how to activate it in the event of an emergency. The glide speed and maneuver for a forced landing if passenger reported that the pilot did not attempt to all attempts to restart the engine fail. Of CAPS, the activate the CAPS.

Airplane and Systems Description section says: “The After impacting trees, the airplane came to system is intended to save the lives of the occupants, rest in a rural residential area on soft terrain used but will most likely destroy the aircraft and may, in for gardening. Multiple fence posts and rails were adverse circumstances, cause serious injury or death dislodged and found at the main wreckage site.

to the occupants.” The wings and forward fuselage area sustained Accordingly, it is important to carefully read significant impact damage. All control surfaces the CAPS descriptions in Section 3, Emergency remained attached. There was no fire.

Procedures, and in Section 10, Safety, and consider 16 FAA Safety Briefing November/December 2010 Might the pilot have lived and his passenger continue to practice simulated engine-out landings spared serious injury if he had deployed the CAPS? under safe conditions.

It’s impossible to know for sure, but another recent Think as well about the nature of the terrain Cirrus engine failure ended successfully after the you expect to traverse. Even with a parachute, a pilot chose to use the CAPS. forced landing in rugged terrain or water will present According to the NTSB’s preliminary challenges you need to consider and, as appropriate, information, “the airplane was in level cruise flight mitigate. A pilot operating a parachute-equipped at 11,000 feet when the engine lost power. The pilot aircraft also needs to think a little differently about tried to glide to the nearest airport, McCurtain the implications of engine failure over a congested County Regional. When he realized he would be area. Though all pilots who lose engine power have unable to extend the glide, he deployed the ballistic somewhat limited options, remember that your parachute.” The parachute opened properly “and ability to actively steer the aircraft, that is, direct it ground impact caused substantial damage to the away from populated areas, disappears when you are landing gear and wing.” under canopy.

There are no hard and fast textbook answers to Personal Minimums for Parachute Pull these questions; on the contrary, much depends on What can we learn from these and other the specific circumstances. Still, you will always be accidents? As with any aircraft, you need to know the better off if your flight preparations have included a system cold. If you fly an airplane that’s equipped healthy dose of “what if” thinking and planning.

with a parachute system, that means having a clear understanding of its limitations as well as its Meredith Tcherniavsky is an instrument flight instructor in the Washington, benefits. For instance, remember that the parachute D.C., area.

cannot help you if you experience an engine failure © 2010 Meredith Tcherniavsky at an altitude too low for it to deploy, e.g., engine Written permission from the author is required to reprint this copyrighted article.

failure upon takeoff. For that reason, you should An example of an airframe parachute system installed in a Flight Design light-sport aircraft. Systems like these are available as factory options or standard equipment, or via supplemental type certificate on a growing number of aircraft.

Photo courtesy of Flight Design USA November/December 2010 FAA Safety Briefing 17

S U S A N PA R S O N

Checklist

TEM-Work

No, that is not a typo. Teamwork in the form operational events on the ground or during flight.

of crew resource management (CRM) is certainly The researchers note that flight crew errors generally important for both preventing and handling fall into one of three categories: aircraft handling abnormal and emergency situations, but so is the mistakes; procedural errors, e.g., deviation from concept of threat and error management (TEM). regulations or standard operating procedures; and The TEM concept originated in the 1990s, when communication errors.

the University of Texas Human Factors Research Undesired state refers to a position, speed, Project and a major U.S. air carrier teamed up to attitude, or configuration of an aircraft that results evaluate CRM behavior in real- from flight crew error, actions, or inaction and clearly world operations. Through reduces safety margins. The researchers concluded Since human beings make mistakes observations gained in these that the crew’s ability to detect, identify, and and stuff happens, pilots must learn structured evaluations, called manage (mitigate) the undesired state makes all the to manage threats and errors that Line Operations Safety Audits difference. On an unstable approach, for instance, a compromise safety.

(LOSA), the researchers became crew that recognizes the condition and takes prompt interested in threat and error management as an and proper corrective action can return the flight to a umbrella way of looking at human performance in normal condition. If, however, the crew mismanages the context of actual aviation operations. this condition, the undesired state could develop into an incident or accident.

The Elements of TEM Managing Threats and Errors Although the principles and practices of Aeronautical Decision Making, CRM, and the To manage threats and errors, the flight crew myriad regulations, policies, and procedures pilots must constantly work to anticipate, recognize, and follow are designed to prevent errors to the greatest recover. Think of anticipation as Murphy’s Law: possible extent, a key part of the TEM concept is that If something can go wrong, it will. Anticipation human beings still make mistakes, and stuff happens leads to vigilance, which contributes to recognizing notwithstanding our best efforts. Since these threats, errors, and undesired states in time to take threats and errors can create undesired states that corrective action. Recovery, of course, is the process undermine safety, TEM posits that pilots must learn of efficiently eliminating the undesired state.

to manage them. The authors of TEM describe it as both a philosophy A formal paper by Ashleigh Merritt and James of safety and a practical set of techniques. Used as such, Klinect, two of the University of Texas researchers, it can make you a better—and safer—pilot.

formally defines the three TEM elements as follows: Threats are events or errors that (a) occur outside Susan Parson is a Special Assistant in the FAA’s Flight Standards Service. She the influence of the flight crew, i.e., not caused by is an active general aviation pilot and flight instructor.

the crew; (b) increase the operational complexity of a flight; and (c) require crew attention and For More Information management in order to maintain safety margins.

Threats can include mechanical malfunctions, bad Defensive Flying for Pilots: An Introduction to Threat and weather, high terrain, or mistakes made by others.

Error Management by Ashleigh Merritt, Ph.D. and James Errors are flight-crew actions or inactions that Klinect, Ph.D. (The University of Texas Human Factors Research Project - LOSA Collaborative) December 2006.

(a) lead to a deviation from crew or organizational http://homepage.psy.utexas.edu/homepage/group/helmreichlab/ intentions or expectations; (b) reduce safety publications/pubfiles/TEM.Paper.12.6.06.pdf margins; and (c) increase the probability of adverse 18 FAA Safety Briefing November/December 2010

Right Side Up

W I L L A L L E N t’s a beautiful day, and you are flying surface of the attitudes an airplane can your single-engine general aviation achieve in controlled flight with a pilot who I airplane. Life is good. On approach to your knows how to maintain that control.

destination airport, the controller issues a Aerobatic training can help you achieve traffic advisory for the jetliner landing ahead the goal of control. This does not mean of you and the standard “caution, wake you have to learn to tumble an airplane or turbulence” advisory. Rummaging through induce fighter-pilot level load factors (“Gs,” your mental filing cabinet, you fish out the as aerobatic pilots say) on your body. On the file on techniques for avoiding wake. You contrary, most think you are following the right procedures, of what you and then—whoa! In the blink of an eye, your already know A pilot whose logbook includes a few hours attitude whips from upbeat to upside down. about unusual of basic aerobatic instruction has a much Scary stuff. But it doesn’t have to be. attitudes better chance at successfully completing a Although any kind of aircraft upset close to and upset life-saving attitude adjustment.

the ground can be dangerous, a pilot whose recoveries Photo by Tom Hoffmann logbook includes even a few hours of basic can give you a sense of the range of possible aerobatic instruction, including training attitudes. Even if you aren’t interested in on spin entries and recoveries, has a much spending a lot of time flying upside down, better chance at completing a life-saving you will have a lot more knowledge, skill, and attitude adjustment. This is because pilots confidence if you have experienced it and who have never seen brown on the up side learned to recover from upsets and extreme and blue below are almost certain to react unusual attitudes.

Right Way Back

intuitively and try to pull up. Unfortunately, Doing the right thing in a timely way is pulling up in such situations is a sure extremely important if, as in our opening recipe for going down. A pilot who has had scenario, an unexpected wake turbulence aerobatic training, on the other hand, will encounter puts you in a bad attitude in have the training and experience to properly close proximity to the ground. Learning right the airplane. to perform basic rolls and to recover from inverted flight will help you tremendously in Opening the (Flight) Envelope such a situation.

