Hard Landing Definition:

A hard landing on a snow-contaminated runway can lead to several dangerous consequences, including: loss of directional control, inability to slow down effectively, increased risk of runway overrun, potential for skidding or hydroplaning, and damage to the aircraft due to excessive forces on the landing gear; all of which can significantly increase the risk of an accident due to the reduced friction between the tires and the runway surface caused by the snow. 

Key points about hard landings on snow-covered runways:

Reduced braking effectiveness:

Snow significantly reduces the friction between the tires and the runway, making it much harder to decelerate the aircraft upon landing, potentially leading to a longer landing roll and overrun. 

Hydroplaning risk:

If the snow is slushy or wet, the aircraft can experience hydroplaning, where the tires lose contact with the runway due to a layer of water between them, further impairing braking ability. 

Directional control issues:

On a slippery surface, even slight rudder inputs can have a reduced effect, making it harder to maintain the aircraft's heading during landing rollout. 

Increased stress on landing gear:

A hard landing on a contaminated runway puts additional stress on the landing gear, potentially causing damage if the impact is too severe. 

Important considerations for landing on a snow-covered runway:

Pilot technique:

Pilots should use a "soft-field" landing technique with a lower touchdown speed and gentle braking to maximize friction and minimize the risk of skidding. 

Runway condition reports:

Carefully review the latest runway condition reports (RCR) to assess the level of snow contamination and determine if landing is safe. 

Decision to divert:

If the runway conditions are deemed too hazardous, pilots should consider diverting to an alternate airport with better conditions.

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Source: Web Safety Information 

( Hard Landing on contaminated runways)

Aviation Weather

Aviation Weather:

Weather influences all pilots on every flight. 

So, there is a serious to all pilots understanding this critical area of Aviation Information. 

As pilots, how can we be anticipated to develop the needed skill in this area? 

What is the difference between Weather and Climate?

Weather is a major cause of fatal aircraft accidents and has the highest rate of fatalities, over 80%.

Between one-quarter and one-third of fatal GA accidents are weather related.  

What is the difference between weather and climate?

WEATHER: Weather is principally the way the atmosphere is behaving, mainly with respect to its effects.

As pilots we ask what is the weather in terms of temperature, humidity, precipitation, cloudiness, visibility, wind, and atmospheric pressure, as in high and low pressure etc. 

In most countries and places, weather can change from Minute-to-Minute, Hour-to-Hour, Day-to-Day, and Season-to-Season.

CLIMATE: Climate is the report of the long-term pattern of weather in a particular area.

Some meteorological experts define climate as the typical weather for a particular region and time period. 

When meteorologists experts talk about climate, they're looking what that means the terms of precipitation, temperature, humidity, wind velocity, phenomena such as fog, frost, and hail storms, and other measures of the weather that occur over a long period in a particular place.

According to the NASA.gov information, the difference between weather and climate is the measure of time. 

Weather is what the conditions of the atmosphere are over a short period of time and climate is the average weather over a very long period of time.

Keep in mind deeper information of weather also allows you to adjust your flights, and avoid potential weather hazards.

Always Remember Fly Safely, the weather plays a huge part in your flying all the time.

Safety is the First gate to Success / Working without Safety means Failure.

The weather, something everyone should respect.

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http://aviationweather.gov/

Mid Air Collisions Part 2

Why you should know more about Mid Air Collisions?

As you read this safety post, I ask you to read and pay close attention why accidents happen?

On my previous post I wrote about and How to Avoid a Mid Air Collision? 

So, through the many stories regarding incidents and accidents I offer look to all pilots that seem familiar with this term, why you should know the Causes of Midair’s.

I want to share today a very interesting post, what causes in- flight collisions? 

Certainly, increasing traffic and higher closing speeds represent potential, so for instance a Jet and a Light Twin have a closing speed of about 760 mph. 

It takes a minimum of 10 seconds, says the FAA, for any pilot to spot traffic, identify it, realize it’s a collision threat, react and have his aircraft respond, but two planes converging at 740 mph will be less than 10 seconds apart when pilots are first able to detect each other, these problems are heightened by the fact that our air traffic control and radar facilities are in some cases, overloaded and limited.

