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Garfly

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Posts posted by Garfly

    Collision on Final (Johnson Creek, Idaho, 2013)

    in Aircraft Incidents and Accidents

    Posted

    Yeah, there was discussion along those lines on the Pilots of America forum (#1 above) but I've often wondered what exactly one would/should/could say on a handheld radio faced with that situation.

     

    Whatever comes to your mouth in the moment, it'd need to be super quick and super clear ... but how and what precisely?

     

    Obviously, it's no good if you blurt out words based on what's clear from your own POV: " ... suggest higher aircraft goes around!"

     

    But also, it's likely you wouldn't be able to identify the two aircraft clearly enough to make their relative positions understood by each of them based on your words alone. "Who does he mean? Me?"

     

    I suppose, the best you could say would be "Safety alert! XXXX traffic. Two on short finals together!"

     

    But even then, the danger is that you could end up precipitating the very thing you're trying to prevent.

     

    Very tricky situation. Better hope it never happens.

     

    P.S: For those of us with ballistic 'chutes installed, this excerpt from the ATSB Latrobe Valley accident report (above) might give pause:

     

    "The instructor in UGO reported continuing the circuit and, while on the downwind leg, noting that there appeared to be two aircraft in close proximity on final approach to runway 09. Shortly after, EUI and the Avid collided on the final approach to runway 09. The Avid was reported to have spiralled to the ground almost vertically, while the pilot of EUI continued the approach and landed safely. Subsequent examination of the wreckage of the Avid revealed that it was equipped with a ballistic parachute recovery system; however, the system was not deployed and had not been armed prior to the flight."

     

     

    Collision on Final (Johnson Creek, Idaho, 2013)

    in Aircraft Incidents and Accidents

    Posted

    Another YouTube video of an accident where CTAF comms was a factor:

     

     

    NTSB report:

     

    https://www.ntsb.gov/_layouts/ntsb.aviation/brief2.aspx?ev_id=20130628X45644&ntsbno=WPR13FA296A&akey=1

     

    Pilots of America Forum:

     

     

    Mid air Crash at Johnson Creek Video.

     

    Excerpt:

     

    "Silvaire said:

     

    If I were to make a wild guess I'd say that the guy in the Arrow thought the first plane that did the fly-by was the Tri-Pacer.

     

    Dav8or commented:

     

    Looks that way to me too. It looks like everyone was setting up for low passes for the friends and the guy with the camera. I'm assuming there were radio calls and it's likely the Arrow looked out his window saw the red and white Pacer (?) and thought he was following that guy. Completely un aware that the guy making the calls and whom he thought he was following, was really much closer and lower.

     

    A case of mistaken identity.

     

    Whenever there is a crash, pilots like to work hard to lay blame on another pilot. That way they can pat themselves on the back and tell themselves that the crash pilot was sub standard and that the mistake made would never happen to them, therefore their version of GA flying is perfectly safe. It's just lying to yourself. This accident could have happened to any pilot reading this thread, myself included.

     

    The take away here is a change in radio communications. (assuming there were any) We all need to adopt the EAA Airventure style of identifying airplanes in the pattern. Your tail number is worthless, the color of your plane can be very useful. So, something like- "Johnson Creek traffic, red and white Tri Pacer turning final, Johnson Creek."

     

    I am completely one of the ones that needs to make this change. I was not taught this technique and I was trained in a class C airport under Bravo so ATC was a part of every flight. In addition, I flew IFR exclusively for many years. The habit of identifying yourself with the last three of the N number is natural and hard to break, but again, this information is worthless in the untowered traffic pattern. I really need to get used to the sound of myself saying, "Byron traffic, yellow and green Mooney..."

     

    Dav8or, Aug 16, 2013"

     

     

    • Informative 3

    Fatal due CTAF comms fail (KVBT 2016 )

    in Aircraft Incidents and Accidents

    Posted

    This is a recently posted YT video of a US accident from 2 years ago.

     

    Some lessons here about checking that we're actually communicating in CTAF situations.

     

     

    This also shows the value of the AFRU facilities some of our airports have.

     

    (And/or the local practice in some places of pilots regularly requesting a radio check - coming and going.)

     

    CAAP 166-1(3)

     

     

     

    7.5.4 At aerodromes with an Aerodrome Frequency Response Unit, pilots will receive confirmation that they are broadcasting on the relevant CTAF. This will be either the name of the aerodrome and the word “CTAF” or, if any aircraft transmissions have been received by the AFRU within the last five minutes, a low volume 300 millisecond tone burst. This helps pilots to both confirm they are using the right frequency and makes them aware of potential traffic in the area (See ERSA Aerodrome Frequency Response Unit)

     

     

    • Informative 1

    Birdstroke!

    in AUS/NZ General Discussion

    Posted

    Yes, it's fascinating to see them ride the bow wave - as it were - of the big wing.

     

    But I guess nature taught them that, after all, isn't gaining lift advantage, one wing to another, the whole reason for their V-formations?

     

    Apropos of all that, I was a bit puzzled by this suggestion from an "aeronautical engineer" in the YouTube comments that they're getting lift ahead of the prop.

     

    But you can plainly see - at least in some shots - that they're surfing right out to the wing tip.

     

    (

     

    "David Chester

     

     

     

    As an aeronautical engineer who has researched flow near propellers, I find the part of this video where the bird is gliding near to the pilot, and allowing him to touch his/her body to be absolutely fantastic. This is because the bird is taking advantage of the air-flow ahead of the propeller. This air-flow is being accelerated ahead of the propeller (to a speed above the general airspeed) and by it, but somehow the bird which has stopped flapping its wings and is taking advantage of the faster air-flows here. I would imagine that the opposite should be the case, because the greater speed airflow creates more aerodynamic drag, not less. Ain't nature wonderful!!"

     

     

     

     

     

    1887347920_Birdstrokesurfers.png.660ff9f80d7a49850bd6665fbf9c2980.png

     

     

    (A case of "Yes, vicar, nature is wonderful, more, even, than science." ;-)

     

     

    • Like 2

    Mid-Air Collision • New case-study video

    in AUS/NZ General Discussion

    Posted

    Just came across this video by FLY8MA about the May 2012 collision (Bonanza v. Cherokee - both VFR) near Warrenton, Virginia.

     

    If you click through to watch it on YouTube there are more stories and discussion in the Comments section.

     

    I've also posted a link to the official investigation which was done by the TSB of Canada because, incredibly, the pilots in both aircraft had FAA/NTSB connections;

     

    each being involved in air crash investigations.

     

     

    http://www.bst-tsb.gc.ca/eng/rapports-reports/aviation/2012/A12H0001/A12H0001.pdf

     

     

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