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On Mon, 1 Oct 2007 02:58:02 +0000 (UTC), Paul Tomblin wrote:
Three years ago, the DE who passed me on my private and instrument tickets died in a stupid accident. Sorry, but you've peaked my curiosity a bit. I'm wondering how a DE, who should in theory be very familiar with aviation safety, could died in a stupid accident. Can you tell us what happened? -- Dallas |
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Dallas wrote:
On Mon, 1 Oct 2007 02:58:02 +0000 (UTC), Paul Tomblin wrote: Three years ago, the DE who passed me on my private and instrument tickets died in a stupid accident. Sorry, but you've peaked my curiosity a bit. I'm wondering how a DE, who should in theory be very familiar with aviation safety, could died in a stupid accident. Can you tell us what happened? Happens frequently. I'm working with an accident right now that involves a highly experienced demonstration pilot who suddenly and for no apparent reason began a Split S at an altitude below that required for a recovery. Any pilot, no matter how experienced, can suffer a "brain fart" for lack of a better term. The study on how to prevent this from happening both to myself and to others has occupied a great of my time for the last fifty years or so. -- Dudley Henriques |
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![]() "Dudley Henriques" wrote: Any pilot, no matter how experienced, can suffer a "brain fart" for lack of a better term. Quite so. And the consequences of a pilot's BF are much more likely to be fatal than a driver's. Yet we often see posts in these groups from pilots who imagine that their superior judgent and skill have made them sufficiently immune from these lapses that they are safer flying than driving. This rather juvenile illusion of superiority contributes to the distressing fatal accident rate of private GA flying, I believe. -- Dan T-182T at BFM |
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Dan Luke wrote:
"Dudley Henriques" wrote: Any pilot, no matter how experienced, can suffer a "brain fart" for lack of a better term. Quite so. And the consequences of a pilot's BF are much more likely to be fatal than a driver's. Yet we often see posts in these groups from pilots who imagine that their superior judgent and skill have made them sufficiently immune from these lapses that they are safer flying than driving. This rather juvenile illusion of superiority contributes to the distressing fatal accident rate of private GA flying, I believe. Pilots have to learn early on that there is a difference between confidence and over confidence. They also have to learn that being a so called "conservative" pilot doesn't mean that when aggressive action is required NOW that they will have the option of thinking out the problem. Flying is not unlike many other endeavors where preparation, practice, training, and the ability to think on your feet are absolute essentials to survival. Pilots who concentrate on only one of the many aspects required of the flying venue are the ones prone to accidents. It's fine to have superior skill. In fact, for a pilot, it's a requirement. Where the problem arises isn't in thinking you have superior skill. The problem arises when you think you have superior skill and actually don't have it. :-) -- Dudley Henriques |
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Dudley Henriques wrote:
Dallas wrote: On Mon, 1 Oct 2007 02:58:02 +0000 (UTC), Paul Tomblin wrote: Three years ago, the DE who passed me on my private and instrument tickets died in a stupid accident. Sorry, but you've peaked my curiosity a bit. I'm wondering how a DE, who should in theory be very familiar with aviation safety, could died in a stupid accident. Can you tell us what happened? Happens frequently. I'm working with an accident right now that involves a highly experienced demonstration pilot who suddenly and for no apparent reason began a Split S at an altitude below that required for a recovery. Any pilot, no matter how experienced, can suffer a "brain fart" for lack of a better term. The study on how to prevent this from happening both to myself and to others has occupied a great of my time for the last fifty years or so. What are your preliminary conclusions as to how to prevent this? Obviously, ruling out the "stupid acts" is fairly easy, but I also wonder about the pilots who really and truly seem very careful and meticulous yet someone succumb to an apparent moment of weakness. Matt |
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Matt Whiting wrote:
