X-Virus-Scanned: clean according to Sophos on Logan.com Return-Path: Sender: To: lml@lancaironline.net Date: Wed, 27 Aug 2008 21:37:54 -0400 Message-ID: X-Original-Return-Path: Received: from smtp0.av-mx.com ([137.118.16.56] verified) by logan.com (CommuniGate Pro SMTP 5.2.6) with ESMTP id 3095379 for lml@lancaironline.net; Tue, 26 Aug 2008 20:38:05 -0400 Received-SPF: pass receiver=logan.com; client-ip=137.118.16.56; envelope-from=pinetownd@volcano.net Received: from DennisDell (65-174-1-177.dsl.volcano.net [65.174.1.177]) (Authenticated sender: pinetownd@volcano.net) by smtp0.av-mx.com (Postfix) with ESMTP id 7A0751BFAAA for ; Tue, 26 Aug 2008 20:37:29 -0400 (EDT) X-Original-Message-ID: <21CB42C5E5574BA6AFDFC1AE0A3D437D@DennisDell> From: "Dennis Johnson" X-Original-To: "Lancair Mailing List" Subject: Lancair Accidents X-Original-Date: Tue, 26 Aug 2008 17:37:21 -0700 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="----=_NextPart_000_0090_01C907A2.6506CA50" X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 6.00.2900.5512 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2900.5579 This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_0090_01C907A2.6506CA50 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="Windows-1252" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Like everyone else, I=92ve been troubled by the seemingly large number = of Lancair accidents since I started building my Legacy in 2004. And = like everyone else, I=92ve given it a lot of thought. Despite that, I = really can=92t propose a solution with any confidence that it would = help. =20 =20 But this is becoming an emergency. Back in my Air Force days, long = before it got this bad, wing commanders would have been fired, airplanes = grounded for inspections, and pilots grounded until they received = additional training. The current situation is unacceptable. As a = result, even though I have no confidence in my ideas on this, here is = what I would propose for discussion. Maybe there=92s the seed of a good = idea here; maybe not. =20 1. Flight into Thunderstorms Leading to In-Flight Breakup =20 Since we all know that we shouldn=92t fly into a thunderstorm, I=92d = suggest assembling a volunteer panel of instructor pilots to analyze the = Lancair thunderstorm accidents. The objective is to understand what = specific chain of events lead good pilots to do something that turned = out to be so obviously wrong. Understanding the details of how it = happens is the first step towards structuring a response to prevent it. =20 These accidents are really baffling to me, which means I don=92t = understand them. And as an instrument pilot, this is something I need = to understand. For example, were they flying in IMC and unknowingly = flew into an embedded thunderstorm they couldn=92t see? Did they see = the thunderstorm and fly into it anyway, not recognizing it? Or had = they allowed themselves to get into a position from which they had no = alternative but to fly into a thunderstorm? Did they use onboard = systems for thunderstorm avoidance that weren=92t adequate for that? =20 =20 Telling each other to avoid flying into thunderstorms isn=92t working. = Understanding the specifics of what lead to these accidents might reveal = circumstances for which we are unprepared. =20 2. Stall/Spin Close to the Ground =20 While I don=92t understand the circumstances leading to flying into a = thunderstorm, the cause of the stall/spin accident seems clearer. IMO, = the stall/spin accident includes a lack of basic airmanship skills. Two = fatal accident examples are Legacies that took off with the canopy open = and it seems possible the pilots forgot rule #1 of any emergency: = =93fly the airplane.=94 Other examples include flying too slow in the = traffic pattern, probably trying to stay behind slow traffic, and then = not recognizing the start of a stall. Or pulling too many Gs in the = final turn to avoid overshoot. =20 =20 Maybe HPAT could publish a number of specific lesson plans for Lancair = pilots to fly for self-training. HPAT could make the syllabus available = for free in the hope that it might be good publicity for HPAT and they = might get back their cost through more HPAT training. =20 Each lesson plan would be a short, fifteen minute exercise on a skill = that will help avoid stall/spin accidents. They would be intended for a = solo pilot to use to maintain his skill level in a critical area that we = demonstrate too often that we have allowed to decay. Instead of just = flying from here to that next hamburger, spend fifteen minutes enroute = going through a specific lesson exercise that focuses on one specific = skill and then record it in the pilot=92s log book. =20 =20 Use peer pressure to instill an atmosphere that continued training is = what good pilots do. Have monthly local lunchtime Lancair fly-ins that = include going around the table and giving each pilot the chance to tell = which lesson plan they=92ve done since the last meeting and how it went. = Create the sense that this is what good pilots do and if you=92re not = doing it, there=92s something wrong with you. =20 =20 It won=92t work for everyone, but this sort of thing worked in the Air = Force, where nearly every pilot wanted to be one of the top pilots in = the squadron and would jump through whatever hoops were necessary to = achieve it. Even if it only works for half of us, that could result in = fewer accidents. =20 =20 For pilots who didn=92t get HPAT or equivalent training at the start, = they would do the lesson plans with a qualified instructor or = experienced Lancair pilot in their local area until they acquire the = skills. Once the skills are acquired, they would continue the lesson = plans solo to maintain the skills, which would continue as long as the = person was flying a Lancair. =20 =20 Fly safe, Dennis Legacy, 176 hours ------=_NextPart_000_0090_01C907A2.6506CA50 Content-Type: text/html; charset="Windows-1252" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