Your basic pilot training no doubt The Spin on Spins included steep turns, unusual attitudes, and

The

stalls. These are among the building blocks How about spins? Unless you are in of flight training, but they only scratch the an aircraft designed for spin entries and November/December 2010 FAA Safety Briefing 19 standard spin recovery integrated with the most effective techniques.

• P = Power idle • A = Ailerons neutral • R = Rudder full opposite the spin • E = Elevator forward through neutral When rotation stops, neutralize the rudder and recover to a level attitude.

Photo by Tom Hoffmann Right Airplane, Right Instructor As with most skills, reading the directions and recoveries, and have been properly trained by a understanding the concepts is necessary, but not qualified instructor, you would probably agree that a sufficient for mastery. Whether with rolls, loops, spin qualifies as an abnormal or emergency situation.

spins, or inverted flight, you have to do them to You learned the recipe for spins in your initial really learn and build the reflexes to automatically pilot training. A full review of spin aerodynamics make the right actions in unusual and unexpected is beyond the scope of this article, but the basic attitudes. Be sure, though, that you fly with a ingredients for a spin are a stall and yaw that will qualified instructor, and that you experience then couple with roll and produce an autorotation the extremes of flight in an airframe designed around the spin axis. The aircraft follows a to handle the higher load factors imposed by corkscrew path, and the pilot’s absolutely natural aerobatic maneuvers.

instinct—to attempt a roll correction with aileron— Even the most basic aerobatic training will is absolutely wrong. That’s another reason you contribute to better control and greater confidence might want to consider basic aerobatic training that as a pilot.

includes spin entries and recoveries.

Whether or not you take that route, it’s a good idea to review spin recovery procedures on a regular Will Allen is a professional air show performer and FAA-certificated flight basis. I cannot stress enough the importance of instructor who offers aerobatic and spin training in a Super Decathlon consulting the Pilot’s Operating Handbook (POH) through his company Flip Side Aerobatics ( www.flipsideaerobatics.com ), for spin recovery information for your particular located in Seattle, Wash., and Tucson, Ariz.

airplane. In general, though, it helps to remember © 2010 Will Allen the PARE® approach. PARE is a fairly new acronym Written permission from the author is required to reprint this copyrighted article.

as a memory aid for the elements in NASA’s Photo by James Wiliams 20 FAA Safety Briefing November/December 2010

M E L O. C I N T R O N

Vertically Speaking

Coming Soon … to a Landing Pad near You

Helicopters save lives. That is a popular image procedure implementation, pilot decisions, of vertical flight—the helicopter emergency medical landing procedure, flight profile, pilot/aircraft services (HEMS) team swooping in, hovering, interface, or crew resource management.

recovering, and then flying to the hospital. But, 2. Data issues. The investigator did not have access helicopters also take lives. Sometimes it is in HEMS to a complete investigation and/or received flights where lives are lost, but it is not the segment inadequate information. (While arguably not of the helicopter industry with the greatest number a hole in the cheese, better investigations have of accidents.

greater potential to help identify problem areas As Helicopter Association International and prevent future accidents.)

(HAI) President Matt Zuccaro, who co-chairs the 3. Safety management. The lack of (or International Helicopter Safety Team (IHST) with the inadequate) corporate safety management FAA, explains, “The segments of our industry with systems, failure to follow/enforce standard the highest accident rates are training and personal operating procedures, or disregard of a known flying. Yet, HEMS accidents receive a large amount of safety risk, among other issues.

press coverage.

4. Pilot situational awareness. Pilot unaware of “The industry segments with the highest hazard proximity, weather, or aerodynamic proportion of accidents—training activities and state.

personal flights conducted by private owners— 5. Ground duties. Includes lack of proper do not receive similar media coverage,” Zuccaro preflight inspections, mission planning, or continues. “These areas have not received the passenger briefings.

attention they truly deserve.” The FAA, HAI, IHST, and others throughout 6. System/component failure. A system or the helicopter community are changing that. We’ve component failure of the helicopter, engine, written before about the work being done to identify the leading causes of helicopter accidents and to develop targeted measures to address those causes.

The Joint Helicopter Safety Analysis Team (JHSAT) is the IHST group that has been analyzing NTSB reports of U.S. helicopter accidents and cataloging the issues that, when combined, resulted in accidents.

As JHSAT team lead Jim Grigg explains, “Using an approach similar to Professor James Reason’s ‘Swiss-cheese’ model of accident causation, we identified the holes that, when lined up, resulted in an accident. If any of the holes were not present, the accident may not have occurred.” The holes, or Standard Problem Statements in the JHSAT vernacular, are ranked by their frequency.

Photo by Tom Hoffmann After analyzing 523 U.S. helicopter accidents, here are the top ten Standard Problem Statements for helicopter safety: 1. Pilot judgment/actions. Flaws noted in November/December 2010 FAA Safety Briefing 21

or special-mission equipment due to design or maintenance.

7. Mission risk. Operating on a mission with inherent risk, e.g., aerial application or firefighting, where low/slow or pilot-intensive flight is a necessary mission component.

alling

8. Maintenance. The helicopter was released from maintenance in an unairworthy condition or there was non-compliance to the

All

Instructions for Continued Airworthiness or airworthiness directives.

Mechanics

9. Post-crash survival. Cited in cases where technology, e.g., crashworthy fuel systems or emergency locator transmitters, could have mitigated the accident’s severity.

Keep Informed with

10. Regulatory. Lack of regulatory oversight and/ or insufficient regulations.

FAA’s Aviation

We will talk more about causes and

Maintenance Alerts

interventions in upcoming columns. As for the leading cause—pilot judgment/actions—for one, Aviation Maintenance Alerts (Advisory Circular this year the FAA Safety Team and HAI are co- 43.16A) provide a communication channel to share leading an initiative to conduct regional helicopter information on aviation service experiences.

safety seminars around the nation.

Prepared monthly, they are based on information Each seminar will have a session If you fly or maintain helicopters, FAA receives from people who operate and that focuses on operations unique check out: www.ihst.org.

maintain civil aeronautical products.

to that region and a second session will focus on the highest-risk activities and target The Alerts , which provide notice of conditions pilots, aviation maintenance technicians, and reported via a Malfunction or Defect Report or a instructors. The seminars are complemented with Service Difficulty Report, help improve aeronautical training materials on www.FAASafety.gov as well as product durability, reliability, and safety.

with focused resources through FAA’s WINGS pilot proficiency program.

Recent Alerts cover: Since there is such a wide range of uses, • Frayed aileron cable on a Cessna 172S operators, and operating environments, improving helicopter safety requires a comprehensive • Chafed rudder cable and cracked fuel tanks approach. A crucial first step is working from facts on Diamond DA42 and data—not perception. The essential next step is • Leaking dipstick housing on a Continental collaboratively working throughout the helicopter IO-550-C engine community to address the problem areas.

Check out Aviation Maintenance Alerts at: http://www.faa.gov/aircraft/safety/alerts/ Mel O. Cintron, manager of FAA’s General Aviation and Commercial Division, aviation_maintenance/ holds a commercial pilot certificate—rotorcraft/helicopter, airplane single- engine land with private pilot privileges—and an airframe and powerplant certificate with inspection authorization.

22 FAA Safety Briefing November/December 2010

DAV E S WA R T Z

Why Should I Buy a

406 MHz ELT?

It was not a dark and stormy night, at least not yet.

That April day was a fairly typical day in south-central Alaska. Spring was in the air and the weather was nice, but winter in Alaska does not give up easily. That fateful morning, Richard (names have been changed) took off in an Astar helicopter with three telecommunications technicians on board for the short trip from Anchorage to several transmitters located on the hills around Anchorage, Palmer, and Wasilla. At the first stop, Richard dropped off George, one of the techs, and agreed to pick him up at about 1:00 p.m.

