The Vintage Instructor

STEVE KROG, CFI

Woulda, shoulda, coulda

Many have said a majority of accidents/ incidents could have been prevented; the unfortunate outcome was a result of a series of small things that, when added together, led to an incident or accident. Th is is often referred to as a chain of events. As a fl ight instructor, I spend a good deal of ground school and flight training time discussing potential situations that could lead to an incident or worse. Actual situations are then experienced by the student (under the control of the instructor), such as pulling the power to idle just as the main gear leaves the runway. Th is is a practice I use with students, provided I know we have adequate runway to execute the “balked takeoff .”

Some incidents begin taking place well before getting to the end of the runway. For example, several years ago while attending a major fl y-in I observed an airplane taxi by the spot near where I was standing. Th e pilot’s head was in the cockpit focused on the instrument panel, adjusting the many bells and whistles on the instruments, radio, and GPS. In an instant of nonsituational awareness, major trouble developed. The aircraft left the taxiway, traveled down an embankment through a drainage ditch, and ended up parked on a concrete waterway entrance. Taxi speed was not the problem; the pilot was taxiing quite slowly given the many people nearby. However, the pilot’s inattention led to a serious problem. No one was injured, but the pilot’s pride and self-esteem were certainly bruised severely that day.

How did this really happen? One can only speculate, but I’ll take a guess that it happened like this. It was a true chain of events. Th e aircraft was not involved in the fl y-in activities. Rather, it was meant to be a short charter fl ight. Th e pilot was prepared, and a prefl ight of the airplane was completed in preparation for the short 40-minute fl ight. But the passengers were late in arriving due to the amount of traffi c entering the fl y-in grounds. Upon arrival the passengers were in a hurry to get going. With passengers quickly aboard, the pilot attempted to expedite the launch time and began taxiing to the runway while setting up the required radio frequencies, GPS coordinates, and other needed instrumentation.

The preoccupied pilot failed to negotiate a slight curve, departed the taxiway, and slid into the drainage ditch and concrete placement. In a matter of seconds, an anticipated short fl ight ended in disaster.

Th inking back over the many fl ights I’ve personally made, especially cross-country flights earlier in my fl ying career, I recall several instances where I found myself in a situation in which I’d rather not to be. If you are honest with yourself, you, too, have been in similar circumstances.

While I was attending an all day fl y-in an hour or so away from home, the weather began to look ominous. Rather than stick around awaiting the impending thunderstorm, I chose to head for home in too much

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of a hurry. Th at was my fi rst in a series of mistakes. I expedited my taxi to the runway, only to find that I had taxied directly up against a runway end marker (turf runway with a painted tire). Th ankfully, it was a low marker and not within reach of the prop, but I did have to shut down and push the plane back away from it; my second mistake.

Once back in the cockpit, with engine running, I took off . . . neglecting to do a magneto check. Th e airplane didn’t want to climb like it should, so after leveling off I did a quick mag check. Oops! One dead mag; my third mistake. Isn’t it interesting how things will break at the most inopportune of times?

And finally, the weather wasn’t at all what was expected. There were cells popping up all over. My fourth mistake. I should have checked the weather before departing. It was as easy as a phone call, but I was in a hurry. Now, what should have been an easy one-hour flight turned into more than two hours zigging and zagging all over the sky avoiding spotty downpours, dealing with turbulence, and hoping that my one good mag held on until I could get home.

Th e outcome could have been much worse. I managed to get both the airplane and me home, but what started out to be a planned fun day of fl ying evolved into a sweaty-palmed, knotted-stomach situation that could have been avoided. I’m sure we’ve “all been there and done that.” But did we learn from our personal experiences?

More recently, an experienced pilot and very good friend purchased an airplane. It was a make and model he had sought for some time but had no experience in

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it. I fl ew with him for an hour or so and then suggested he spend additional time getting the feel of the plane by doing a series of takeoff s and landings on the turf.

Th e following weekend a mutual friend was holding a small gathering at his private strip. My pilot friend decided to attend in his recently purchased airplane. His arrival at the strip was uneventful and all enjoyed a fun-fi lled gathering. When it was time to depart, the sequence of events leading to an unpleasant conclusion began to accrue.

Not having a lot of experience in the airplane, the pilot was unsure of the ground run required to make a safe departure. It was a cool 47°F day with a 10-mph breeze from the east, so everything should be okay. His daughter was along for the flight, but by the pilot’s calculations the takeoff weight was well below maximum allowable gross weight. And with the cool temp and 10-mph breeze directly on the nose, everything should be okay.

A friend, who had driven to the gathering, off ered to give the pilot’s daughter a ride back to the airport about 15 miles away. Th e pilot respectfully declined, saying his calculations indicated that everything should be okay.

The pilot taxied to the very end of the runway to ensure having every foot of turf available to him.

As the takeoff roll began, he realized that the liftoff would be very close to the runway end. However, the low-hanging wires about 200 yards beyond the runway seemed to fill the windshield and caused him to force the plane off in ground effect. It took a few more precious seconds to recover and begin clawing for altitude, but everything should be okay.

At this point, however, the runway was gone, leaving a recently picked cornfield and low-hanging wires dead ahead. Knowing that he would not be able to clear the low-hanging wires, the pilot quickly made a wise decision and attempted to land in the recently harvested cornfi eld. It was then that he saw the raised road paralleling the wires. With no other options available, he hit the road hard, damaging the left main gear but was able to pass underneath the wires.

Forward energy now depleted but knowing the inevitable outcome, the pilot closed the fuel valve, shut the mags off, and retarded the throttle. Remembering his training, he attempted to keep the plane fl ying until making contact with the field following the old adage: If a forced landing is inevitable, then make the landing at the slowest airspeed possible. The forward momentum was just enough, together with the soft turf and cornstalks, to force the tail upward. For a second or two the airplane couldn’t decide whether to settle back to earth or flip over on its back. Eventually it did go over, coming to rest upside down, damaging one wingtip and bending the prop. Thankfully there were no injuries other than wounded pride.

I talked with the pilot a short time later, and he had already diagnosed every mistake he had made: • I shoulda acquired more time in the airplane before landing at the short strip. •I shoulda held the airplane on the ground a few seconds longer rather than forcing it to fl y in ground eff ect. • I shoulda listened to the advice of a couple of the attending pilots and accepted the off er to have my daughter ride back to the airport. •If I had more experience with the airplane and short strips, I woulda angled my liftoff slightly to the left to avoid the wires. •If I had angled to the left, I woulda had more time to gain airspeed and lift. • If I had done all of the shoulda’s and woulda’s, I coulda made a safe uneventful takeoff .

The pilot and still dear friend made several mistakes leading to a newly acquired but now damaged airplane. However, he also realized his predicament and made the correct decisions preventing injury to himself and his daughter. It has become a “learning” situation for all, and my friend now uses this experience to educate other pilots on the fi eld.

Never forget: Tube, fabric, and tin can all be replaced!

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BONNIE KRATZ

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