Fly Safe: Prevent Loss of Control Accidents.

Fly Safe: Prevent Loss of Control Accidents.

In recent years there have been many accidents in general aviation for the same problems.So, today, I want to share this interesting subject to help pilots all around the world to prevent accidents.

For a long time now, loss-of-control accidents in general aviation have been determined by relatively insufficient but repeated causes pointing to fundamental problems in pilot training too.

So, Analysis of General Aviation Instructional is the key to stay away from loss of control accidents.

The FAA has a very good campaign to prevent this type of accidents on how to prevent Loss of Control (LOC) at all time.

What is Loss of Control (LOC)?

A Loss of Control (LOC) accident involves an unintended departure of an aircraft from controlled flight. LOC can happen because the aircraft enters a flight regime that is outside its normal flight envelope and may quickly develop into a stall or spin. It can introduce an element of surprise for the pilot.

Contributing factors may include: poor judgment/aeronautical decision making, failure to recognize an aerodynamic stall or spin and execute corrective action, intentional regulatory non-compliance, low pilot time in aircraft make and model, lack of piloting ability, failure to maintain airspeed, failure to follow procedure, pilot inexperience and proficiency, or the use of over-the-counter drugs that impact pilot performance.

Did you know?

Approximately 450 people are killed each year in GA accidents.

Loss of Control is the number one cause of these accidents.

Loss of Control happens in all phases of flight. It can happen anywhere and at any time.

There is one fatal accident involving LOC every four days.

What is an unexpected event?

Unexpected events – especially those occurring close to the ground – require rapid appropriate action. However, humans are subject to a “startle response” when faced with an unexpected emergency situation and may delay or initiate inappropriate action in response to an emergency.  Examples of situations which can catch a pilot by surprise:

Partial or full loss of engine power after takeoff.

Landing gear fails to retract after takeoff, or fails to extend when ready to land.

Bird strike.

Control problems or failures.

Did you know?

Fatal general aviation accidents often result from inappropriate responses to unexpected events.  Loss of aircraft control is a common factor in accidents that would have been survivable if control had been maintained throughout the emergency. In some cases, pilot skill and knowledge have not been developed to prepare for the emergency. In other cases, an initial inappropriate reaction begins a chain of events that leads to an accident.

Unexpected events often happen close to the ground or during a transition from one configuration or phase of flight to another. There may be no time to use a checklist. A pilot has a much better chance of success if he or she thinks about the abnormal event ahead of time. Practice and preparation can improve a pilot’s reaction time.

What can GA pilots do to best manage an unexpected event?

Don’t let an unexpected event become an unexpected emergency! Training and preparation can help pilots manage the startle response and effectively cope with an unexpected event.

Tips for pilots

Think about abnormal events ahead of time! Practice your plan! Brief your plan prior to takeoff, even when flying solo!

Have a Certificated Flight Instructor (CFI) join you to train and plan for emergencies.

Review emergency procedures for your aircraft on a regular basis – don’t wait until you need a Flight Review.

Sit in your aircraft or a properly equipped Aviation Training Device and practice abnormal and emergency procedures, touch the controls, and visualize your aircraft’s cockpit.

Review and practice “what if” scenarios.

Vocalize takeoff, approach, and landing expectations: aircraft configuration, airspeed, altitude and route emergency options.

Source:

http://www.faa.gov/news/updates/?newsId=83285&omniRss=news_updatesAoc&cid=101_N_U

Human Factors in Aircraft Accidents

Human Factors in Aircraft Accidents

Human factors is about people, to understand the effect of human factors in aviation accidents all pilots need to know the theory and history of Human Factors In Aviation, so and also very important relate in to your job function when you are flying an airplane.

Control of human behavior involves understanding human needs. Today I want to refresh and review the five basics need: Physical, Safety, Social, Egoistic and Self – fulfillment.

Human Factors Issues in operational events are the key to stay away from incidents and accidents.

Situation recognition and crew diagnosis, Procedures, Human performance and Operating environment and circumstances.

This review about Human Factors is from incidents and accidents happened in the past: Will Your Next Mistake Be Fatal?  Avoiding the Chain of Mistakes is the Basic.