The idea was to get in, do the job, and get out before an approaching storm.

Photo by H Dean Chamberlain November/December 2010 FAA Safety Briefing 23 Another tech, John, had arranged to take his The pilot knew he was in trouble. The aircraft 15-year-old stepson, Jack, along. John and Jack was in the so-called dead man’s curve, too low and met the helicopter at a rest stop along the Glenn too slow for autorotation, but the pilot did what he Highway outside Palmer. Jack was excited to get could. He shouted, “Hold on! We are going to crash.” to fly in a helicopter. He Just before the Astar hit, he pulled collective and thought about how cool slowed the impact as much as possible, but they How to take the search out of search it was that a helicopter still hit hard. The helicopter went into a ravine; its and rescue: 406 ELT plus GPS.

could fly sideways as the fall arrested by some willow brush and about 4 feet pilot picked the ship up and spun it around on of snow. After the helicopter came to rest, someone its axis as they lifted off. The helicopter headed shouted for everyone to get out. At least one of the up the valley toward a communications site near other adults was still alive.

the small town of Chickaloon in the Talkeetna Help Is (Not Yet) on the Way Mountains. As they flew off, dark clouds were This helicopter was equipped with an older already visible on the horizon.

emergency locator transmitter (ELT) that operates Meanwhile, about 50 miles southeast at Kulis on the 121.5 MHz frequency instead of the new Air Force Base, a Sikorsky HH-60 Pave Hawk , pride 406 MHz frequency. It also had a commercial of the Alaska Air National Guard 210th Rescue satellite-based tracking system on board. At 9:30 that Squadron, sat on the pad, fueled and ready to go.

morning, the system sent a message to a computer at Thirty miles to the east, or about 20 minutes in corporate headquarters that the aircraft was overdue.

a Pave Hawk , is the town of Palmer. The Mat-Su Unfortunately, no one was watching the screen.

Medical Center has a well-equipped trauma center At 11:21 a.m., two hours after the Astar hit with 22 beds. It also has a helipad.

the ravine, the SARSAT satellite (which was still Accidents Happen monitoring 121.5 at that point) picked up an ELT Most kids in Alaska are taught to be prepared; signal from one of the old 121.5 ELTs. No one in Jack was no exception. He had brought along a the Rescue Coordination Center (RCC) knew of small backpack with lunch and two bottles of water. an overdue aircraft, so the duty crew followed At 9:23 a.m., Jack dropped the backpack on the procedure and began a telephone search. Because helicopter’s fuel-control lever. No one had told him it was a 121.5 ELT, they didn’t know whom to call.

to be careful of the levers on the floor. A sudden You see, a 121.5 ELT is not very smart. It does not surge of fuel entered the Turbomeca engine, and the transmit any identification information. All the RCC turbine quickly began to overspeed. Within seconds, could do at that point was to call the troopers and the engine hit 150 percent of its design speed and see if they knew anything. They did not.

the turbine blades began to shed. The engine At 1:00 p.m., two things happened. The first was quickly lost power. that George, the tech who had been dropped on the Photo by H Dean Chamberlain 24 FAA Safety Briefing November/December 2010 mountaintop, began to get worried. He expected Unfortunately, Jack’s stepdad John, the pilot to be picked up at 1:00 p.m., but no helicopter was Richard, and the other two techs had passed away in sight and the weather was starting to close in. by the time the troopers arrived. Jack could not Being a tech-savvy guy with a lot of gear, he called remember what occurred that night, so we will never the shop. They told him to sit tight and wait. By 2:00 know exactly what happened. We do know that at p.m., George was worried enough to call the shop least one person in addition to Jack survived the again. The shop started to try to raise the helicopter impact and, based on indications from seatbelts in over the radio, with no answer. At 3:40 p.m., the shop the helicopter, another probably did as well.

placed the call that no one wants to make: They A Different Outcome called the FAA and reported the helicopter overdue.

Why do I tell you this story? It comes down to Needle in a Haystack the 406 ELT. That same winter, another airplane The second event at 1:00 p.m. was that the RCC had an incident in approximately the same area. In decided to launch—only they had no idea where that case, the aircraft was equipped with a 406 ELT.

to send the Pave Hawk . In fact, the RCC still didn’t Within 20 minutes after triggering the new 406 ELT, know that there really was an aircraft down. After all, the pilot was aboard a Pave Hawk . Odds are that 121.5 ELTs have a large false-call rate; they can be if Jack’s helicopter had been equipped with a 406 triggered by things like microwave ovens. After the ELT, rescuers would have been RCC received the overdue aircraft news that George’s on scene in about the same Another benefit is that 406 ELTs shop had provided, they had a general idea where to amount of time instead of 22 transmit an electronic ID number.

look, but still no specifics about where the crash site hours. They may have been able might be. The problem now was the weather. to get the survivors to the trauma center during the The storm hit at 2:00 p.m. Visibility fell to between golden hour for emergency medicine. With a 406 one and two miles in snow. The Pave Hawk tried to ELT, Richard, John, and the other two techs may enter the valley two times where they thought the have had a fighting chance.

accident site might be; twice they were turned back by What makes a 406 such a big improvement?

weather. Soon, the Civil Air Patrol and the Alaska State First, SARSAT can locate a 406 ELT quickly and Troopers joined the search. accurately. SARSAT no longer receives 121.5 ELTs, At the accident scene, Jack was scared. It was mostly because the system was flooded with false getting cold and the snow had begun to fall. Back alarms. When 121.5 ELTs were still being received, it on the mountaintop, George faced the fact that he took two satellite passes and 45 to 90 minutes to get was going to have a long cold night alone at the a lock. With the new GEOSAR satellite, though, the equipment shack. location lock time is down to one pass and about 5 As night fell, the searchers had to face the hard minutes. Another difference is that 121.5 ELTs could reality that continuing to fly in the mountains in the only be located to within a 12 to 25 nautical-mile dark in a blizzard was tantamount to suicide. They radius, so the search area was huge. Even without a were forced to return to base. By now, the ground GPS signal, the new 406 ELTs can locate you within searchers had the bit in their teeth and, despite the 2 to 3 nautical miles and, with a GPS, that drops to conditions, crews from Alaska Mountain Search within around 100 yards.

and Rescue, the Alaska State Troopers, and the Air In other words, 406 ELT plus GPS takes the National Guard continued searching all night. search out of search and rescue. All 406 ELTs come As dawn broke, the searchers threw everything with a remote activation switch. In some cases, they could into the air. The snow had subsided and as with an in-flight fire or an engine failure, the at 7:50 a.m., a state trooper helicopter finally located satellites can locate you before impact. This helps the accident site. As the exhausted ground crews because sometimes, even though the ELT may converged on the site, the trooper’s observer noticed trigger, the antenna gets sheared off in the crash. It is a young man wandering in the snow at the bottom conceivable that search and rescue might beat you to of the ravine below the accident. The trooper pilot the accident site!

landed next to Jack and immediately flew him the Another benefit is that 406 ELTs transmit an short distance to the Mat-Su Medical Center in Palmer. electronic ID number. This means that with a Jack was incoherent and suffering from hypothermia, couple of phone calls, the false calls can be virtually according to the troopers who saved him. eliminated. As a result, search and rescue can afford November/December 2010 FAA Safety Briefing 25 to launch as soon as they get a confirmed 406 hit really can’t afford a 406 ELT or if you fly a rental on SARSAT, usually within minutes. In practice, this airplane with a 121.5 ELT only, I recommend one.

means that as soon as the RCC gets a hit, they launch Still, these devices do not compare to the 406 ELT.

the rescue crews while they confirm it by calling It does make a difference. I recently led a team the numbers on the ELT registration. This is usually that reviewed fatal and serious injury accidents in complete before the blades start turning on the Alaska. Our team looked at the causes of death and rescue chopper. the nature of injuries to occupants. We reached the Finally, 406 ELTs have much more reliable G- conclusion that in the last five years, a 406 ELT would switches and antennas. A review of the data shows have changed the outcome in about 12 percent of the 121.5 ELTs worked in only about 10 to 20 percent of fatal and serious injury accidents. Put another way, crashes, while 406 ELTs are expected to work in 60 we had a shot at saving about 12 lives.

percent of crashes. If you don’t get a 406 ELT for yourself, I personally recommend that you get one for the Can you afford to be without it?

people you fly with—your kids, your spouse, or your We all know that cost is still an obstacle to friends. If you don’t get one, consider the lives you buying a 406 ELT. Costs are coming down, but it is will put at risk searching for you if you go down. The still an expense. The lowest price I have seen so far same brave soldiers from the Alaska Air National on a new 406 ELT was at an air show in 2008, where Guard who searched for Jack also serve our country the price was $581, plus installation, battery, and in the military around the world, including in Iraq antenna if needed. My local shop estimates the and Afghanistan. They could use a break.

cost is between $2,000 and $2,200 for everything, including installation.

