New York Center New York Center Cessna 711USA Calling Mayday Mayday

“New York Center New York Center Cessna 711USA calling Mayday  Mayday”.  “Go ahead Cessna 711USA what is your emergency”?  “711USA  is losing power and cannot make it to XYZ airfield”. Cessna 711USA set transponder on 7700 and be advised we are alerting rescue services in your area. Good luck, New York out”. Well anyway you get the idea. Your engine isn’t working up to par and you’re going to crash land. If you haven’t checked the FAA accident site lately, you have missed an awful lot of reports of small airplanes crashing in the middle of nowhere.  My question for you the pilot who crashed is this: what could you have done to keep your engine running?

Before I get into some specifics, let me revisit an experience I had with a rough running engine. We were flying the A-36 enroute to Boston, just west of Harrisburgh, Pa. The engine wasn’t losing noticeable power, but just not as smooth as it had been. Playing with the mixture, mags and RPM didn’t definitely change anything. So, as we were just west of Carlisle, I decided to land there and check with the FBO. As luck would have it, a mechanic was available. After looking things over, we decided that it sounded like plugs. I decided to go ahead and replace the spark plugs. After paying a hefty bill we left Carlisle and proceeded east. That seemed to do the trick, as the engine ran smoothly once again. It brought peace of mind, and just may have averted an off field landing.

As I mentioned in the first paragraph, the number of these crashes puzzled me. Since I postulate that many of these were due to engine failures,(simply running out of fuel is not considered here), I decided to try and look for some reasons that engines malfunction in flight. Now as I am not a mechanic, I cannot discuss specifics but only look for generalities. Since the major engine manufacturers  are Continental and Lycoming (Textron), I logged onto their websites. Very interesting indeed. On the Lycoming site I found the: “Trouble Shooting Guide” for reciprocating engines. This was under the heading: Support, which also included : Publications, Training, Tips and Advice, Auth. Service Centers Etc. Each of these sub-headings had interesting, important information for the owner-operator of any type of reciprocating engine not just a Lycoming. For example, under Trouble Shooting were discussions  of causes for power loss: abnormal oil pressures, unusual  fuel flows, loss of ability to climb etc. Maybe, if an interested pilot went to this web site and read some of the info there, they might avoid an inflight engine failure from happening. Remember the old military mantra: an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

The other website I visited, Continental Motors, didn’t seem to offer as much to the pilot, but did list mandatory service bulletins for the various engine models. Some were crucial as they involved the magnetos and other key parts or systems. Certainly it seems worth reviewing on a regular basis for one’s particular engine type.

Before I sign off, I would like to pass on a tip offered on the Lycoming site. They suggested keeping records of various engine parameters, such as various temperatures, pressures etc. in a notebook. This should be done on a regular basis and comparisons made each time.  By doing this, you may be able to detect a problem before it becomes a serious one. This was discussed under Tips and Advice, worth reviewing.

So fellow pilots. It’s in your hands to keep up to date on your airplane (not just the engine as discussed here). Airplanes are complicated things, and deserve your utmost attention and respect, or eventually you may not make it to your destination.

 

Deadly Private-Plane Crashes On The Increase

Flying by private-pilots isn’t getting any safer (better?). According to Bloomberg News (Deadly Private-Plane Crashes Prompt U.S. Call For Basics, June 19,2012), the crash rate on private-pilots is up 20 percent since 2000, contrasting with an 85% drop in accidents of commercial jet liners (good). Looks as if private-pilots need to do a lot better, and here goes more supporting data. The accident rate for all GA (General Aviation) is 7/100,000 from 2007-2010. Private pilots, mostly small single engine a/c, averaged 12/100,000 crashes. They go onto say: over 12 times higher than the average rate for other types of GA flying. And to continue, even worse news: the rate of deadly wrecks in private flying has grown faster than the accident rate as a whole, up 25% since 2000. Do you wonder why insurance premiums have risen?

The article continues: many GA accidents resulted from inattention to basics. (Reminds me of my article suggesting that pilots are distracted by things in the cockpit like cell phones, tablets etc.). Pilots have overloaded planes, failed to check the weather, and made errors that caused the planes to lose lift and/or going out of control. This latter cause was found to be the case in most accidents by the FAA and the GA Joint Steering Committee. Not very encouraging data is it? Pilots you can do better! Start by going back to basics. Pay attention to attitude, airspeed and the weather for starters, rather than staring at the GPS screen instead of the glideslope and localizer (when IFR).

Finally, I want to report and offer suggestions how to avoid the most frequent type of airline accident, the runway overrun after a botched approach. This was reported in the WSJ on 12/19/12. Hey fellow pilots, it pertains to all of GA as well, even though I don’t have the stats particularly for private-pilots.

