I agree with
Harry's proposition that most causes/errors are known - but repeated - and
reiterate my previous suggestion that even without intimate
knowledge of the detail it is usually possible to consider all the possible
causes which are canvassed by those within our "circle" and integrate the
solutions into our own flying.
Serious accidents such
as those which have unfortunaley happened recently tend to remind us of our own
vulnerability and - hopefully - give us cause to review our own
behaviour/standards/practices and those of our fellow pilots - in particular of
our students.
---
Regards,
Phil Behnke
Phone: 0419 024 783
Fax: 07 3878 7554
Email:
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Flying Diamond Unique
Motor-Glider Adventure Flights
Web: www.flying-diamond.com
Hi All,
Contributors concerned at the lack of detail
relating to glider accidents should heed the professionally based advice of
Peter Heath. The laws of liability are such that, apart from those similar to
the meagre one liners written on behalf of the BGA, or a degree of immunity
such as enjoyed CASA or ATSB, only those with
no assets to risk can afford to make definitive statements about individual
accidents.
Just what those who would like to know more of
the distressing details hope to achieve is a matter of speculation as the
causes of glider accidents have been studied world wide, are not likely to
change, and the remedies to reduce them to an irreducible minimum pretty well
known. To summarize :-
Spins and low level loss of
control
Accidents resulting from this cause have greatly
reduced over the years and this has been attributed to the benign stalling and
spin characteristics of most modern gliders. Maintaining 1.5 VS at a height
below which you are prepared to recover from an inadvertent spin avoids
this. A major problem is that as we get closer to the ground our ability to
identify the horizon and the gliders attitude reduces and that we must
regularly confirm speed by scanning the ASI. Under conditions of turbulence
near the ground once every 5 seconds is not too often.
Incorrect use of
controls
Such as flaps instead of dive brake or too
much dive brake could be almost eliminated by teaching pilots to glance at the
wing when deploying these controls.
Tug- glider collisions near
airfields
Account for about half of glider
related fatalities in Australia. Tug pilot fatalities per hour flown are
far greater than aerial crop-dusting or spraying. Could be minimized by
separation of launching operations and improved radio communications as
recommended byATSB.
En-route mid air
collisions
Apart from ridge related ones overseas, these
regularly involve a glider already in a thermal and a cruising glider or a
thermal joining glider. Half of the pilots involved do not survive. Below
3,000 ft your chances are pretty slim and improve above that height. In
almost every case one glider had a clear frontal view of the other glider.
The conclusion must be reached that look out is
defective. I learnt to fly and instruct at a winch site The chance of a
mid-air was almost nil. I know I was taught lookout poorly and that as an
instructor I did not teach others adequately. A very good rule is not to look
away from your carefully scanned frontal straight ahead view (which
encompasses a 60 degree field of vision) for more than 5 seconds - this
includes instruments, clouds, other gliders, the airfield and even
scanning the sky for other gliders. The GFA has concluded a study on lookout
which deserves your careful attention.
Terrain and weather
related
Mostly a pilots personal choice and he knows
he is taking a risk. A case for psychological counseling.
Perhaps by making these comments I am putting my
personal assets on the line! Perhaps I should write a multi page disclaimer!
As an instructor the greatest fear has been that I would overlook some aspect
of a students training and he would get hurt. Consequently accidents have been
studied with a view of them not happening to me or my students. So I suppose
the smart ones reading this will say that much more information should be
available about each and every accident. Not needed apart from introducing the
fear factor. Please spend at least as much time improving safety factors
in your own flying and at your club as you do reading and writing for
aus-soaring,
Harry Medlicott
