There are a couple of totally avoidable accidents illustrated in this months AAIB bulletin.
Both feature PA32's flown by commercial pilots who should have known better.
In both examples the outcome could have been fatal.
https://www.gov.uk/government/upload...1-2018__LR.pdf
Piper PA-32R-301 Saratoga SP, G-RIGH
28 August 2017 at 1016 hrs
Pilot makes a forced landing when electrics fail.
In the cruise, during his second flight of the day, the pilot reported that he noticed the alternator light was lit. Attempts to troubleshoot the problem did not resolve it and electrical systems progressively failed, also affecting engine indications. He briefed his passengers and elected to carry out a forced landing in a field. The touchdown was hard and the pilot reported that the right wheel “stuck in the mud” before the landing gear detached. There were no injuries.
In hindsight, the pilot stated that he could have landed safely at an airfield but that the number of problems being presented to him restricted his thinking and mental capacity. The CAA publication Safety Sense Leaflet 23, ’Pilots – it’s your decision’ provides some information on human performance limitations. There is a signi cant amount of published information regarding human factors, highlighting the decision making limitations we can suffer under high workload situations.
No smell of smoke or indication of fire so why did he not just carry on flying the aircraft? I wonder how many pilots have every switched the electrical master to the off position and flown for a while with what is left? No need to panic.
All the pilot had to do was switch off everything apart from the radio, drop the gear and carry on flying to the nearest airfield.
Piper PA-32R-301T, N414AG
1 23 August 2017 at 0827 hrs
Pilot continues to fly into bad weather instead of turning back.
The engine failed when heavy rain was encountered while flying in sight of the ground at approximately 1,900 ft agl. A forced landing was made in a field but, before the aircraft came to a halt, it hit trees and was extensively damaged.
The pilot was flying in a northerly direction from Retford (Gamston) Airport towards Bagby (Thirsk) Airfield and the forecast weather was for rain showers and a consequential reduction in visibility to six kilometres. As the aircraft approached York, in Instrument Meteorological Conditions (IMC), the pilot encountered rain and observed on his Stormscope1 a large number of returns from precipitation close to his route. He reduced power and descended to 2,000 ft amsl (approximately 1,900 ft agl) but, once below cloud and in sight of the surface, the rain became extremely heavy. While he was levelling (he was unsure if he had begun to increase the power or not), the engine suddenly stopped and the propeller then windmilled.
As the pilot flared the aircraft he retracted the flaps to try to improve the braking action on wet grass, and he turned off the master switch. The touchdown and ground roll felt relatively gentle and it became apparent that the aircraft was going to pass through an old hedge line consisting of numerous trees and bushes. The pilot steered towards a gap between two trees but the right wing and associated landing gear detached upon impact with one of the trees . The outboard section of the left wing also hit a tree and sustained damage, but without detaching from the fuselage. The aircraft then skidded across the adjoining eld, losing the left main landing gear leg in the process. However, the nosewheel steering was still effective and the pilot used this to direct the aircraft between two ponds which he spotted ahead.
Looking at those trees and the airframe damage the pilot was very lucky.
[IMG]
[/IMG]