Dudley Henriques wrote: Dallas wrote: On Mon, 1 Oct 2007 02:58:02 +0000 (UTC), Paul Tomblin wrote: Three years ago, the DE who passed me on my private and instrument tickets died in a stupid accident. Sorry, but you've peaked my curiosity a bit. I'm wondering how a DE, who should in theory be very familiar with aviation safety, could died in a stupid accident. Can you tell us what happened? Happens frequently. I'm working with an accident right now that involves a highly experienced demonstration pilot who suddenly and for no apparent reason began a Split S at an altitude below that required for a recovery. Any pilot, no matter how experienced, can suffer a "brain fart" for lack of a better term. The study on how to prevent this from happening both to myself and to others has occupied a great of my time for the last fifty years or so. What are your preliminary conclusions as to how to prevent this? Obviously, ruling out the "stupid acts" is fairly easy, but I also wonder about the pilots who really and truly seem very careful and meticulous yet someone succumb to an apparent moment of weakness. Matt Gen Des Barker of the South African Air Force (and ex demonstration and test pilot) has done an in-depth work on these issues in his book "Zero Error Margin" where all that has been learned on this subject has been accumulated in print. The subject itself is so hefty I wouldn't even try getting into it with a Usenet post. Basically what we have discovered in our situation is that although most display pilots fare well in following set procedures, regulations, and rules, the breakdown comes at the local level and in many accidents can be coupled with the psychological circumstances prevailing during an incident as those circumstances are affecting the individual display pilot. This is just a pedantic way of saying that what's going on in a pilot's mental and emotional processes as a display is being flown can under specific conditions, be a killer. The fact that we accept these conditions as being present and a danger doesn't really help us much in solving the issue. The reason for this is that each pilot will have a specific tolerance for situational awareness, cockpit over task, and distraction. In other words, you can take a highly trained professional pilot, fully checked out on a specific type of aircraft, and with a proven over time ability to fly a specific demonstration, and that pilot can on a specific day at a specific instant, make a fatal error. Again, we realize this can occur, but the actual solution alludes us. Where we are right now is in making sure we educate the community so they are collectively aware that this danger lurks out there waiting. By educating the community to the problem rather than trying to find a specific "fix" that we believe doesn't exist, we hope to better the safety record. Each pilot in other words, is being encouraged and REMINDED, to be in a constant state of self evaluation as to the ability to perform at any given time and place. It ain't much......but it helps! -- Dudley Henriques |
#7
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![]() "Dudley Henriques" wrote in message news ![]() Each pilot in other words, is being encouraged and REMINDED, to be in a constant state of self evaluation as to the ability to perform at any given time and place. It ain't much......but it helps! -- Dudley Henriques Dudley, You are exactly right. I flew a zero-zero GCA, at night, in a UHIB, at the An Khe airfield in late 1965. No other place to go. We were on mortar patrol, had just been relieved on station by our replacement aircraft. Ground fog had moved in, even the replacement aircraft was not aware of it. No one expected it. I had an instrument rating, my copilot did not. Our other option was to go crash in the jungle someplace (with the bad guys, but where it was clear). Since we did not have enough fuel to divert to a safe landing area--more than 45 minutes away (hey, this was Nam) we decided it was our only option. Obviously, we made it, believe it or not, no damage to aircraft or crew. The GCA Controller got three quarts of Johnny Walker Red the next morning. G Goes to show, you CAN handle a bad situation, IF you remember your training. Regards, Paul PS Sorry about the misplaced thanks!! |
#8
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Paul Riley wrote:
