Decisions That Kill

   I heard a disturbing story the other day that reminded me to share some important information.
   A local pilot recounted an experience he had on a weekend fishing trip to a Northern California lake some 20+ years ago. He and his buddies had just flown in for a few days of camping, and were waiting for another planeful of friends to come in and join them. The wind was blowing pretty good that day, and the gravel strip presented some challenges, but nothing a competent pilot couldn't handle if they were careful. Anyway, after a short while they heard the sounds of an approaching airplane and soon saw the familiar outline of a Cessna 172. The plane circled overhead once or twice, then appeared to enter a traffic pattern for an over-the-lake final approach. All seemed fine, until the plane seemed to slow down and wallow while on short final. The pilot was clearly having trouble with the crosswind, and may have been intimidated by the relatively short gravel strip. Deciding to go back for another try, the pilot applied power and pitched up to go around, but stalled and spun into a line of trees alongside the runway.
   "I couldn't believe what I was seeing," said the local pilot, "and the sound of the plane crashing through the branches was the loudest noise I'd ever heard."
   The campers on the ground rushed over to check on the wreckage, and found four people in the Cessna. They were not their friends, but the airplane was identical to the one they were expecting. Two appeared to be dead, but the other two were showing some signs of life. "I remember seeing the strobe lights still flashing," said the local pilot. "We pulled on the door handles to get the guys out, but the doors were stuck." After a minute or two of trying to get the airplane open, the right fuel tank erupted in a huge explosion, sending the people on the ground scrambling backward away from the flames. "We ran back to our plane to get the fire extinguisher, but by the time we got back, the other wing had exploded, too. We stood and watched as the people inside the plane burned up."
   It was a sight he will never forget.
   Accidents like this are rare, very rare, but they do happen.
   It turned out that the pilot of the wrecked plane had 160 hours of flying time, and apparently made some pretty bad decisions leading up the crash (none of us is immune!). Judging from the fact that there were four guys in the plane, with fishing gear, coolers and camping equipment, it's a pretty safe bet the little Skyhawk was seriously over gross, with a CG that was probably well aft of the allowable limit. Deciding to load his plane like this and take off was Killer Decision #1. Add that to the unfamiliar airport and gusty winds and you have a scenario that pretty much begged to not end well.
   Killer Decision #2 was the go-around technique. While the pilot attempted a go-around, he apparently decided to use less than full engine power. With an aft CG, the plane would have been less stable than normal and closer to its critical angle of attack during any pitching up moment, and with less than full power the plane would have been unable to climb. The stall and spin event that played out was almost inevitable, given the circumstances.
   So, what can we learn from this horrendous accident?
   First, keep the airplane's weight well within limits. Fudge a little on the safe side. Keep under gross, with the CG well within the envelope. If you have to change plans, leave somebody at home or take less baggage. Gross weight and CG are not to be trifled with.
   Second, make sure you're good at operating in windy conditions, and especially with gusty crosswinds. If you're not confident on windy days, grab your local CFI and take some dual. Practice, practice, practice. Wind is a fact of flying life. Learn to live with it.
   Third, remember that go-arounds are always to be done with FULL POWER. Follow your POH's recommendations regarding retracting gear and flaps. Practice these babies, too. We can go for years without needing to do a go-around, and then a deer or truck pulls onto the runway when you're on a 1/4 mile final. Be prepared. Preparation is everything.
   Fourth, and perhaps most importantly, avoid situations where superior piloting skill is needed. There's an old pilot maxim that says something like, "The superior pilot uses superior judgment to avoid having to use superior flying skills." Amen to that, brother. Stay in your comfort zone. Don't let the pressure to get there force you into doing something you're uncomfortable with. When in doubt, chicken out.
   Better to be a live chicken than a dead duck.
   For emergencies that happen at altitude requiring an off-airport landing in rough terrain, be sure to turn the gas off, lean the mixture and turn the master switch off BEFORE LANDING. I see too many pilots on BFRs who forget to do these simple things, but they can be life-savers. It's extra tragic when a planeful of people survive an emergency landing but die in the post-impact fire. Turning off the electricity and fuel can go a long way toward ensuring a better outcome. Checklists help, and I encourage my students to have their emergency checklist out during the enroute phase of flight. Just in case.
   Flying is not a particularly dangerous activity. Done properly, with good training, recent experience and good equipment, the vast majority of pilots will go through their entire flying lives without even denting a cowling. Somebody asked Michelangelo once what the secret to great sculpture was. He said it was taking a block of granite and simply removing the parts you don't want. Flying is the same. To do it safely, just take out the parts of flying that can cause you grief. What is left is years or decades of safe, fun, enjoyable flying.
   Remember, have fun, be safe, and don't do nothin' dumb.
--Bill