Dave Swartz, Ph.D., is a senior aerospace engineer at FAA’s Anchorage There are other technologies available, including Aircraft Certification Office. He holds private pilot land and sea ratings and the SPOT messenger and the Personal Locator likes to fly on skis. He is the proud owner of a 1949 Aeronca Sedan .

Beacon (PLB). These have their place and, if you Photo by H Dean Chamberlain 26 FAA Safety Briefing November/December 2010

B R E T T C . S T O F F E L

“Survival 101”

o one plans to have an accident. What you can desire to stay alive and learned abilities contributes plan for is how to survive an aviation emergency to the individual’s capacity to endure, if necessary, N if you find yourself in that predicament. “all alone” and “under adverse conditions until rescued.” Formula for Survival An important part of PMA is the ability to While it is not magic, there is a formula that can channel fear into a useful direction. Uncontrolled help you focus on what you really need to stay alive fear can short-circuit rational behavior. But fear after an emergency: can also sharpen senses and prepare the body for PMA + 98.6 = BCS “fight or flight.” To use the natural fear reaction for Positive Mental Attitude (PMA) plus 98.6 (the good, think STOP: Stop what normal core-body temperature in Fahrenheit) equals you are doing; Think about what the Best Chance for Survival (BCS). This simple causes your fear; Observe your As Federal Air Surgeon Frederick E.

formula captures a key idea: The proper attitude and surroundings objectively; and Tilton, M.D., discusses in this issue’s the right focus on physiology give us the best chance make a Plan to avoid danger.

Aeromedical Advisory column, FAA at making it through a tough ordeal.

Now, let’s address what it videos on survival training, aerospace Let’s start with PMA, or the psychology takes to survive physically. In physiology, and human factors are of survival. Peter Kummerfeldt, founder of The Essentials of Sea Survival , at: www.faa.gov/pilots/training/ OutdoorSafe, defines survival as “the ability and Frank Golden, M.D., Ph.D., and airman_education/ .

the desire to stay alive, all alone, under adverse Mike Tipton, Ph.D., stress the conditions until rescued.” Although Kummerfeldt’s importance of understanding definition includes some of the physiological the body’s needs as well as maintaining a thermal, aspects, each has a psychological component.

hydration, and energy balance. The top priority “Ability” implies skills that a prepared person has is air, or more accurately, oxygen. High altitudes taken the time to learn. The survivor has total control present a common reason for lack of oxygen. Smoke over the “desire to stay alive.” The combination of and fumes from a fire, or a water-filled cockpit after November/December 2010 FAA Safety Briefing 27 ditching also present oxygen-critical situations. food and water resources.

Next in line is shelter, which is vital in protecting Be Prepared you from wind, cold temperatures, rain, sun, or cold It is a good idea to stock a survival kit that can water immersion. Clothing provides the first line of help you meet the body’s basic requirements in an defense for shelter, followed by resources carried emergency. The survival kit should cover six basic with you (including the remains of the aircraft), categories: shelter, fire, signaling, medical, water and anything in the environment. Since it is nearly disinfection/storage, and tools.

impossible to improvise a windproof and waterproof You might also consider basic survival training.

shelter of purely natural materials, it’s advisable to Good courses include information on first aid, carry an immediate-action, full-body shelter.

finding water, building shelter, making a fire, and Once you have taken care of air and shelter improvising signal devices. Practice these skills at needs, you need to rest and conserve your energy home or under controlled conditions. It also helps to resources. While resting, the body processes wastes, maintain physical fitness.

converts stored fats into energy, and allows the brain Surviving an aircraft accident is rarely due to to recover some of its mental freshness.

luck. By staying positive and properly prioritizing Water and food complete the remaining two what the human body needs to survive, you will give priorities. The amount of water required depends yourself a much better chance to have stories to tell on conditions and activity, and can vary from 3 about survival in the wild.

quarts a day in typical urban consumption to as much as several gallons in extremely hot and arid environments. Brett C. Stoffel is vice president and general counsel of Emergency With respect to food, most of us could survive Response International, Inc., which specializes in global survival, search and rescue, and emergency preparedness training. For more information, visit months without consuming any calories. The www.eri-online.com .

energy expended, and risks involved, in most © 2010 Brett C. Stoffel food-gathering activities far outweigh any benefit Written permission from the author is required to reprint this copyrighted article.

gained. Consuming strange foods may even reduce chances for survival, since gastrointestinal illnesses can rapidly diminish the body’s stored Photos courtesy of Emergency Response International, Inc.

28 FAA Safety Briefing November/December 2010

P E T E R R O U S E

What you should know about aircraft electrical systems

• Battery There is an old aviation maintenance joke • Alternator regarding electrical systems: • Voltage regulator Q: What powers electrical boxes?

The aircraft bus serves as a central point to A: Magic smoke.

connect all of the electrical components. The bus is The explanation for the punch line is that usually a simple bar of metal with holes drilled in it. once the magic smoke leaves the box, the box quits working. This joke is not to trivialize the The battery, which provides electrical power to the importance of electrical systems on air - bus via electro-chemical reaction, is the primary planes, but to humorously explain why there power source when the engine is not running. The is a smell of charred insulation and a case alternator provides electrical power to the bus by of “interior IFR” when the “Whizbang 3000 using the engine’s power to spin a coil of wire on a integrated flight deck and food processor” rotor within another stationary coil of wire. The coil decides to take a powder.

of wire on the rotor is referred to as the field; the stationary coil of wire is the stator. The rotor and field act as an electro-magnet and the spinning motion Where’s the Plug?

creates electricity within the stator.

very powered airplane has an electrical system.

The alternator is the primary source of power Even the most basic powered airplane, the when the engine is running. The voltage regulator

E Piper Cub , for example, has an electrical system

senses bus voltage and provides the proper amount (its ignition system). There are wires, generators of current to the field of the alternator to produce the (magnetos), switches, and users of the electrical desired amount of electricity in the stator.

energy (spark plugs). This article addresses the Wiring Diagram electrical system that provides power for aircraft accessories, such as lights, avionics, motors, and The three secondary components of an actuators. Most of the airplanes we fly have at least airplane’s electrical system are: an alternator or generator and a battery to provide • Wires power to the aircraft accessories.