These are all casual factors, but the reason most often noted in the statistics reads (Failure of Pilot to see other aircraft) – failure of the see-and –avoid system. In most incidents and accidents, so at least one of the pilots involved could have seen the other in time to avoid contact, if he had just been using his eyes properly, so it’s really that complex, vulnerable little organ-the human eye –which is the leading cause of in-flight collision. 

Always take a look at how its limitations affect your flight.

Studies of the midair collision problem from certain definite warning patterns, it may be surprising to some that nearly all midair collisions occur during daylight hours and in VFR conditions.

Maybe not so surprising is that the majority happen within five miles of an airport, in the areas of greatest traffic concentration, and usually on warm weekend afternoons when more pilots are doing more flying. 

Not looking out at all, and /or completely blocking your peripheral vision, is an invitation to an in-flight collision.

Always consider how to scan, scan patterns, the time –sharing plan, the panel scan inside your cockpit, and use continuously the collision avoidance checklist. 

So, collision avoidance involves much more than proper eyeball techniques, you can be the most conscientious scanner in the world and still have an in –flight collision if you disregard other important factors in the overall see-and avoid picture, constantly it might be helpful to use a collision avoidance checklist as you do in your routine pre takeoff and landing list, so, such a checklist might include the following nine items and be aware at all times of your flight:

1.       Check Yourself.

2.       Plan Ahead.

3.       Clean Windows

4.       Adhere to SOPs.

5.       Avoid Crows.

6.       Compensate for  Design.

7.       Equip for Safety.

8.       Talk and Listen.

9.       Scan.

This is the most important part of your checklist of course, is to keep looking where you are going and to watch for traffic, don’t forget make use of your scan constantly.

These power strategies are to help you to think safety in your flights.

There is no way to say whether the inexperienced pilot or the older, more experienced pilot is most likely to be involved in an in – flight collision. 

A begging pilot has so much to think about he may forget to look around, on the other hand , the older pilot,  having sat through many hours of boring flight without spotting any hazardous traffic , may grow complacent and forget to scan. 

No pilot is invulnerable.

 (Source AOPA)

Always Fly Safely.

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Mid Air Collisions Why? Part 1

 Mid Air Collisions Why?

Why accidents happen it's a good question to answer, and also difficult to respond, why, and what happen.

So, sometimes we already know what happened, but the only question is why it happened again. 

There was a Mid Air Collision between two aircraft few days ago at Reagan National Airport in Washington DC, on January 29, 2025, and refreshing my memory on Thursday October 23, 2014 at the Frederick Municipal Airport, according to the federal agencies a Cirrus SR22 aircraft and a R44 helicopter collided in Mid Air, near the Frederick Municipal Airport in Maryland too.

So, commonly aviation accidents, categorize mid airs as one of the two types, associated and non-associated.

Associated Mid Air Collisions are when two aircraft were flying in each other’s vicinity and knew it.

Non Associated Mid Air Collisions are and occur when an airplane who is not intentionally flying in each other’s vicinity and neither knows the other is there.

Where was each aircraft hypothetical to be? Who had the right of way? And who could have seen who?

This type of investigation to resolve, and also to investigate, has a first priority to analyses, usually aircraft accident investigators focus on Air Traffic Control records and the radar data, also probably the Flight Data Recorders and Cockpit Voice Recorders if either aircraft was so equipped, regularly and videos, witnesses is a good key too, but the only difficult witnesses see the aftermath of the collision.

That is why, I want to share again something, I wrote on my Safety Blog years ago, something regarding Mid Air Collisions, think about it this for a moment and read again my all post to avoid this type of accidents.

Midair Collision Avoidance:

Recent studies of Midair Collisions involving aircraft by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) determined that:

Most of the aircraft involved in collisions are engaged in recreational flying, not on any type of flight plan.

Most midair collisions occur in VFR weather conditions during weekend day light hours.

The vast majority of accidents occurred at or near uncontrolled airports and at altitudes below 1000 feet.

