Flying Lessons - 090423

©2009 Mastery Flight Training, Inc. All rights reserved.

FLYING LESSONSFLYING LESSONS for April 23, 2009

suggested by this week’s aircraft mishap reports FLYING LESSONS uses the past week’s mishap reports as the jumping-off point 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.

FLYING LESSONS is an independent product of MASTERY FLIGHT TRAINING, INC. www.thomaspturner.net This week’s lessons:

Returning an airplane to service after annual inspection is officially the aircraft inspector’s responsibility. In reality it’s a team effort between the inspector and the pilot who first flies the aircraft. When you pick up an airplane from the shop be prepared to spend time evaluating it before you accept the results and leave the general area.

A great many times mishap reports include mention of recent inspection or repair, often with the pilot launching into IMC or night conditions on the very first flight out of the shop. The more sophisticated the airplane, the greater the chance something may go wrong on the first flight. “Glass cockpit” airplanes anecdotally appear to be especially susceptible to post-maintenance crashes if something goes awry with the avionics or electrical failure—not because they are more prone to failure, but because the consequences of those failures are more severe than individual instrument failures in “round-gauge” aircraft.

Consider your role in returning an airplane to service. Read The Post Annual Inspection parts 1 and 2.

See www.ipilot.com/learn/article.aspx?ArticleID=144 and www.ipilot.com/learn/article.aspx?ArticleID=150 Questions? Comments? Email me at mastery.flight.training@cox.net

Thanks to everyone who attended my Sun-N-Fun seminar, “I Would Never Do That.”

Coming MFT presentations

See www.sportys.com/flyin

QUESTIONS OF THE WEEK

To get to know readers better, and therefore provide you a better FLYING LESSONS product, we’re asking short Questions of the Week. Copy the questions below and paste them with your answers into an email to MFTsurvey@cox.net. I’ll randomly select an email from those who reply and, once a month, send the selected reader a Mastery Flight Training hat. Your email address goes in the drawing once every week you respond in a month’s. All responses will remain confidential, but I will publish a breakdown of the results.

Like PIREPs, this works best if everyone participates. So take a moment to answer this week’s Questions…then come back to read the rest of FLYING LESSONS.

April Questions of the Week #3

Question of the Week #2 Response: Although FLYING LESSONS readers who responded are split almost by thirds into Private, Commercial or ATP pilot certification, over 90% hold an instrument rating. Virtually none of you plan to earn a new certificate or rating before your next scheduled Flight Review, except that most of the few who are not instrument rated said they’d like to earn that rating before their current Flight Review runs out.

Thanks to all who answered last week’s Questions!

DEBRIEF: Readers discuss past FLYING LESSONS reports

A FLYING LESSONS reader and multiengine instructor who asked to remain anonymous writes:

I have recently discovered your "Flying Lessons" series of articles through the FAASTeam website, and I find them informative and useful. I just had one additional tip for the article dated January 15th, 2009 regarding engine failures during takeoffs in light twins.

A pre take-off briefing is a good habit in any category/class of aircraft, but I think in multi-engine airplanes especially it is helpful to always verbally review the procedures in the event of an engine failure. Such a briefing might include (can be modified as necessary for the specific make/model:) "This will be a (normal/short field) take off from runway XX. In the event of an engine failure on the runway, we will maintain directional control, chop the throttles and stop on the runway. If the engine fails after takeoff and the gear is down, we will maintain directional control, chop the throttles, drop the flaps and land on the runway.

If the engine fails after takeoff and the gear is up/in transit, it will be maintain directional control, pitch for blue line, mixtures/props/throttles full forward, verify gear up, verify flaps up, identify, verify, feather. We will climb to pattern altitude, and circle back for a landing." If there is another pilot aboard, he/she can be delegated to handle the radios or help with the checklist. Just make sure to know who is going to be flying the airplane beforehand.

In my opinion, at least reciting a briefing like this out loud helps to "spring load" those reactions, especially in a situation where time is critical, and requires the use of skills that few people regularly practice after their checkride. Just my 2 cents. Thanks for the articles, please keep them coming! Thanks, reader.

DC-10 and soon-to-be Boeing 777 captain Brad Haslett comments on the go-around discussion prompted by the recent MD-11 crash at Narita, Japan. Brad cited quite of bit of detail about transport category airplanes and the MD-11 record in particular, summing it up for pilots of all airplanes thus:

[I] just finished reading your assessment of the NRT landing and my first thought after watching the video the day of the accident was, "why not go-around?"…. Getting back to root causes, your analysis and recommendations are correct. Don't try to salvage a botched landing; go-around. Thanks, Brad, it’s good to have confirmation that the lessons of this tragedy can help us all make better decisions.

Questions? Comments? Send your insights to mastery.flight.training@cox.net Fly safe, and have fun!

Thomas P. Turner, M.S. Aviation Safety, MCFI

2008 FAA Central Region CFI of the Year

FLYING LESSONS is ©2009 Mastery Flight Training, Inc. Copyright holder provides permission for FLYING LESSONS to be posted on FAASafety.gov. For more information see www.thomaspturner.net , or contact mastery.flight.training@cox.net or your FAASTeam representative.