• Switches The four primary components of an airplane’s • Circuit-protective devices (fuses or circuit electrical system are: breakers) • Aircraft bus November/December 2010 FAA Safety Briefing 29 The wires are basic conductors, or pipes, that open and prevent the flow of electricity when too carry the electricity. The switches act as gates, or much electricity flows through the wire.

valves, that allow the flow of the electricity. The The FAA released a Special Airworthiness circuit-protective devices protect the wires from Information Bulletin (SAIB) on circuit breakers: CE- carrying too much electricity. 10-11R1, Electrical: Fire Hazard in Resetting Circuit Why do we need switches? Switches control Breakers (C/Bs). I recommend that every pilot read where the electricity is going, thus limiting the this SAIB, which can be found at: www.faa.gov/ amount being used at any one time. Think of how aircraft/safety/alerts/SAIB/ .

high your electrical bill would be if every light in the A Simple Electrical System Problem on the house were always on. In the Ground airplane, the electrical system Let’s look at an electrical system in a typical GA It pays to know what your electrical is sized to provide all of the airplane equipped with avionics, flaps, pitot heat, a required power. However, system looks like, how it functions, starter, and lights, such as a Cessna 172. See Fig. 1 every electrical component and what happens when it breaks.

for a picture of a typically equipped Cessna 172 on the airplane does not have electrical system.

to operate continually. The switches also allow us to The basic procedure to bring the electrical isolate the electrical components; we’ll discuss why system to life is: this is important later.

• Master (battery and alternator) switch on Why do we need fuses or circuit breakers? When a wire carries electricity, a certain amount of heat • Starter on until the engine is running is generated through the resistance of the wire.

• Radios and transponder on The more electricity a wire carries, the more heat • Flaps, pitot heat, and lights as needed is generated. Wires are sized based on the amount If everything is operating properly, the pilot of electricity they have to carry. If a wire carries too has little more to do than to operate the systems much electricity, it can get hot and become a fire normally. It is when things are not operating properly hazard. A fuse or circuit breaker is a switch that will that some thought and investigation are necessary.

The first indication a pilot will usually have that electrons have died and gone to electron heaven is that the engine won’t start. The diagnosis is fairly straightforward: The battery is dead (most likely reason); the starter has failed (second most likely reason); the battery relay (or switch) is not working; the starter relay (switch) is not working; or the circuit breakers have popped open.

The lack of battery charge is simple to fix: Either get ground power for a jump-start or get a battery charger and let the battery charge for a while. Bringing the starter and relays back to life is more involved and requires getting an A&P mechanic involved.

The beauty of all these problems is that they occurred on the ground, leaving the pilot with a variety of options. Even so, the airplane has just talked to the pilot. All the pilot has to do is understand what the airplane is saying.

For translation assistance, a conversation with your local A&P mechanic is a good idea.

Fig. 1 30 FAA Safety Briefing November/December 2010 Photo by Susan Parson

What Happened to My Map?

While an inoperative landing light or flap failure can certainly add anxiety to your flight, a primary flight display (PFD) or multi-function display (MFD) screen that suddenly goes blank can be even more distressing. While these systems are much more reliable than the mechani - cal instruments they replace, as more aircraft migrate to glass-cockpit integra - tion (some condensing nearly the entire instrument panel into a single display), pilots and mechanics will need to maintain a keen awareness of how to recognize and troubleshoot avionics component failures.

Here is the good news. Today’s display systems are designed to gracefully degrade when some display problems may occur not as a result of a failure occurs. If one display fails, the remain - a component failure, but because a system input is ing display will revert to a mode that combines unavailable or invalid. For example, some systems critical information from both displays on a single may use valid GPS data as a critical input for the screen. This helps prevent the system from dis - display of attitude, moving map, own-ship posi - playing hazardous or misleading information to tion, and heading. If the GPS input is not valid, the the pilot. However, for mechanics to successfully system will not display this information. Many situ - troubleshoot these failures it is critical that they ations external to the aircraft could cause the GPS understand the system design as well as the role signal to be invalid. These could range from planned the individual components have in the overall GPS outages (typically covered by a NOTAM) to system. For example, an air-data computer malfunc - electromagnetic interference or sunspot activity.

tion could result in the display’s failure to present Avionics display systems have evolved to airspeed, altitude, vertical speed, outside air tem - provide more detailed information than ever, and perature, and true airspeed.

much of it is crucial if we are to realize the improve - In some systems, a loss of information will be ments envisioned in the Next Generation Air communicated to the pilot through a large red “X” Transportation System. Today’s avionics mechanics over the inoperative indicator. In more advanced have access to excellent troubleshooting tools that systems, a central maintenance system can provide are integrated into the aircraft’s avionics suite. This detailed failure information that pinpoints the prob - can provide quick and accurate problem identifica - lem to a specific component or, in some cases, to an tion. However futuristic and easy these systems are individual wiring problem. A component built-in test, when they function properly, it is understanding the known as “bite” capability, has become a highly overall system operation, architecture, and integra - reliable troubleshooting tool. However, don’t let tion that is the key to properly address advanced these advances fool you into thinking that avionics avionics problems.

troubleshooting is now as simple as pushing a but - — Tim Shaver ton. Knowledge of system operation and integration is essential, especially when there is a system prob - lem and no associated component faults are found. Tim Shaver is Avionics Maintenance Branch Manager in the FAA’s Because today’s display systems are designed Aircraft Maintenance Division. He is a commercial pilot and holds an to eliminate hazardous or misleading information, A&P certificate.

November/December 2010 FAA Safety Briefing 31 pieces of equipment to isolate the failure. The A Simple Electrical System Problem switches allow us to isolate each of the electrical in Flight accessories (I told you we’d discuss why switches An electrical system problem in flight is were important). Once you’re on the ground, your indicated by either electrical accessories not local A&P mechanic can diagnose the problem while working, or more seriously, an indication of you’re safely sitting in the FBO lobby sipping coffee.

electrical fire. An indication of an in-flight electrical Luckily for us, electrical fires in flight are not that fire will usually start with the smell of something common. They happen, but the design of our aircraft burning or with visible smoke, which is caused electrical systems is intended to prevent electrical by high current flow creating heat that melts wire fires. The more common electrical-system problems insulation or other electrical components. An in- in flight are individual component failures and flight indication of an electrical fire is serious: supply-system (alternator and battery) failures.

AIRPLANE + FIRE = BAD Individual component failures are isolated and The best course of action is to follow the fairly easy to detect; you flip the switch and it doesn’t manufacturer’s emergency procedures immediately work. The first place to look is to see if the circuit and get on the ground as soon breaker associated with the component has popped.

as possible. The emergency If so, the circuit breaker only requires resetting. The aircraft bus serves as a procedures will generally start with However, as pointed out in the previously mentioned central point to connect all of using the master switch to turn off SAIB, resetting the breaker should be approached all electrical equipment. Next, the the electrical components.

with caution and should only be done a limited procedures may instruct you to number of times.

turn off each piece of the electrical equipment, turn If there is an ammeter in the airplane, the on the master switch, and then turn on individual ammeter should show an increase in output for the larger current-draw accessories, e.g., lights, pitot heat, and flaps, when they are selected. If there is no ammeter, or the component draws little current, then the failures may be a little harder to detect.

One component malfunction that is hard to detect in flight is pitot heat failure. This is because there is no immediate feedback of failure. The indication that pitot heat has failed will be the loss of airspeed indication in the presence of icing, but this is not the preferred method of failure detection. The loss of the airspeed indicator will require you to fly using the attitude indicator (pitch), the tachometer (power), and altimeter and vertical speed indicator (performance). I have a performance card for my airplane that gives me the associated performance indications. This is also known as flying by the numbers.

Other Electrical Gremlins Failures of the aircraft’s lights are difficult to detect during the daylight hours, giving rise to the old joke that landing lights only fail at night. At night, light failures are easily detected as there is no immediate darkness abatement when the light switch is selected. I carry at least two flashlights and fresh replacement batteries. Flashlights Photos by Susan Parson stored in flight bags are known as convenient places in which to store dead batteries.