The best way to learn about human factors accidents is by being an active participant in the learning process. Accidents can happen to anyone, always be prepare the process of learning how to fly, is a good example of where human factors can play a major role.  

You as a pilot have the tools to prevent an accident, always be prepare organize inside your cockpit, experience, skill, knowledge, good training, so we are humans, but the key is to understand the concept of Human Factors In Aviation, fly safe all the time, no matter how many flight time you are gathering in your look book be a safety pilot at all times when you are flying your airplane, remember safety first.

Fly Safe!!

Safety Risk Management and Safety Culture Why Accidents Happen.

Safety Risk Management and Safety Culture Why Accidents Happen.

Welcome back to all my fellow folks who read my safety blog, so, today I’m writing this interesting issue regarding why accidents happen?

All people 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.

But, how does safety culture of any organization affect the policy and implementation of its safety management system to avoid and stay away of incidents and accidents?

Measuring a safety culture inside any group is very important, but how do you measure a safety culture in an organization?

There are subcultures in any huge organization based on geography, other leadership styles and even which shift a person works.

In my personal view and experience, to effectively measure a safety culture, the cultural norms of the organization must first to be identified, and them there must be and extensive examination of how the management team respond to errors.

Safety Risk Management is another important issue, in an effort to assist all aviation companies all around the world, to understand why accidents happen in any organization.

To recall and refresh all pilots who read my safety blog, the most common, and specific causes of accidents, in order of incidence and regularity, are:

·         Loss of directional control.

·         Poor Judgment.

·         Airspeed not maintained.

·         Poor preflight planning and poor decision making.

·         Clearance not maintained.

·         Inadvertent stalls, very important.

·         Poor crosswind handling.

·         Poor inflight planning and decision making.

As every pilot see here, almost all of these are a result of poor pilot performance, but not necessarily of a result of any equipment malfunction, So, this is why Safety Risk Management and Safety Culture is very important to understand the role and importance of effective safety risk management and incident investigation in a functioning safety management system works.

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! 

Aircraft Accident Investigation

Aircraft Accident Investigation

 

Air Asia plane exploded after hitting water? This is a good question so far. Part of the plane's tail was broken into pieces and a flight data recorder was thrown more than a kilometer (.62 miles as the news show on the media)

All aircraft accidents are different; there are certain elements that are common to aircraft impacts and wreckage distribution. By organizing those elements, we can predict and explain most impact situations.

 

Some, for various reasons, will defy any rational explanation.

 

The two questions that usually need to be answered are:

 

1.What was the attitude of the aircraft at impact?

 

 

2.Was this impact survivable?

 

 

Influence of Aircraft Velocity and Impact Angle

 

Crash dynamics and wreckage distribution is influenced primarily by aircraft velocity and impact angle.

 

The velocity of the aircraft generally determines the degree of breakup and destruction of the wreckage.

 

The impact angle determines how the wreckage will be distributed. We will deal with each of these separately.

 

Water Impacts

 

These deserve a brief mention. What happens when a plane hits the water?

 

Actually, it is primarily a function of velocity. If the plane is going fast enough, the water is a solid object as far as the plane is concerned. It comes apart in about as many pieces as it would if it had crashed on land. At the other extreme, a plane that was deliberately ditched will probably sink to the bottom in one piece.

 

In a water impact, there is an impact angle, but it is related to the wave action on the surface of the water. If the water was absolutely calm, then the impact angle may be determined by examination of the wreckage. If there was heavy wave action, impact angle becomes meaningless as you don’t know whether the plane impacted on the front or backside of wave.

 

What is the significance of the distribution of wreckage on the bottom of the lake, ocean, or river?

 

In general, the wreckage distribution doesn’t mean much unless it resulted from an inflight breakup.

 

 

The actual distribution is influenced by depth, currents and the tendency of various parts to float (or be slightly buoyant) or to sink in different fashions. Some parts of the plane will sink like a rock. Others will sink like a dinner plate. Try it and you’ll see the difference.

 

One rule that does hold up fairly well is the dispersed part rule. A portion of the airplane or its contents found at a significant distance from the main wreckage probably came off inflight.    

 

Source: Aircraft Accident Investigation (Richard H. Wood / Robert W. Sweginnis)