FLYING LESSONS for November 5, 2015 suggested by this week s aircraft mishap reports

FLYING LESSONS for November 5, 2015 suggested by this week s aircraft mishap reports FLYING LESSONS uses the past week s mishap reports to consider what might have contributed to accidents, so you can make better decisions if you face similar circumstances. In almost all cases design characteristics of a specific make and model airplane have little direct bearing on the possible causes of aircraft accidents, so apply these FLYING LESSONS to any airplane you fly. Verify all technical information before applying it to your aircraft or operation, with manufacturers data and recommendations taking precedence. You are pilot in command, and are ultimately responsible for the decisions you make. FLYING LESSONS is an independent product of MASTERY FLIGHT TRAINING, INC. www.mastery-flight-training.com This week s lessons: The seasons are changing pretty much no matter where you are in the world. Seasonal changes are often windy times. The recent FAA preliminary accident report record reflects this, with a big increase in Loss of Directional Control (LODC) crashes during takeoff and, especially, during landing (LODC-L). LODC-L events usually have four things in common: 1. There are no injuries. LODC-L events are low-speed impacts; it s rare when anyone gets hurt. 2. Airplane damage is usually substantial. Bent wing tips, wiped out (collapsed) landing gear both in fixed and retractable gear airplanes, and propeller strikes (which require propeller replacement or repair and a complete engine tear-down inspection and reassembly) are common elements of the LODC-L impact. 3. Because of the type of damage involved, the cost of repairs is usually enough to total an airplane, or at the very least, to require costly repairs and long down-time. 4. In the vast majority of LODC-L events, the computed crosswind component is less than 10 knots. 10 knots? My research into LODC-L runway excursions shows that the reported wind is rarely very strong. It s almost never near the published Maximum Demonstrated Crosswind speed for the airplane. Maybe when the wind is quite strong we realize we must be on top of our game and give crosswinds the attention they need. Perhaps we choose to land on another runway, or even go somewhere else entirely. When the winds are lighter, however, we might not be giving the crosswinds the attention we should. There is a limit to an airplane s control authority that determines the maximum speed at which maintaining runway alignment is physically possible. This is not the maximum crosswind figure published in the Pilot s Operating Handbook; the POH merely lists the maximum crosswind component that was demonstrated during the airplane s certification process. The ultimate crosswind component would depend on a lot of factors, including engine power, runway coefficient of friction, the quality of the airplane s tires, and whether the crosswind was coming from the left or the right so many variables that publishing a precise figure would be nearly impossible, and be essentially useless to a pilot. But history shows the maximum crosswind component, that is, the threshold of loss of control, is not determined by the airplane. It is determined by the abilities and attention of the pilot. One of the factors in LODC-L mishaps, in my opinion, is that pilots don t think very much about crosswinds when preparing to land. We listen to the AWOS or ASOS to determine the runway to use, choose the same runway as other traffic in the pattern, or accept the runway assigned by a control tower. Once the runway-in-use decision is made (or made for us), we tend to mentally discard the wind information. 2015 Mastery Flight Training, Inc. All rights reserved. 1

Most pilot training conditions us to consider the crosswind component for takeoff. When it comes to crosswinds for landing, however, we often take whatever we get. This lack of focus may drive so many airplanes off the sides of the runway, often to never fly again. We just aren t thinking about crosswinds. Part of the reason may be that not everyone is a whiz at doing math in their head while flying an airplane. But it doesn t take the power of an E6B to estimate the crosswind component for a runway you re considering using. You can get close enough, while erring on the conservative side for purposes of in-flight estimation, by thinking about 1/3, 2/3, and 100%. When you listen to ATIS, AWOS, or ASOS, determine the angle between the runway heading and the reported wind.! If the difference is 20 or less, assume the crosswind component is 1/3 of the reported wind speed. This is very conservative when the angle is smaller within this range, and closer to correct at the 20 angular difference point.! If the difference between runway heading and wind direction is more than 20 but less than 45, assume the crosswind component is 2/3 of the reported wind speed. Again, this is conservative at the lower end of this range but closer to accurate at the 45 point.! If the difference between runway heading and the reported wind is 45 to 90, assume the crosswind component equals 100% of the reported wind speed. Once you have estimated the crosswind component, ask yourself honestly if you re well-rested and current enough on crosswinds to land with the estimated crosswind component. If yes, prepare for a crosswind landing using appropriate control inputs. If honest reflection indicates you re not ready to handle that crosswind on that day, don t even try. Pick (or ask the tower for) another runway with a crosswind you can honestly accept, if one exists. If not, divert to another airport with crosswinds that do not exceed your personal limitations at that particular time. You may use some other method to estimate crosswinds for landing. I expect, however, that many pilots use no landing crosswind estimation system at all. If you don t estimate crosswinds for every landing you are a LOCD-L event waiting to happen. You can fix that easily, and avoid adding to the long list of LODC-L mishaps, by remembering 1/3, 2/3 and 100%. Questions? Comments? Let us know, at mastery.flight.training@cox.net 2015 Mastery Flight Training, Inc. All rights reserved. 2