32 FAA Safety Briefing November/December 2010 Radio failure is also easy to detect, because Mind the Meter there is immediate feedback: You flip the switch, One of the first indications that there is or press the push-to-talk switch, and it doesn’t something amiss with the airplane’s electrical work. Radio failures manifest themselves by the supply system is an indication of a discharge on the loss of two-way communication and navigation.

ammeter. If the ammeter is not part of your regular The Aeronautical Information Manual , chapter cockpit scan, or there is no low-voltage annunciation 6, section 4, Two-way Radio Communications in the cockpit, your first indication will most likely be Failures, covers the procedures for dealing with blinking of the avionics and loss of the transponder lost communication in flight. Navigation radio when a demand is placed on the electrical system.

failures can be handled through the use of dead Earlier in my flying career, I experienced reckoning and pilotage. (Do you remember avionics blinking and transponder loss while flying your student-pilot cross-country days?) I carry a in IMC. I was in a fairly new (to me) airplane that portable GPS and communications radio as well as had a load meter instead of an ammeter, and there fresh replacement batteries.

was no low-voltage annunciation in the cockpit. I Flap failures will likely be discovered during the first noticed a problem when I switched on pitot heat landing phase of the flight. If your flaps fail to deploy, and the radios blinked.

a no-flap landing is in your near future. Remember There is an adage in flight test: If you touch that your stall speed, approach speed, and landing something and it doesn’t do what you intended, “un- distance will increase, so take a look at your Pilot’s touch” it. I un-touched the pitot heat and then ATC Operating Handbook (POH) to make sure you can called me. It seems ATC had lost my transponder get into your intended field with no flaps. A no- signal. I tried to respond and the radios blinked flap landing can easily be 30 percent longer than a again when I pushed the push-to-talk switch.

normal landing with flaps.

November/December 2010 FAA Safety Briefing 33 I thought, “they’re not supposed to do that and this and communications radios. At the time of the is not good.” I had time to receive one more call from failure, I did not have my portable communications ATC and acknowledge it before all of the electrons radio; I have since taken care of that.

decided to take the afternoon off. Luckily, I had my What Does This All Mean?

portable GPS and I was able to get on the ground It pays to know what your electrical system looks safely in VMC conditions.

like, how it functions, and what happens when it It turns out that the cause of my electrical- breaks. Doing a little homework will save you from system failure was that the generator brushes had getting a crash course in flight; no pun intended fallen out of their holder (the generator was only (actually, it was intended). Realistically, you do not 75 hours since overhaul) and the airplane had want an in-flight electrical-system failure to be the been running on battery first time you open your POH and read about the alone. The load meter only One of the first indications of something electrical system. Hit the books, get some dual shows a positive value, so amiss with the airplane’s electrical instruction to blow the dust off of your emergency there was no indication of supply system is an indication of a procedures, and get out and practice. Flying is easy battery discharge. When the discharge on the ammeter. when it goes right. But, it is when it doesn’t go right, battery was low enough, any that your studies and training will pay off.

additional demand on the electrical system resulted in an under-voltage on the bus and the blinking of the radios. The lesson learned: Have some way of Peter Rouse is an aerospace engineer at FAA’s Small Airplane Directorate in Kansas City, Mo. He is a 2,000-hour pilot and a certificated flight instruc- checking the health of the electrical system, either a tor. He has flown aerobatics in competition and is an active member of the voltmeter or an ammeter, or preferably both. It also International Aerobatic Club.

reinforced my belief in carrying portable navigation

The FAA Wants You!

Attention pilots, mechanics, and avionics technicians: Here is your opportunity to start a career in the exciting field of aviation safety. The FAA’s Flight Standards Service is currently hiring aviation safety inspectors and is seeking individuals with strong aviation backgrounds in maintenance, operations, and avionics.

Starting salaries range from $41,563 to $78,355, plus locality pay.

Benefits include federal retirement and tax-deferred retirement accounts and health insurance.

Qualifications vary depending on discipline. For details, please visit http://jobs.faa.gov/. Under “All Opportunities” you can search by job series 1825 or title containing “inspector.” Start your application today.

34 FAA Safety Briefing November/December 2010

T O M H O F F M A N N

Hot Spots

Top 10 Signs You (or Your Airplane) May Be in Trouble

Top 10 lists: They are featured in late-night the final leg of 400-mile journey with dusk’s hazy television jokes, rank the year’s best movies, and onset fueling an already safety-jeopardizing fatigue even suggest the most influential minds among us. scenario.

Just about everyone can appreciate a good top 10 list, Developing an accurate picture of contributing even if only for entertainment value. But in the world factors for an accident takes a collective effort. By of aviation, top 10 lists play a much more vital role. carefully analyzing all possible factors in an accident They help save lives. and by holding them up to the light of firsthand Just ask Natalie Johnston, aviation safety analyst experience and knowledge, it becomes clearer to see with the FAA’s Office of Accident Investigation and the beginning of a particular accident chain.

Prevention, who’s researching a list of particular There’s also the matter of ranking contributing interest to pilots—the top 10 causes of general factors. What sets the SME team’s research apart aviation fatal accidents. With the help of several from the way existing accident data is reported GA subject matter experts (SME), including FAA is how the team carefully representatives from maintenance, operations, and the identifies and scores the most Looking at the top two causal factors, FAASTeam, Johnston is compiling a comprehensive common contributing factors list of contributing factors for each of these top 10 for each top GA fatal accident a common thread is apparent: loss of fatal accident causes. The goal of the list: Help us cause. The scoring process control in flight.

all understand why accidents happen, and more is not intended to attribute importantly, help us develop ways to prevent them. a specific number to each factor, but rather to distinguish and separate the most important factors A Fresh Perspective from those with the least probability of occurring.

“We’re looking at information from all angles “In the end,” says Johnston, “this will help us to dig deeper into the root causes of GA accidents,” develop more effective mitigation strategies and says Johnston, who along with the team of experts pinpoint what pilots need to focus on to keep from is reviewing data and narratives from hundreds being a statistic.” of NTSB accident reports, and may, in the future, The Envelope, Please use data from the NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (ASRS) and the FAASTeam. “Carefully While the final list of contributing factors is still examining the data sources, combined with the being completed, here are the top 10 causes for GA operational knowledge and personal experience of fatal accidents as identified from NTSB accident- our SME team, helps us gain a distinct perspective report data.

on how to create a safer environment for the GA 1. Maneuvering – loss of control in flight community.” 2. Initial Climb – loss of control in flight For example, when reviewing an accident report 3. Maneuvering, low altitude flying – on a pilot who lost control on landing during a stiff aerodynamic stalls, spins crosswind, there are several initial conclusions that 4. Maneuvering, low altitude flying – low altitude can be drawn. Perhaps the pilot lacked training in operation/event crosswind landings or was flying an aircraft type different than what he/she normally flies. However, 5. Enroute-cruise – controlled flight into terrain upon further review, you may learn that the pilot (CFIT) failed to get an adequate weather briefing and 6. Initial climb – aerodynamic stall, spin missed an opportunity to reassess landing options.

7. Enroute – VFR encounter with IMC Or, you may find that the pilot had been flying 8. Enroute-cruise – loss of control in flight November/December 2010 FAA Safety Briefing 35 *

Top 10 GA Fatal Accident Causes

1. Maneuvering – loss of control in flight 2. Initial Climb – loss of control in flight 3. Maneuvering, low altitude flying – aerodynamic stalls, spins 4. Maneuvering, low altitude flying – low altitude operation/event 5. Enroute-cruise – controlled flight into terrain (CFIT) 6. Initial climb – aerodynamic stall, spin 7. Enroute – VFR encounter with IMC 8. Enroute-cruise – loss of control in flight 9. Maneuvering, low altitude flying – loss of control in flight 10. Maneuvering, low altitude flying – collision with terrain/object (non-CFIT) *2008-2009 9. Maneuvering, low altitude flying – loss of “By exploring these factors in more detail, we are control in flight seeing patterns that become helpful clues for pilots in similar situations,” says Mel Cintron, manager of 10. Maneuvering, low altitude flying – collision FAA’s General Aviation and Commercial Division.

with terrain/object (non-CFIT) “We look forward to collaborating with industry to Looking at the top two, there is a common review this data, along with data from the AOPA Air thread: loss of control in flight. “When we Safety Institute’s well-established Nall Report . Our studied loss-of-control accidents, during both goal is to advance GA safety without stifling the spirit the maneuvering and initial-climb phase, the top of aviation.” contributing factor was failure to maintain airspeed,” You will hear more about new safety initiatives says FAA Aviation Safety Inspector Donald Wood.

in these pages and at the FAASTeam Safety A member of the SME team, Wood was somewhat Standdown on April 2, 2011. Mark your calendar surprised by the finding. “What this shows is a and stay tuned for more information on GA definite need for improving basic ‘stick and rudder’ accident causes, contributing factors, and, most skills, even among more experienced pilots.” importantly, prevention strategies.