Pilots of all experience levels were involved in midair collisions, from pilots on their first solo ride, to 20,000-hour veterans.

Flight instructors were on board the aircraft 37 percent of the accidents in the study.

Most collisions occur in daylight with visibility greater than 3 miles.

Practice the "see and avoid" concept at all times regardless of whether the operation is conducted under Instrument (IFR) or Visual (VFR) Flight Rules.

Under IFR control, don't always count on ATC to keep you away from other aircraft.  They're human, and can make mistakes.

Understand the limitations of your eyes and use proper visual scanning techniques.  

Remember, if another aircraft appears to have no relative motion, but is increasing in size, it is likely to be on a collision course with you.

Execute appropriate clearing procedures before all climbs, descents, turns, training maneuvers, or aerobatics.

Be aware of the type airspace in which you intend to operate in and comply with the applicable rules.

Adhere to the necessary communications requirements.

Traffic advisories should be requested and used when available to assist the pilot’s own visual scanning -- advisories in no way lessen the pilot’s obligation to see and avoid.

If not practical to initiate radio contact for traffic information, at least monitor the appropriate frequency.

Make frequent position reports along your route and AT UNCONTROLLED AIRPORTS BROADCAST YOUR POSITION AND INTENTIONS ON COMMON TRAFFIC ADVISORY FREQUENCY (CTAF).

Make your aircraft as visible as possible - turn on exterior lights below 10,000 MSL and landing lights when operating within 10 miles of any airport, in conditions of reduced visibility, where any bird activity is expected or under special VFR clearance.

If the aircraft is equipped with a transponder, turn it on and adjust it to reply on both Mode 3/A and Mode C (if installed). 

Transponders substantially increase the capability of radar to see all aircraft and the MODE C feature enables the controller to quickly determine where potential traffic conflicts exist.  

Even VFR pilots who are not in contact with ATC will be afforded greater protection from IFR aircraft receiving traffic advisories.

IN ACCORDANCE WITH FAR PART 91.413, WHILE IN CONTROLLED AIRSPACE, EACH PILOT OPERATING AN AIRCRAFT EQUIPPED WITH AN OPERABLE ATC TRANSPONDER MAINTAINED SHALL OPERATE THE TRANSPONDER, INCLUDING MODE C IF INSTALLED, ON THE APPROPRIATE MODE OR AS ASSIGNED BY ATC.  IN CLASS G AIRSPACE.

THE TRANSPONDER SHOULD BE OPERATING WHILE AIRBORNE UNLESS OTHERWISE REQUESTED BY ATC.

ABOVE ALL, AVOID COMPLACENCY

Promoting Aviation Safety is the key!

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Evidence Based Training (EBT)

What is Evidence Based Training (EBT)?

Pilots who fly and airplane ask what is important about human factors and the role of the pilot flying a plane.

Accidents statistics seem to indicate that pilots do not have the appropriate tools to deal with their own roles in the cockpit. 

So, all pilots are trained to handle emergencies, such as engine failure or any electrical system failures, but they are sometimes no trained to handle the internal and external factors that act them.

Evidence based training (EBT) is a training and assessment technique based on operational data that is considered by developing and accessing the complete capability of a trainee across a range of core competencies rather than by evaluating the performance in individual events or maneuvers during simulators training.

What does EBT stand for in aviation?

When accidents happen the causes are always complex and involve coatings of technical, operational and human-factors issues. 

Evidence Based Training (EBT) has been developed to contest recurrent pilot training to the real risks of operating current modern aircraft in today's demanding operational environment.

So, Evidence-Based Training (EBT) in other words, is a new approach, developed on behalf of the, International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), directed by a giant group of airline industry experts with the goal to increase the effectiveness of pilot training and meet the challenges of airline operations in the 21st century to avoid and stay away of incidents and accidents. 

Also, to develop a new model for competency-based training and assessment of airline pilots based on evidence.

How is Evidence-Based Training different from traditional pilot training?

There are two new and important aspects of EBT, which distinguish this type of training from the check-focused training of the past: Core competencies, and evidence.

So, what excellent pilots do to make things go well during your training in simulator sessions, and also during flying the airplane safe on the line? 

