Maybe it's just me, but I can't believe people in this day and age don't perform adequate pre-flight checks. Read the last sentenece of this accident quoted on the NTSB web-site. Fortunately he doesn't appear to have been injured.

What are other peoples view on this? Have you ever not checked the fuel level? I'm only a low hour PPL Student. I would never dream of not checking my fuel level, even if someone told me it was topped up.

"NTSB Identification: MIA02LA053

Accident occurred Friday, January 25, 2002 at Boca Raton, FL. .Aircraft:Cessna 182L, registration: N182JM. .Injuries: 1 Uninjured.

This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed.

On January 25, 2002, about 1315 eastern standard time, a Cessna 182L, N182JM, registered to Aerolease of America, Inc., operating as a Title 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight, crashed while attempting a forced landing in the vicinity of Boca Raton, Florida. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The aircraft received substantial damage, and the commercially-rated pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured. The aircraft departed Pompano Beach Airpark about 15 minutes before the accident.

According to the pilot, on his return trip to his home base of Wellington Aero Club Airport near West Palm Beach, his engine sputtered and quit. His best option appeared to be a forced landing on the Florida Turnpike. The left wing impacted a road sign during the landing rollout, causing substantial damage. The pilot stated he did not observe wing tank fuel level before departure. "

[ 05 February 2002: Message edited by: ACARS ]</p>

One sees far worse ones than this (not taking off control locks/pitot head covers/tow bars etc). The fact is that everyone can be forgetful sometimes. Sometimes we get away with it. Sometimes not.

Picture a fine breezy day at Southend with me strolling out to begin the second leg of my Qualifying XC. Bump into PPL member of my club, just arrived with two total babes as passengers. Exchange cheery greetings, and cue rhapsodic imaginings of opportunities afforded by now-at-last-its-within-my-grasp PPL. Jump in and launch, only realising when en route that I have checked, er, nothing. Before departing on third leg, crawl round aircraft for 17 hours checking micrometer settings on trim tab and conducting spectropic analysis of oil residues. Phew!

Flying is full of errors that you make only once. Some of these you get to think about afterwards. Others you don't.

We learn by our mistakes!!

Co-incidentally, FNG, this was at SND too. (Only because thats where I trained).

I did all the checks on the 152, including the fuel. The instructor & I strapped in, did the cockpit checks and I was all ready to turn the key when he enquired mildly if I was intending to leave the stepladder, that I 'd got to check the fuel, next to the prop and in front of the wing. Somewhat chastened, I unstrapped, got out, and put the ladders away. Ever since then, I have ALWAYS ensured that 'ladders away' is a integral part of my walk-round.

I'm sure almost all of us have messed up the checks at some point. I'm always vulnerable if I get interrupted in the middle of doing something. Nearly took off with the carb heat out a little while ago because I'd had to respond to a radio call in the middle of pre-flight vital actions.

At the other end of the scale there are the people who seem totally blase - like they're indestructable or something. Have a look at the <a href="http://www.avweb.com/articles/stupid/" target="_blank">Stupid Pilot Tricks</a> article on AvWeb. Makes not checking your fuel seem quite tame really.

Ever heard of "standby" if you are in the middle of a set of cx! ATC can wait, and if its really important they can call you again. Better than being distracted and missing something just coz they want to give you the QFE.

Hmmm, do remember as a student wondering why the aircraft refused to pull away from its parking spot until we realised my fligtbag was being a makeshift chock - doh!

Also forgot to set the QNH on pre-take off vital actions...bloody hell, where was the base of that CAS again?? <img src="eek.gif" border="0">

I once checked my fuel thought it was an inch below tabs when it was an inch off the bottom, I told the instructor that the aircraft would need fuel soon but should be ok for the hour planned. He took one look at the gauges on start up and asked if I had checked the fuel before aranging for more fuel since there wasnt enough, I felt so stupid that I couldnt manage to decide how much fuel was present and I wish I could say I definatly wont make the same mistake again.

Its not a Pre-Flight Check, but seeing as we're on an honesty theme...

On my PPL flight test, I was doing my FREDA checks without fail every 15 mins, except that I completely forgot to check the QNH, or even set the altimeter to Standard Setting when I was given a flight level. Hence I impressed my examiner by flying the whole of the first leg at 200 feet lower than the flight level I was given, even though I maintained exactly 200 feet below with stunning consistency. In fact, I only noticed my error when I almost undershot on my forced landing, due to misjudging my height at the low key point. However, I still passed as I quickly recognised what I did wrong, and I have been obsessive about checking my alt setting ever since.

AB

Acars, as you can see, we are all a bunch of numptoids, enthusiastically applying the AAC mnemonic: FTCLG. One way to work on preventing this, after you get your licence, is to subscribe to and avidly to read GASIL, the GASCO mag, and other such stuff (eg CASA will send you "Flight Safety Australia", a good read, all the way from OZ, for nowt, if you register on their website). Some of the incident reports which you read cause you to boggle at the notion that anyone ever gave the pilot in question even a dog licence, but very many of them are "there but for..." stories, which might, just might, save us from bogging up in precisely the same way.

I’ve always been meticulous when it comes to pre- and in-flight checks. However, on one occasion when lining up to take-off I was informed by ATC that an oil filler cap had just been found at the fuelling area. It was mine , left there after being distracted during the walk-around. <img src="eek.gif" border="0">