See http://pilotworkshop.com/ifr-focus/signup/today-mft Debrief: Readers write about recent FLYING LESSONS: FLYING LESSONS reader Scotty Fairbairn has great credentials to comment on ongoing discussion of Angle of Attack (AOA), stall prevention and recovery: Great discussion on stall, post-stall and incipient spin recovery techniques. Here are some memories from the Edwards test pilot school course circa 1992. I thought it might be interesting to share a couple of highlights I remember from that training. Disclaimer: this was over 20 years ago, I m not a CFI, but was a successful military test pilot and so far my takeoffs have equaled landings through ~3500 hours, mostly in high performance aircraft: 1. Stall is all about AOA. Spin is all about AOA and yaw rate. Altitude loss in both is related to time to recover and then making sure the lift vector points up i.e. wings-level pull. 2. A stall will never become a spin without yaw rate. Yaw rate will almost never build up without slip (I m sure someone could figure out an exception ). The slip indicator is therefore an enormously useful instrument during stall to preclude entering a spin. 3. Not only that, the response to a slip indication is really simple: step on the ball. Works whether you re in a stall or I reckon even a post-stall (not spin) event. Step on the ball. 4. How much do you step on the ball? Just enough to center the ball if you re in an approach to stall, or stall event where yaw rate has yet to build. In fact, might save your life close to the ground. About the only slip or skid I want to do close to the ground is that necessary to deal with a crosswind landing. 5. About rudder in an incipient spin or spin: I always got confused about ball or turn needle or any other instrument, or even trying to process in my brain the direction of turn and doing the correct response. Here s what worked for me: drag the foot opposite direction of spin, regardless of whether you re right side up or upside down. For example, if you re spinning upright to the right, drag the left foot (i.e., apply left rudder), if you re in an inverted spin spinning to the right as seen from a God s eye view, then if you drag the trailing foot, and if you think thru the geometry, that s your right foot i.e. (apply right rudder). Anyway very easy to just think drag the trailing foot (i.e. stomp on that rudder). 6. How do you reduce AOA? Forward yoke or stick. Keep it forward as required until you have good flying speed again. Not necessarily full forward because that can put you into an inverted stall or spin if you re not careful. It is always safe to go to near zero Gs just enough to feel weightless. That means you are commanding zero lift from the wings, which means essentially zero AoA which means you cannot be stalling the wing. Recall from the movie Top Gun, Maverick went ballistic that s zero G. Again, you can t stall at zero AoA. 7. Rudder only to level the wings? I ll buy it in a swept wing aircraft. In fact, in F-4s the guys used rudder only for air combat maneuvering. In a straight-wing aircraft, without going into the aerodynamics of it all (and there is a good aerodynamic basis for difference between the two), my experience is it doesn t work so well. 8. What you will need in a straight wing aircraft is both rudder and ailerons to level the wings. Coordinated flight using both aileron and rudder applied at an AoA below stall. Unload, roll, then pull. 9. Big bugaboo with ailerons: adverse yaw, which gets worse the higher the AoA. So, never apply 2015 Mastery Flight Training, Inc. All rights reserved. 3