Of all the GA overrun accidents I have read about on the NTSB website, this one stands out in my memory. A Cirrus landing in VFR weather, on a reasonable length paved runway, just couldn’t put the plane down on the tarmac and tried to force it with resulting “wheel barrowing”. The plane still had enough airspeed (energy) to want to keep on flying, which it did, into a building. All were killed. It is so important to pay attention to airspeed and attitude on final. Too fast, steep or shallow an approach can end up as they did, unless you recognize your error and if you can’t correct things in time, add power and go around. The other consideration is where you touch down on the runway. Somewhere in the first 25% of the runway makes good sense. In good VFR, shoot for the runway numbers. I used to do that even in my twins. That should insure that you have plenty of runway left to decide whether you can stop or not. Remember that small planes don’t have the greatest braking capability. So PLAN AHEAD!

A topic I want to tackle in the future is limits pilots should adhere to in single engine IFR flight conditions. Another is looking into reasons for engine failures in light planes, as there seems to be so many reported on the FAA accident website.

That’s it for now. Have a good holiday and watch out for Santa’s sleigh. See you next year.

The Subject of Slips Came Up When I Was Visiting With.....

The other day I was visiting with a pilot friend who is renewing his flying skills for his new motor glider. While discussing some of the subtleties of landing, we got onto the subject of slips.  They are so useful as a means of losing altitude quickly on a short final. It has been quite a while since my J-3, Pa-18 flying days, when I was prone to slip a bit. The former, just after getting my private pilot’s license, the latter when I did some glider towing in the Ithaca, NY area.  Anyway, I always remember entering a slip by simultaneously applying aileron one way and rudder the other to compensate. It always felt pretty smooth and a bit uncoordinated but fun. It could at times have you hanging a bit on your seat belt too, all ok though.  I also remember letting the nose drop a bit to keep the airspeed above stall. My pilot friend told me his instructor told him to apply rudder first rather than simultaneously. Not sure as to what benefit this may have.  I tried looking this up today, but didn’t get any support for that. There are many ways to “skin a cat” says it all I guess.

While on a subject dear to tail draggers, I want to remind new J-3 pilots or others who hand prop to start the engine, to tie the tail down first. This is to prevent the plane from taking off or careening wildly out of control, while the pilot watches in horror. This happens from time to time and has severely injuredand even killed  both pilots and innocent bystanders or passengers. Just chocking the wheels may not be enough, so please heed this advice.

So, with that I wish everyone a happy and safe holiday season.

It Isn't Every Day That I Can Say That I had A Chat With An Airline Pilot

It isn’t every day that I can say that I had a chat with an airline pilot. But yesterday I did. While waiting in line with my wife to vote early, I saw   a gentleman in a pilot’s uniform just ahead of me. Rather timidly I tapped him on the shoulder, just below his first officer’s epaulets, and introduced myself.  I was wearing my EAA ball cap, purchased at Oshkosh several years ago, and it served to introduce me as another pilot (although not an ATP flying for the airlines). We exchanged pleasantries, including when we had been to Oshkosh. Then he asked what type of planes I had been flying and so on. When I mentioned the Baron, he shook his head in approval, a great plane he thought. Then I found out he was flying Airbus 320’s, the big boys. I was very impressed. Next he offered that he didn’t think he could fly the small private type planes anymore. Not only was flying a large airliner totally different, but the Airbus in particular was practically all automated. To quote him “once you advance the throttles for take- off it is all automated”. That brought back the memory of the Airbus over the south Atlantic that had autopilot failure associated with severe turbulence. Those pilots were not familiar enough with hand flying the big bird and ultimately succumbed, with a total loss of plane and personnel. My new acquaintance then offered that his airline was insuring that their pilots had training to deal with the situation of autopilot failure. I was very pleased to hear that.

All this ties in with one of my concerns, discussed in an earlier article. What if your EFIS goes blank? Are you prepared to take over with the old analog instruments? If not you had better get some retraining on those techniques. It is just a matter of when, not if you might experience a partial or complete failure. I was glad to see an ad for a small glass HSI type instrument that had its own lithium battery. A nice thing to have when the big screen goes blank.

Several days ago, while out on a walk, I happened to look up and see what appeared to be two airliners on a collision course. They were converging on what seemed to be the same altitude. Maybe they were 500 feet apart vertically with some lateral separation, no way to tell from my position on the ground. I thought of TCAS, certain it was buzzing in both cockpits, warning the pilots of both planes of danger ahead (see article written last month).

Finally, I want to touch on the topic of planning ahead. Whatever the task, you must be ahead of the airplane. The tasks that require the most pre-planning are instrument approaches and low IFR take-offs. Being ready for an ILS approach in low IFR requires that you know the procedure well in advance. Even if you have an autopilot coupled approach capability, you’ve got to know certain things ahead of time.  All the data is located on your approach plate. I swore by Jeppesen charts, (Jeps), as opposed to the government brand. So study the chart well ahead of time. Know the entry altitude and heading of the approach, as well as how to identify the outer marker,the details of a “missed” etc.

