As for doing a compass cross-check on line up, windshield
heat was probably ON and that can cause errors in the
compass of 30-45 degrees, but the slaved systems are
independent of each other and I doubt that the crew would
take-off with either system flagged and a cross-check of the
pilot and co-pilot HSI is on the check list.

Back in the late 60's when I was a new PP, I flew from
Illinois to Wyoming, taking two friends on a hunting trip.
Departing Joe Foss airport just after dark, I asked ground
for progressive taxi since I had never been their before.
They did a nice job. The controller said, "You can do your
run-up there" and when I called ready the controller cleared
me without delay. I turned onto the "runway" and began a
take-off roll, aligned with the row of white lights. But
within a few seconds I realized something was wrong and
aborted. We then bounced around in some tall grass [enough
bouncing that the landing lights failed]. The controller
asked "55Q, are you having trouble?" to which I replied a
little latter as we got back to the pavement after a 180 in
the grass, "Not anymore."
I taxied back and had the FBO inspect the airplane for
damage, there was none and replace the landing light bulbs.
A look at the airport diagram showed the problem, they had
been working on the taxiway lights and the blue covers were
not installed and the taxiway and runways came together in a
V with bit of taxiway at the bottom. My takeoff was into
the open V. Thankfully, the grass was smooth, no drainage
ditches [rapid prayers for no ditches, rocks or fences
worked].

That is when I learned and added a compass check before
take-off. Been there, done that and survived.



--
James H. Macklin
ATP,CFI,A&P

"Dudley Henriques" wrote in message
ink.net...
|
| "Peter Duniho" wrote in
message
| ...
| "Andrew Sarangan" wrote in message
|
oups.com...
| [...] I sincerely feel for those who lost loved ones.
They have the
| right be very angry. I am angry, and I did not lose
anything.
|
| You have never made a single mistake, ever, while flying
an airplane?
|
| IMHO, your anger is misplaced. It's not like the pilots
made the mistake
| on purpose. And so far, there's not any indication that
they did
| something blatantly irresponsible that led to their
mistake.
|
| Yes there most certainly is, and its more than an
indication. Its a fact
| that they either accepted a line up check on their HSI's
telling them they
| were on the wrong runway or they didn't make a correct
runway lineup check.
| Either way, it was a fatal error not to have made the
lineup check or making
| the check incorrectly. There is no way around the fact
that they made the
| takeoff on the wrong runway. This indicates an incorrect
reading on the HSI
| for the right runway or starting the run without a
verifying check on the
| means in the aircraft to verify the right runway.
| Even if it can be argued that both HSI's were out, the mag
compass would
| also have had to be non operational. Last but not least,
if ALL means of
| verifying the correct runway were non functioning, that
would mean they
| accepted the runway they were on as the right runway
without a verifying
| lineup check.
| No matter how you cut this one, pilot error is seriously
indicated by the
| simple fact that the takeoff roll was started on the
runway not assigned to
| them.
| Dudley Henriques
|
|