Despite a few surprises, the group’s findings are consistent with expectations and reveal important Tom Hoffmann is associate editor of FAA Safety Briefing . He is a commercial links in the GA accident-prevention chain. Airspeed pilot and holds an A&P certificate.

control, pilot experience, preflight planning, and unusual-attitude recovery are all contributing factors that appear most frequently.

36 FAA Safety Briefing November/December 2010

T O M H O F F M A N N

Nuts, Bolts, and Electrons

Understanding the Service Difficulty Reporting System

What Can SDRS Do for You?

You are an AMT performing a routine annual sdrx/ ). The iSDR site is more convenient to use and inspection on a Cessna 172S. You suddenly discover also provides a quicker method to report issues a few flat spots on the aileron control cable. Using a and solutions.

rag, you snag some frayed wires around those spots, The FAA receives and uploads more than 80,000 which indicate broken cable strands. Upon closer SDR records each year. Even so, “the program inspection, you discover some of the pulleys are is still underutilized,” says FAA’s SDRS Program causing the problem by not allowing the cables to Manager Pennie Thompson. She notes that only roll properly. With the cables and pulleys replaced about 25 percent of reports are submitted by general and operating properly, the job is done, right? aviation operators. “If embraced by the public Not really. There is one more step you can and used properly, SDRs can be one of the most take that will help alert other operators to the effective aviation safety tools available. Every report safety issue you discovered: submitting a Service submitted helps identify potential problem areas, Difficulty Report (SDR). and alerts others to be on the lookout.” Since 1966, through the SDR system (or SDRS) According to Thompson, future SDR FAA has collected data on failed aircraft parts development holds the key to the program’s and components. This reporting program has increased usage and effectiveness. Plans are successfully improved safety for aircraft systems underway to rebuild the database, which will and components in the United States and around provide more robust the world. By providing a communication link search and reporting SDRs should be filed whenever a system, between FAA and the aviation community on capabilities. Also component, or part of an aircraft, specific aircraft mechanical issues, SDRS enables in the works is a implementing corrective actions before there is an revamped Web site powerplant, propeller, or appliance fails to adverse impact on safety. aimed at providing function in a normal manner.

a more streamlined How Does SDRS Work?

and user-friendly interface, as well as a change The primary sources of this information include in how SDR information is disseminated to the front-line mechanics, aircraft owners, and pilots, public. By leveraging the latest in mobile and social whose vigilant actions and attention to detail during networking technology, you will be able to sign up inspections and repairs help assure mechanical for e-mail updates and/or “tweets” for any SDR that reliability. The backbone of the system is the SDRS may affect your aircraft. As they say, “Stay tuned.” database maintained by FAA’s Aviation Data Systems Who Uses the Data?

Branch in Oklahoma City. This database gets information from FAA Form 8010-4, Malfunction or Nearly everyone in the aviation community, from Defect Report, commonly known as an SDR. SDRs NTSB to air carriers and GA operators worldwide, should be filed whenever a system, component, has an interest in the SDR program’s information.

or part of an aircraft, powerplant, propeller, or Airmen can search the online database for items appliance fails to function in a normal manner. SDRs that may need special attention (especially if the are also intended to collect information on flaws or aircraft logbooks are incomplete) or to identify past defects that impair a part’s proper function. difficulties with a specific aircraft make or model.

While paper versions of the form are accepted, Queries can be refined by aircraft type, engine FAA encourages the use of the online form model, part number, or simply by a description of the available through the Internet Service Difficulty problem. Click “Search Reports” from the main iSDR Reporting (iSDR) Web site ( http://av-info.faa.gov/ site to see a full list of query options.

November/December 2010 FAA Safety Briefing 37 Photo by Tom Hoffmann The FAA also uses SDR data to analyze aircraft assembly of two Slick magnetos, the mechanic noticed safety implications and to identify trends that numerous cracks on both magneto rotor gears. He may not be apparent regionally or to individual found similar cracks on two new gears. This issue operators. Based on that information, the FAA triggered a defect report to the parts manufacturer and may adopt new regulations or issue airworthiness underscores the fact that even brand new parts and directives (ADs) to address a specific problem. SDR components must always be inspected.

information also helps FAA aircraft certification Remember to Submit offices and product manufacturers evaluate the Over the years the SDR program has had an integrity and reliability of a product design as well enormous impact on the aviation industry and has led as to track whether safety critical items break before to improvements in the design and maintainability of they should.

several aircraft and aircraft products.

Maintenance Alerts Whether you are a mechanic, inspector, or pilot, One of the most visible products of SDR data you are the eyes of continued airworthiness and is the Aviation Maintenance Alert (AC 43-16A), have an opportunity to improve safety every time frequently highlighted in FAA Safety Briefing . you discover a problem. By submitting SDRs, you Aviation Maintenance Alerts, updated monthly on provide potentially life-saving data and become www.faa.gov, provides the aviation community with integral to preventing accidents.

a snapshot of the latest aircraft service difficulty information. A quick glance at any of these reports, Tom Hoffmann is associate editor of FAA Safety Briefing . He is a commer - which often include detailed photos, reveals cial pilot and holds an A&P certificate.

the ubiquitous and random nature of aviation maintenance problems. Whether as subtle as a small crack found in a crankshaft, or as obvious as For More Information improperly-installed hardware on a flight-control component, the results often have catastrophic FAA Aviation Maintenance Alerts potential. Moreover, the pictures are proof that http://www.faa.gov/aircraft/safety/alerts/aviation_maintenance/ those things you think will never happen to you General Aviation SDR Submission Report really do happen.

http://av-info.faa.gov/SDRX/SubmissionsGeneralAviation.aspx For example, let’s look at a report on cracked SDR Search Page magneto rotor gears submitted by a mechanic in the http://av-info.faa.gov/SDRX/Query.aspx June 2010 Aviation Maintenance Alerts. Prior to re- 38 FAA Safety Briefing November/December 2010

Flight Forum

Come Fly With Me Coded Weather Data Why are we still getting weather data in coded Paul Greer’s article “Come Fly With Me” in the format?

September/October issue did a great job demystifying Ronald Skamanich some of the rules regarding flying for compensation. But one very common situation deserves mention. The FAA According to Monica Bradford, acting manager, FAA has ruled that time logged is considered compensation.

Flight Services Safety and Operations Branch, presenting Therefore, the common practice of delivering an aircraft weather data in a coded format arose from the need to to or from maintenance or to a customer requires a process meteorological information through automated commercial, or better, pilot certificate … But a private means and transmit it rapidly between weather centers pilot looking to gain time may not fly as a “favor” for an without regard to language. Meteorological codes FBO, etc., without at least a commercial certificate. developed by the World Meteorological Organization Paul Werbin (WMO) can be processed by automated means and transmitted without regard to language. The standard Thank you for your compliment. Your comment format leads to increased efficiency throughout the world’s definitely addresses another common scenario involving aviation and forecasting communities. However, today’s flying for compensation. A commercial pilot certificate end user is not restricted to coded products. Most data would be required unless the pilot could operate the flight providers now offer translation of the raw coded products under the very limited exceptions specified in section into text, and some also offer graphical representations of 61.113(b) of Title 14, Code of Federal Regulations.

observed and forecast data.

