Takeoff Safety
The Goal of this post aid is to focus all
Pilots to read and review this material. I want to share with the Aviation
Community all around the world this interesting understanding guide to Takeoff
Safety and reduced the number of RTO related accidents by improving the pilot’s
decision making and associated procedural accomplishment through increased
knowledge and awareness of the factors affecting the successful outcome of the Go /No Go decision.
Perhaps
you as a Pilot never have had the experience to reject a takeoff in the real
life, but anyway of course this is a normal procedure you practice on your
simulator training, but the day that you have to, you need to be understand and
be prepared regarding several lessons can be learned from these RTO accidents
in the past. First the Crew must always be prepared to make the Go / No Go
decision prior to the airplane reaching V1 speed.
A good brief statement of these lessons is, as
speed approaches V1, the successful completion of an RTO becomes increasingly
more difficult.
The Takeoff Rules
It is important that all pilots understand the
takeoff filed length / weight limit rules and the margins these rules provide.
Misunderstanding the rules and their application to the operational situation
could contribute to an incorrect Go/ No Go decision and could be ended in an
incident or accident.
Decisions and Procedures
/ What Every Pilot Should Know
There are many things that may eventually
affect the outcome of a Go / No Go decision. The Goal of the Takeoff Safety Training
Aid is to reduce the number of RTO related accidents and incidents by improving
the pilots decision making and associated procedure accomplishment through
increased knowledge and awareness of the related factors.
V1 Sped Defined
What is the proper operational meaning of the
Key parameter V1 Speed with regard of the Go / No Go decision criteria? This is
not such an easy question since the term V1 Speed has been redefined several
times since commercial jet operations began more than 30 years ago and there is
possible ambiguity in the interpretation of the words used to define V1.
The FAA regulations on
paragraph 25.107
defines the relationship of the takeoff speeds published in the Airplane Flight
Manual, to various speeds determined in the certification testing of the airplane.
The most important statement within this
official definition is that V1 is determined from … the pilot’s initiation of the
first action to stop the airplane during the accelerated –stop tests.
One common and misleading way to think of V1 is
to say V1 is the decision speed. This is misleading because V1 is not the point
to begin making the operational Go / No Go decision. The decision must have been made by the time the airplane reaches V1
or the pilot will not have initiated the RTO procedure at V1, therefore by
definition, the airplane will be traveling at a speed higher than V1 when stooping
action is initiated, and if the airplane is at a Field Length Limit Weight, an
overrun is virtually assured.
Another commonly held misconception V1 is the
engine failure recognition speed, suggests that the decision to reject the
takeoff following engine failure recognition may begin as late as V1, again,
the airplane will have accelerated to a speed higher than V1 before stopping
action is initiated.
The certified Accelerated – Stop Distance calculation
is based on an engine failure at least one second prior to V1. This standard
time allowance has been established to allow the line pilot to recognize an
engine failure and begin the subsequent sequence of stopping actions.
In an operational Field Length Limited context,
the correct definition of V1 consists of two separate concepts:
First with the respect to the No Go criteria, V1 is the maximum speed at which the
rejected takeoff maneuver can be initiated and the airplane stopped within the remaining
field length under the conditions and procedures defined in the FARs. Is it the
latest point in the takeoff roll where a stop can be initiated?
Second with respect to the Go criteria, V1 is also the earliest point from which an
engine out takeoff can be continued and the airplane accomplishes a height of
35 feet at the end of the runway.
The Go / No Go
decision must be made before reaching V1 A No Go decision after passing V1 will
not leave sufficient runway remaining to stop if the takeoff weight is equal to
the Field Length Limit Weight .
When the airplane actual weight is less than
the Field Length Limit Weight, it is possible to calculate the actual maximum
speed from which the takeoff could be successfully rejected. However, few
operators use such takeoff data presentations.
It is therefore recommended that pilots
consider V1 to be a limit speed. Do not attempt an RTO once the airplane has
passed V1 unless the pilot has reason to conclude the airplane is unsafe or
unable to fly. This recommendation should no matter what runway length appears
to remain after V1.
Most of the information gathering related on
this support to all pilots regarding this Takeoff Safety subject, it is very
important to understand that all crew members on the flight deck play an
important role in the Go / No Go decision and RTO maneuver. Company policies
shape these roles. However, how team is organized for each takeoff can make a difference
in team performance.
Knowing your own capabilities and that of the
other crewmembers is part of Situational Awareness and should be used in
planning for a given takeoff.
Always consider the possibility of an RTO when assigning
takeoff duties.
CRM is very significant and each airline
approaches the use of a good Crew Resource Management in a slightly different manner,
but the goal of effective teamwork remains the same.
CRM is good example information that could be used
to promote a common perception of RTO problems and actions.
Tradewinds Boeing 747
Rejected Takeoff Crash. Click on the link
Stay Safe, Someone at Home is waiting for you.
Always Fly Safely