As an example of what can happen, let me relate a flight from the past. I was in the right seat of a Cherokee 6 inbound to Burke Lakefont in Cleveland. In the left seat was a distinguished cardiologist, but I was to find out on approach, non IFR rated pilot. The weather was moderately low IFR with light snow falling. He became flustered as the approach neared, finally fessing up that he didn’t really know how to shoot the approach. As I had studied the approach plates, and had a few real IFR flights under my belt, I said “Let me have the controls, I can get us in”. Well we made it ok, in spite of having to look sideways at the gages from the right seat. If I hadn’t studied the approach ahead of time it could have been a disaster.

I’ll just touch on IFR take-offs. Before you shove the throttle/s forward, ask yourself what if I lose power or have some other serious problem on take-off? What are my options? Obviously if just off the ground and in the clear, try and land straight ahead. Once you are in the soup however, it is a different matter. If you can stay airborne, and the weather is above minimums you can go for an approach at the airport you just left. If the field is really socked in, you may have to find another airport with better weather. This is where planning ahead comes in. You had better do the research on the ground ahead of time, before the sweat is pouring off your brow and time is running out.

So, plan ahead and be prepared, to help you stay out of trouble. A few minutes of pre planning can save you from making a life threatening mistake later.

 

 

As I Look Up Into The Sky I See Two Jet Airliners...

As I look up into the sky I see two jet airliners on what could be a collision course. As they pass each other harmlessly, their wakes streaming behind, I think about all the technology protecting them. Looking up at them from the ground, or even from a higher altitude, it might not be possible to be certain that the planes won’t collide. Protecting them is TCAS (Traffic Alert and Collision Avoidance System).

Before getting into what TCAS is all about I reflect on some flights I had piloted and had near misses. One that first comes to mind, was a flight from western Massachusetts to Burlington, VT in my B-55 Baron. Flying VFR at 7500 feet in the clear, suddenly a plane shot by from my right rear diagonally in front, at my altitude, missing me by what seemed only a few feet. The only thing I saw was that it was a low winged single, possibly a Bonanza. When I recovered enough to key the mike, I called Boston Center and reported the near miss. They weren’t in communication with that plane, although they did have it on radar. This was before most planes had some form of altitude reporting, so they really couldn’t have effectively warned me. Which one of my nine lives had I used on that one?

There were others, but none as close as this one was. I remember flying in and out of the murk and looking down at a large fighter bomber, B-1, about 500 feet below me on a diagonal course. I had received an alert from ATC (Air Traffic Control) on that one. Another was encountered somewhere over Massachusetts again. It was marginal VFR, and again an alert from ATC advising about an airliner at my 10 o’clock and ½ mile away. We barely saw that one. TCAS would have been nice to have there.

Now it is time to briefly explain what TCAS is and how it operates. TCAS is a system independent of the ground based ATC system. To work at the simplest level (TCAS-I), an airplane must have an operating transponder with an altitude reporting capability, (Mode C or S). It is designed for general aviation aircraft with a passenger capacity of up to 30. “Intruder” aircraft up to 40 miles away can be detected and an alert issued. The alert is depicted on a gage on the instrument panel. Approximate bearing and relative altitude data are shown.  But it is up to the pilot to visually spot the “intruder”, and take whatever evasive action is needed. This seems ok in good visibility conditions, but not in IFR type weather. But in IFR conditions, one would normally be in radio contact with ATC, who should issue traffic alerts and offer vectoring to avoid collisions.

The next higher level of TCAS is TCAS-II. This is much more complex and required for larger transport type aircraft. Briefly, traffic alerts (TA’s) as well as resolution advisories (RA’s) are automatically issued by the system in the form of aural and visual data. The RA’s offer only climb or descend commands, that are to be followed immediately, regardless of ATC commands. Eventually, lateral type evasion commands may be given under the newer TCAS-III and TCAS-IIII systems as well as climbs and descents.   

So the next time you look up and see planes that may be on a collision course, don’t worry, big brother TCAS is at work. Fly safely and do keep your eyes peeled for traffic, even if you have a TCAS system aboard, as no system is 100% perfect.

*See Wikipedia and Google for more on TCAS.

Your Reaction Time May Be Slower Than You Think

Have you ever thought about your reaction time as a function of how data is presented to you? For example, try driving a specific speed, let’s say 35 mph. If you have a needle on the speedometer indicating the speed, you can easily see a change when the needle moves either up or down. Your eye is really quite sensitive to minor needle changes, such as 1 mph. If however, you had a digital speedometer, I had one once, a minor change would be harder to detect. Your eye does not have a visual structure such as the speedometer needle to follow, but merely some numbers in motion. Watching a series of numbers change does not give an indication of direction, as does the needle. By that I mean, needle moves left, you are slowing, to the right going faster.