As I tried to show in my article, flying for compensation or hire can be a very complex area More on Weather of the regulations. There are numerous situations I’m the Meteorologist In Charge of the Oakland where these issues can come into play (all of which, ARTCC Center Weather Service Unit (CWSU). I wanted unfortunately, I couldn’t address in the article). Often, to bring to your attention a Web site that has been the final determination as to whether a commercial pilot developed by my office that is great for pilot weather certificate or an operating certificate is required can hinge situational awareness and for meteorologists alike.

on a critical fact. As a pilot and flight instructor, I have The CWSU National METAR Maps (METAR in seen these issues emerge numerous times and hope the mouse-over): http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/zoa/mwmap3.

article has served to raise pilot awareness.

php?map=usa — Paul Greer Ken Venzke NOAA/National Weather Service FAA Oakland ARTCC Ask Medical Certification Clarification Thanks for this. Readers, check it out. There are more In his September/October 2010 “Ask Medical resources, which we will highlight in future issues. Certification” column in FAA Safety Briefing Dr.

Warren Silberman answered this question: “Can I get a medical with Type II insulin-dependent FAA Safety Briefing welcomes comments. We may edit letters for style and/or diabetes?” To clarify his answer, Dr. Silberman length. If we have more than one letter on a topic, we will select a represen - adds, “Once you are on insulin, you can only be tative letter to publish. Because of publishing schedules, responses may not certificated for a private pilot third-class medical appear for several issues. While we do not print anonymous letters, we will certificate. However, if you are a Type II diabetic withhold names or send personal replies upon request. If you have a concern on oral medication—not insulin—you can get with an immediate FAA operational issue, contact your local Flight Standards any class of medical certificate as long as you District Office or air traffic facility. Send letters to: Editor, FAA Safety Briefing , meet our criteria.” AFS-805, 800 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20591, FAX (202) 267-9463, or e-mail SafetyBriefing@faa.gov .

November/December 2010 FAA Safety Briefing 39

S U S A N PA R S O N

There I Was …

When I was faced with a seemingly impossible I was” stories. The AOPA Air Safety Institute takes a challenge in the early days of my previous career as similar approach with its Real Pilot Stories series. As a State Department foreign-service officer, a more the AOPA/ASI Web site observes, listening to pilots seasoned diplomat wryly urged me to remember involved in a flight that went bad can help the rest of that the worst times always make the best stories us become better pilots.

later on. It was cold comfort at the time, but I Read and Heed eventually recognized the truth in his observation.

Stories are a great way to convey information, In fact, for many years since, I have had the best but we humans sometimes have a way of hearing time regaling friends and colleagues with some of without really learning. As I have regularly those “worst times” stories.

confessed in some of my weather presentations for Pilots are pretty famous for doing the same pilot safety seminars, I once found myself heading thing. Much like fishermen who enthuse (and for a continued-visual-flight-rules-into-instrument- maybe exaggerate just a bit) meteorological-conditions situation because I about “the one that got away,” Trading tales is fun, but good hangar had allowed external pressures to overpower my pilots engaged in the sport—or flying stories can offer a lot more than situational awareness and dominate my thinking.

is it an art?—of hangar flying entertainment.

Having previously read and heard dozens of enjoy sharing “there I was stories by pilots who made that very mistake, I was …” stories of narrow escapes, derring-do, and (of shocked to find myself so close to doing exactly course) stupid pilot tricks perpetrated by all those what they had done. I promised myself then that I other people.

would henceforth endeavor to read and heed, not Stories Stick simply review and then later redo my own version Trading tales is fun, but good hangar flying of others’ mistakes.

stories can offer a lot more than entertainment. In One key to learning from a story is to imagine their 2007 book Made to Stick , authors Chip Heath yourself in the other pilot’s seat, and mentally and Dan Heath note the power that stories have on accompany him or her through the experience.

human beings: It can be satisfying to focus instead on how you would never be as stupid as that other pilot—I admit Stories illustrate causal relationships that I’ve been guilty of such thoughts. However, I can people hadn’t recognized before and highlight benefit even more if I try to understand the chain of unexpected, resourceful ways in which people decisions and actions, and then use the story to help have solved problems. … The story’s power, then, me find and fix the weak links in my own decision- is twofold: It provides simulation (knowledge making chain.

about how to act) and inspiration (motivation to Learning from others is a powerful way to act). … A credible idea makes people believe. An minimize your chances of getting into an abnormal emotional idea makes people care. … The right or emergency situation, and to maximize the stories make people act.

likelihood of safe flights and happy landings.

That is why we aim to structure many of this magazine’s articles around stories of, for, and by Susan Parson is a Special Assistant in the FAA’s Flight Standards Service. She real pilots and mechanics—people like us whose is an active general aviation pilot and flight instructor.

experience can help us operate more safely, but also teach us ways to avoid the worst-times abnormal and emergency situations that generated their “there 40 FAA Safety Briefing November/December 2010

JA M E S W I L L I A M S

FAA Faces

Dave Swartz

A Passion for Aviation Safety

“I learned a lot from my crash.” an aircraft with wheels. Even with skis, the outcome Pilots don’t generally talk about their less can be deadly.” successful flights, but Dave Swartz is determined that Swartz is quick to emphasize that the risks that fellow aviators have an opportunity to learn from can come from flying in Alaska are not without his mistakes. If the name seems familiar, it may be rewards. “I routinely fly the canyons near Denali, the because you have heard Swartz, a popular speaker tallest mountain in North America, and the country on the aviation-safety circuit, talk about aircraft- is beautiful. The area between the mountains and the performance planning. And, he wrote about his glaciers can be deadly on a bad day, but it’s gorgeous crash in this magazine’s May/June 2009 issue (“More on a good one.” than Math: Understanding Performance Limits”). To reap the benefits of the good days, Swartz Swartz started flying at age 15. Like many pilots does what all pilots should do, regardless of where native to Alaska, he grew up flying on skis and they fly: “I know what floats, and continues to enjoy both activities. To the hazards are and earn a living (and pay for flying), Swartz became I choose to accept an aeronautical engineer, eventually earning a certain risks. But, I do Ph.D. from the University of Utah. His early career everything I can to included positions at the biggest names in aviation, mitigate those risks.” including Piper Aircraft and Boeing. As Swartz well When Swartz joined FAA he was an Aircraft knows, one of the risks, Certification Service composite-materials specialist even for the most safety- in Renton, Wash., and worked on the certification minded pilot, is to guard team for what was then the Lancair Columbia , now against complacency.

the Cessna Corvalis series. “The Columbia project “Accidents don’t have was one of my favorite FAA experiences,” Swartz just one causal factor,” says. “Because of my experience with composites, Swartz explains. “But, “I do everything to mitigate risks.” I was one of the more qualified FAA engineers for many of the leading factors this particular job. It was rare for the Renton office to center on the pilot and planning.” work on a GA certification project and I loved having “In the case of my accident, I’m an engineer that opportunity.” who occasionally does performance calculations Swartz eventually returned to Alaska with his for a living, so I knew I did them right.” Yet, that wife (also an FAA employee) as a senior aircraft unfortunate time he did not account for the tailwind safety engineer, and became the proud owner of he did not know he had.

a 1949 Aeronca Sedan that he likes to fly when he That experience, combined with his safety is not working. When it comes to aviation safety, passion and skill with performance calculations, though, Swartz is always working. Both as FAA safety come together to bring him to the podium at engineer and as pilot and aircraft owner, Swartz aviation events and seminars. Swartz’s candor and shares a passion for aviation safety with his fellow commitment has helped many others recognize Alaska pilots. “We all have that passion, because the need to understand the calculations they make, all of us have lost friends and family members to which is a winning formula.

aviation accidents.

“If your engine fails in Kansas, you can land James Williams is FAA Safety Briefing’s assistant editor and photo editor.

on a road,” Swartz adds. “If you’re over the Alaska He is also a pilot and ground instructor.

Range, though, you are likely to die if you’re flying U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Aviation Administration 800 Independence Ave., S.W.

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