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Subject: 178 seconds to live
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This study was done a long time ago, but still applicable today.   Just=20
something to think about.    Get an instrument rating, and keep current=20
even if you don't ever plan to fly in actual IFR conditions.  If you=20
are uncomfortable in flying in actual IFR conditions, get with an=20
instructor who will go with you and get some actual instrument time. =20
It's a LOT different than always flying with the foggles on.
Ron


178 Seconds To Live

Words to Live By

How long can a pilot who has little or no instrument training expect to=20
live after he flies into bad weather and loses visual contact?=20
Researchers at the University of Illinois did some tests and came up=20
with some very interesting data. Twenty student "guinea pigs" flew into=20
simulated instrument weather, and all went into graveyard spirals or=20
rollercoasters [a tribute to the U of I flight training program??]. The=20
outcome differed in only one respect - the time required till control=20
was lost. The interval ranged from 480 seconds to 20 seconds. The=20
average time was 178 seconds* -- two seconds short of three minutes.

Here's the fatal scenario. . . . . . .

The sky is overcast and the visibility is poor. That reported five mile=20
visibility looks more like two, and you can't judge the height of the=20
overcast. Your altimeter tells you that you are at 1500 feet but your=20
map tells you that there's local terrain as high as 1200 feet. There=20
might be a tower nearby because you're not sure how far off course you=20
are. But you've flown into worse weather than this, so press on.

You find yourself unconsciously easing back just a bit on the controls=20
to clear those towers. With no warning, you're in the soup. You peer so=20
hard into the milky white mist that your eyes hurt. You fight the=20
feeling in your stomach. You try to swallow, only to find your mouth=20
dry. Now you realize you should have waited for better weather. The=20
appointment was important, but not all that important. Somewhere a=20
voice is saying, "You've had it -- it's all over!"

You now have 178 seconds to live.


Your aircraft feels on even keel but your compass turns slowly. You=20
push a little rudder and add a little pressure on the controls to stop=20
the turn but this feels unnatural and you return the controls to their=20
original position. This feels better but now your compass is turning a=20
little faster and your airspeed is increasing slightly. You scan your=20
instruments for help but what you see looks somewhat unfamiliar. You're=20
sure that this is just a bad spot. You'll break out in a few minutes.=20
(But you don't have a few minutes left.)

You now have 100 seconds to live.

You glance at your altimeter and you are shocked to see it unwinding.=20
You're already down to 1200 feet. Instinctively, you pull back on the=20
controls but the altimeter still unwinds. The engine is into the red=20
and the airspeed, nearly so.

You have 45 seconds to live.

Now you're sweating and shaking. There must be something wrong with the=20
controls; pulling back only moves the airspeed indicator further into=20
the red. You can hear the wind tearing at the aircraft.

You are about to meet your Maker; you have 10 seconds to live. Suddenly=20
you see the ground. The trees rush up at you. You can see the horizon=20
if you turn your head far enough but it's at a weird angle -- you're=20
almost inverted. You open your mouth to scream but. . . . . .

. . . .you just ran our of seconds.

Think about it before you press on into marginal weather.

__._,_.___