An excellent example of some aircraft instruments that give both types of information  on one gage. The first was a cylinder temperature gage that incorporated both digital and analog data. Very impressive. Also, other data was presented similarly, with both analog and digital info*.

 I would like to offer some caution to those of you who fly an “All Glass Cockpit”. I just reviewed a 2008 NTSB report warning about the loss of electrical power due to malfunctions in the electric distribution system in some airline models **.  Rather than go into details mentioned in the article, I’ll let the reader go there. I would again warn against complacency in the cockpit. Be prepared to take over by using your back up analog instruments when the screens go black. Although, the glass cockpit has reduced the number of general aviation accidents, the fatality rate seems to have increased.

Finally, I am still puzzled by the number of runway and taxiway accidents that occur regularly. Just go to the FAA accident site and read through some of the incidents. They range from hitting a runway or taxiway light to dropping off the end of long runways. On the ramp, there are injuries and damage due to propeller strikes. It all seems related to inattention or being distracted. Are you texting while performing some critical or even routine operation? Although multitasking is often required, it can be our worst enemy. All it takes is a millisecond or two of distraction and wham, disaster. So, stay focused on the job at hand, and plan ahead.

 If there are thoughts or comments about any of this, please share by clicking on Comments.

*www.lightflying.com.au/index.htm
** NTSB Safety Recommendation A-08-53 through -55 Retrieved on 14 April 2012.
***Wikipedia-See under Glass Cockpit sub paragraph- Safety

Are You Guaranteed protection From A Collision When ON ATC's Radar...

When flying VFR either with or without a flight plan, are you guaranteed  protection from a collision with ground based objects as towers or hills, when on ATC’s radar screen? No you are not. Unless you are on an IFR flight plan and communicating with an ATC facility, ATC has no responsibility for warning you of danger ahead.  

A recent accident, taken from the FAA accident file offers a clear example of this. An ATP pilot with 22,000 hours of flight time, flying a King Air C-90 was on a repositioning flight from a nearby Pennsylvania airport to Morganton,WV (MGW). The trip was of no more than about 30 miles, tops 15 minutes in a King Air. No flight plan had been filed. The pilot initially climbed to 3100 ft.  Before entering the MGW airspace, the pilot called Clarksburg Approach Control approach control and was given a discrete transponder code.  Approximately 9 miles east of the airport the controller advised the pilot he was “Radar Contact”. At that time the plane was at 3100 ft and began descent to 3000ft. Not soon after the plane struck a communications tower.

Had the pilot filed an IFR flight plan, ATC would almost certainly have warned the pilot of the ground hazard and/or given immediate vectors around it. The other thing seemingly missing from this pilots flight bag was a current VFR map. Had the pilot studied the map before taking off, or even enroute, he would have noted the presence of two towers east of his destination. The highest one had an elevation of 2651 ft with other high ones around and mountains just over 3000 ft in elevation slightly to the north.

Now that we are in the midst of a very hot summer, we should all be prepared for the inevitable thunderstorm somewhere along our route of flight. Reviewing another recent accident, this one in Florida, should cause anyone who thinks about penetrating an area of moderate or severe thunderstorm activity, to think again.

A Pilatus aircraft flown by a private pilot with instrument rating took off midday from Lake Wales enroute Junction City Kansas. He filed for 26000 ft ( must be nice to have a turboprop). Not soon after takeoff not yet at flight level 260, Center advised the pilot of an area of precipitation with moderate, heavy and extreme echoes. The latter two are worthy of note. He was advised to deviate to the right and advise center when clear of the weather etc. Well, reading the description of the ensuing flight, it  sounds as if the pilot got into more than he could handle and ended up spinning, with loss of control, ending up in a pile of wreckage with all dead.

The message here is that even if you have onboard radar*, don’t assume that you can see through all the bad stuff and sort it all out. I don’t think even the big guys with the best radars can penetrate, or would try to bust through a storm that contains extreme echoes (meaning severe turbulence, icing and hail,?tornado)**. This kind of weather is more appropriately handled by a 180 degree turn, and a rescheduled flight, when encountered by a relatively slow non-airliner type plane. The moral: you can’t always continue, but may have to land and reconsider things. Always leave yourself an out!
So, as always, fly safely and well, and be mentally prepared for what may lie ahead.

Some interesting reference articles on the topic of flying with thunderstorms around are:
*On A Mission: Best Practices ON Thunderstorm Avoidance; www.AviationSafetyMagazine.com

**Various blogs about dealing with thunderstorms, Nexrad vs on board radar etc; www.AVWeb .com, Jun3, 2012-AvWeb Insider

PS- Almost all the articles say:Nexrad for strategy,airborne radar for close in work. But all say bewary.