aileron only when the stall warning is on it s a recipe for a spin (as the FAA video shows). Finally, rules of thumb for any approach stall recovery: simultaneously step on the ball with rudder to achieve coordinated flight and reduce AoA with yoke/stick. Ailerons neutral, power as required. Once the stall is broken, roll wings level using coordinated aileron and rudder (in a straight wing aircraft), pull to wings level, power as required. Tremendous insights, Scotty. I m not quite certain I get the image of drag the foot opposite [the] direction of spin, but I know that means apply opposite rudder. That s the 1-2-3 Rule I teach students when I demonstrate incipient spins: 1. Push to reduce AoA. 2. Opposite rudder to stop rotation. 3. Power to idle to prevent exceeding airspeed limitations. Then, make a smooth pullout to avoid overstressing the airframe. Thanks, Scotty, for letting us learn from your experience. Reader Robert Thorson writes: I am starting Professional Development Seminars to aid CFIs. Here is the flyer. This is just a start! This looks like a great event and seating is limited at the time of this writing (Wednesday morning 11/4) there are only 19 of the 65 available seats remaining. Register here on www.faasafety.gov if you re a Northeast or mid-atlantic CFI, to become an even better instructor. Thanks, Robert, for passing this along, and to Don Argintar (don@flightmatters.com) and FLYING LESSONS reader Doug Stewart for putting it on. Reader Lorne Sheren writes about last week s LESSONS concerning planning for engine failures during a night takeoff: Great points about engine failures at night. I try to avoid unfamiliar airports at night. If I end up having to depart from one I appreciate the increased risk. For familiar airports I do the same thing I do during the day: I know the immediate terrain and have a contingency plan. For example with an engine failure I will push and turn slightly right and land in the field. The majority of my night flying (and since I use my plane for commuting I fly at night quite a bit) is out of two airports, and I know the terrain around those airports quite well. A strange airport at night stretches the string out a bit longer than I would like. Thanks, Lorne. Day or night, one tactic for contingency planning at unfamiliar airports is to use Google Earth or a similar online image to scope out the departure end of the runway. This won t probably have the resolution to tell you exactly what the terrain and slope would be like for any given off-airport landing zone, but at least it helps you make a strategic decision about where not to go to avoid major obstacles like buildings, schoolyards, etc. What do you think? Let us learn from you, at mastery.flight.training@cox.net You have an amazing ability to research the relevant details and explain them so that a pilot gets the meaning. Thanks. --David Dewhurst Please be a FLYING LESSONS supporter through the secure PayPal donations button at www.mastery-flight-training.com. Thank you, generous supporters. Share safer skies. Forward FLYING LESSONS to a friend 2015 Mastery Flight Training, Inc. All rights reserved. 4

Learn to Turn Podcast During the recent NTSB Loss of Control In Flight (LOC-I) forum Master Aerobatics CFI Rich Stowell announced the Learn To Turn campaign to positively affect the number of stall-related crashes. Rich now presents a podcast in which he further explains the program and its goals. Take a listen evidence is that we all need a refresher on the aerodynamics of turning flight. See www.avweb.com/eletter/archives/101/3170-full.html?et=avweb:e3170:227136a:&st=email#225108 More on Night Flight The November/December 2015 FAA Safety Briefing focuses on general aviation night operations. Articles in this issue address the importance of having both the right physical and mental preparation for flying at night, as well as how technology can help. FAA uses the word NIGHT as a mnemonic checklist for all of the content in this night-themed issue. Feature articles include: N = Nightlights Using Pilot Nightlights to Find Your Way in the Dark I = Illusions Nighttime Perils of Perception G = Gadgets Glowing Gadgets and Gizmos H = Human Factors How Night Can Be Hazardous to Your Flying Health T = Terrain Avoidance What Does it Take to Use NVGs? Read the Good Night issue of FAA Safety Briefing. See www.faa.gov/news/safety_briefing Comments? Send em in, at mastery.flight.training@cox.net. Personal Aviation: Freedom. Choices. Responsibility. Thomas P. Turner, M.S. Aviation Safety, Three-time Master CFI Flight Instructor Hall of Fame 2010 National FAA Safety Team Representative of the Year 2008 FAA Central Region CFI of the Year FLYING LESSONS is 2015 Mastery Flight Training, Inc. For more information see www.mastery-flight-training.com, or contact mastery.flight.training@cox.net. 2015 Mastery Flight Training, Inc. All rights reserved. 5