"Dudley Henriques" wrote in message news ![]() Each pilot in other words, is being encouraged and REMINDED, to be in a constant state of self evaluation as to the ability to perform at any given time and place. It ain't much......but it helps! -- Dudley Henriques Dudley, You are exactly right. I flew a zero-zero GCA, at night, in a UHIB, at the An Khe airfield in late 1965. No other place to go. We were on mortar patrol, had just been relieved on station by our replacement aircraft. Ground fog had moved in, even the replacement aircraft was not aware of it. No one expected it. I had an instrument rating, my copilot did not. Our other option was to go crash in the jungle someplace (with the bad guys, but where it was clear). Since we did not have enough fuel to divert to a safe landing area--more than 45 minutes away (hey, this was Nam) we decided it was our only option. Obviously, we made it, believe it or not, no damage to aircraft or crew. The GCA Controller got three quarts of Johnny Walker Red the next morning. G Goes to show, you CAN handle a bad situation, IF you remember your training. Regards, Paul PS Sorry about the misplaced thanks!! Reminds me of that great line from Fate Is The Hunter by Ernie Gann. With engines going out one by one on their DC6 on the GCA into Thule I think it was, the pilot (Rod Taylor) is happily singing away with "Blue Moon". It's 0-0 and the co-pilot, realizing that they only will have one shot at the landing is REALLY getting worried. Finally he can't stand it any longer and interrupts Taylor's singing; "How the hell can you be so damn calm?" "Don't worry" says Taylor, "The runway will be there". "Suppose we screw up the approach. Suppose the radar is off a degree or two. Suppose the controller is tired. How the HELL are you so certain the damn runway will actually be there?" Taylor stops singing just as the number 3 goes dry on fuel. He looks over laughing at the Co-Pilot and says quietly with a smile, "Because it HAS to be there, that's why!". Then they break out and make the landing. You have to love this story. Gann could really put a flying yarn together sitting on that mountaintop home of his. D -- Dudley Henriques |
#9
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Paul Riley wrote:
"Dudley Henriques" wrote in message news ![]() Each pilot in other words, is being encouraged and REMINDED, to be in a constant state of self evaluation as to the ability to perform at any given time and place. It ain't much......but it helps! -- Dudley Henriques Dudley, You are exactly right. I flew a zero-zero GCA, at night, in a UHIB, at the An Khe airfield in late 1965. No other place to go. We were on mortar patrol, had just been relieved on station by our replacement aircraft. Ground fog had moved in, even the replacement aircraft was not aware of it. No one expected it. I had an instrument rating, my copilot did not. Our other option was to go crash in the jungle someplace (with the bad guys, but where it was clear). Since we did not have enough fuel to divert to a safe landing area--more than 45 minutes away (hey, this was Nam) we decided it was our only option. Obviously, we made it, believe it or not, no damage to aircraft or crew. The GCA Controller got three quarts of Johnny Walker Red the next morning. G Let me guess ... this was what was left over from the 6 quarts the crew started with that night! :-) I'm glad you made it! Matt |
#10
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"Matt Whiting" wrote in message
... Paul Riley wrote: "Dudley Henriques" wrote in message news ![]() Each pilot in other words, is being encouraged and REMINDED, to be in a constant state of self evaluation as to the ability to perform at any given time and place. It ain't much......but it helps! -- Dudley Henriques Dudley, You are exactly right. I flew a zero-zero GCA, at night, in a UHIB, at the An Khe airfield in late 1965. No other place to go. We were on mortar patrol, had just been relieved on station by our replacement aircraft. Ground fog had moved in, even the replacement aircraft was not aware of it. No one expected it. I had an instrument rating, my copilot did not. Our other option was to go crash in the jungle someplace (with the bad guys, but where it was clear). Since we did not have enough fuel to divert to a safe landing area--more than 45 minutes away (hey, this was Nam) we decided it was our only option. Obviously, we made it, believe it or not, no damage to aircraft or crew. The GCA Controller got three quarts of Johnny Walker Red the next morning. G Let me guess ... this was what was left over from the 6 quarts the crew started with that night! :-) I'm glad you made it! Matt Nope, we had zero when we started. But when we finished, we did, err, uhhh, imbibe somewhat--AFTER we changed our shorts. :-)))) Then, we went to our footlockers, got out what we had stashed, gave it to the GCA guy. He earned it!!!!!!!!!!!! Paul |
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