Like everyone else, = I=92ve been=20 troubled by the seemingly large number of Lancair accidents since I = started=20 building my Legacy in 2004.  = And=20 like everyone else, I=92ve given it a lot of thought.  Despite that, I really can=92t = propose a=20 solution with any confidence that it would help. 

 

But this is becoming = an=20 emergency.  Back in my Air = Force=20 days, long before it got this bad, wing commanders would have been = fired,=20 airplanes grounded for inspections, and pilots grounded until they = received=20 additional training.  The = current=20 situation is unacceptable.  = As a=20 result, even though I have no confidence in my ideas on this, here is = what I=20 would propose for discussion.  = Maybe=20 there=92s the seed of a good idea here; maybe not.

 

1.  Flight into Thunderstorms = Leading to=20 In-Flight Breakup

 

Since we all know = that we=20 shouldn=92t fly into a thunderstorm, I=92d suggest assembling a = volunteer panel of=20 instructor pilots to analyze the Lancair thunderstorm accidents.  The objective is to understand = what=20 specific chain of events lead good pilots to do something that turned = out to be=20 so obviously wrong.  = Understanding=20 the details of how it happens is the first step towards structuring a = response=20 to prevent it.

 

These accidents are = really=20 baffling to me, which means I don=92t understand them.  And as an instrument pilot, = this is=20 something I need to understand.  = For=20 example, were they flying in IMC and unknowingly flew into an embedded=20 thunderstorm they couldn=92t see?  Did=20 they see the thunderstorm and fly into it anyway, not recognizing = it?  Or had they allowed themselves = to get=20 into a position from which they had no alternative but to fly into a=20 thunderstorm?  Did they = use onboard=20 systems for thunderstorm avoidance that weren=92t adequate for = that? 

 

Telling each other to = avoid=20 flying into thunderstorms isn=92t working. =20 Understanding the specifics of what lead to these accidents might = reveal=20 circumstances for which we are unprepared.

 

2.  Stall/Spin Close to the = Ground

 

While I don=92t = understand the=20 circumstances leading to flying into a thunderstorm, the cause of the = stall/spin=20 accident seems clearer.  = IMO, the=20 stall/spin accident includes a lack of basic airmanship skills.  Two fatal accident examples = are Legacies=20 that took off with the canopy open and it seems possible the pilots = forgot rule=20 #1 of any emergency:  = =93fly the=20 airplane.=94  Other = examples include=20 flying too slow in the traffic pattern, probably trying to stay behind = slow=20 traffic, and then not recognizing the start of a stall.  Or pulling too many Gs in the = final turn=20 to avoid overshoot. 

 

Maybe HPAT could = publish a number=20 of specific lesson plans for Lancair pilots to fly for = self-training.  HPAT could make the syllabus = available=20 for free in the hope that it might be good publicity for HPAT and they = might get=20 back their cost through more HPAT training.

 

Each lesson plan = would be a=20 short, fifteen minute exercise on a skill that will help avoid = stall/spin=20 accidents.  They would be = intended=20 for a solo pilot to use to maintain his skill level in a critical area = that we=20 demonstrate too often that we have allowed to decay.  Instead of just flying from = here to that=20 next hamburger, spend fifteen minutes enroute going through a specific = lesson=20 exercise that focuses on one specific skill and then record it in the = pilot=92s=20 log book. 

 

Use peer pressure to = instill an=20 atmosphere that continued training is what good pilots do.  Have monthly local lunchtime = Lancair=20 fly-ins that include going around the table and giving each pilot the = chance to=20 tell which lesson plan they=92ve done since the last meeting and how it = went.  Create the sense that this is = what good=20 pilots do and if you=92re not doing it, there=92s something wrong with = you. 

 

It won=92t work for = everyone, but=20 this sort of thing worked in the Air Force, where nearly every pilot = wanted to=20 be one of the top pilots in the squadron and would jump through whatever = hoops=20 were necessary to achieve it.  = Even=20 if it only works for half of us, that could result in fewer = accidents.    

 

For pilots who = didn=92t get HPAT or=20 equivalent training at the start, they would do the lesson plans with a=20 qualified instructor or experienced Lancair pilot in their local area = until they=20 acquire the skills.  Once = the skills=20 are acquired, they would continue the lesson plans solo to maintain the = skills,=20 which would continue as long as the person was flying a Lancair. 

 

Fly safe,

Dennis

Legacy, 176=20 hours

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