In my next post, I will explain the meaning of these two concepts for the safety of your flights, Core and Evidence.

There are 9 core competencies of a professional pilot:

1. Communication.

2.   Aircraft Flight Path Management - Manual Control.

3. Aircraft Flight Path Management - Automation.

4. Knowledge.

5. Leadership and teamwork.

6. Problem solving and decision making.

7. Application of procedures.

8. Workload management.

9. Situational Awareness.

Always, keep in mind that flying is about people, much more so than about machines. 

To avoid any incident or accident increasing your awareness of human strengths will make you a safety pilot at all time you flying your airplane.

Always fly safe!

Black Hole Approach

Dangerous Approaches / Keep on Outside / Can be Fatal if you don’t Understand.

Dangerous Approaches / Keep on Outside.

Interesting, enjoy the article, always try to fly safely. 

So, the final approach accidents have increased in the last years, according to final reports of incidents and accidents, in the development of my own research into this analysis by myself, also, I want to write and post here my personal view regarding why accidents happen in this final phase of the flight.

Why didn’t the Flight Crew follow Standard Operating Procedures (SOP)?

Why didn’t they fly their instruments? Why didn’t they hear and respond to the Ground – Proximity Warning System (GPWS). 

Sometimes, poor decision making in many cases caused by stress overload that resulted in the reduction of crew focus to the point that warnings were not heard, recognized.

So, a human error approach to aviation errors analysis such approaches black hole landings, since they were characterized as occurring leads pilots to fly low approaches .

In, another point of my personal analyses, in the course of working with accidents similar to those in this post, I noted that many times the pilots appeared to lack knowledge of the design criteria for the instrument approach procedures that they were conducting.

In, both standard for Terminal Instrument Procedures (TERPS) and the ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization) equivalent for Air Navigation Services – Aircraft Operations (PANS – OPS) there are severe and different limitations of which pilots must be aware. 

Without knowledge of the limitations, pilots may inadvertently, wandering outside the protected areas and place themselves and their aircraft in danger.

I have been studied some accidents reports and also working as an aviation accident Investigator, when the crew are in the final phases approaching to the airport, occasionally the crew they get lost to the point that they strayed from a protected area and failed to respond properly to GPWS warnings for the last 22 seconds of the flight .

This is many times related accidents by CFIT (Controlled Flight in to Terrain).

On occasion the findings of the accidents investigation show that the flight crew risk factor long duty period, reduced alertness likely was involved.   

My best recommendation to all pilots do not assume that all airports in the same Country o Foreign Countries use the same design criteria, always remember that the PIC (Pilot in Command) is the only person responsible to land the aircraft safely.

Always Fly Safely!

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Spatial Disorientation

Spatial Disorientation Visual Illusions

 

How does spatial disorientation affect a pilot?

Spatial disorientation can also affect instrument-rated private and commercial pilots in certain situations.

Spatial disorientation is more likely to happen when there is no visible horizon on a dark night or in Instrument Meteorological Conditions (IMC). 

If malfunctioning flight instruments, high workload or a failure in management to maintain a good CRM (Crew Resource Management), are present too, then the risk of spatial disorientation is increased.

Keep in mind, that general aviation airplane accidents are involving spatial disorientation.

Here are some tips for avoiding spatial disorientation especially during night flying.

Give your eyes time to adjust, beware of bright lighting, watch for false horizons, and always trust your instruments, you as a safety pilot will be contributing to keeping the skies safe for everyone.

And always remember spatial disorientation is well-defined as the inability of a pilot to correctly interpret aircraft attitude, altitude or airspeed in relation to the earth or other points of reference.

Understanding spatial disorientation is a key to fly safe. 

Avoid and spatial disorientation accident, refresh your knowledge’s and, I recommend you as a good safety pilot, read more about spatial disorientation. 

The 6 types of spatial disorientation, and how to prevent :

The leans.

Coriolis illusion.

Graveyard spirals.

Somatogravic Illusion.

Inversion Illusion.

Elevator Illusion.

Always Fly Safe! 

Safety Information is a free service of:

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Miami- Florida