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Old 13th Mar 2018, 11:14
  #107 (permalink)  
havick
 
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: USA
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Originally Posted by Thomas coupling
Christ, there's a load of data coming in on this, from suspected causes, to pax restraints, to auto technique, etc.

I'm going to look at this from an holistic perspective and 2nd guess what the NTSB determine as a consequence - or should I say......MUST consider/recommend.

In no particular order:
1.Legislate that when flying over hostile terrain - either operate ONLY twins, or fly at a height where a single engined aircraft can auto to hospitable terrain.

2. Bespoke the brief. In this instance, brief the consequence of flying over inhospitable terrain and what will happen when the aircraft lands. For a water landing, brief a comprehensive ditching episode whilst inverted and with limited or no viz. This brief would trigger the signing of an "Informed Consent" form which exposes the pax to the degree of risk they are about to embark on [The level of risk in such a flight is well above the norm and the pax must be left in no doubt what they are about to experience in terms of hazardous flight] In the UK this scenario is captured under a category of flight called: SSA and C (look it up).
https://publicapps.caa.co.uk/docs/33/CAP%201395.pdf

Informed Consent is a double edged sword: You are educating a person to accept something which carries above average risk WITHOUT frightening the customer! Your commercial head wants a good customer experience, your safety head says this isn't a good idea if it goes wrong.

3. Use a suitable harness (the ones in the video seemed ideal?). A "QRB" is all that is needed: Twist and pull away from you.
Forget knives. NO-ONE, repeat no-one is going to calmy saw away at their webbing whilst inverted in the pitch black holding their breath in cold water.

4. Consider 'guarding' sensitive switches/levers.

5. Limit the number of pax in a confined space.

6. Strip the pax of ALL loose articles prior to flight and remind them of their responsibilities whilst airborne regarding: speaking/moving/touching.

This accident should/will ricochet throughout the industry and bring into place more rigid rules and guidelines, which for some will drive them out of business and for others, wake them from their complacencies.

It looks to me like the pax didn't have a chance. They would have lost their SA and then their ability to think and move logically. It would be over in 90 seconds.

I'm guessing the pilot wasn't sufficiently high to get into a solid auto profile - the cab had over half a tonne of pax (inc pilot) onboard She must have dropped like a brick leaving the pilot no time to flare and reduce the RoD sufficiently to stay afloat.

Would you allow your family in one of these 'thrill seeking' trips in future?
The whole harness/photo journalists designation of the passengers is a workaround so they can fly. The passengers shouldn’t have been there in the first place.

Do you really think they truly understood the risks involved?

This is one of those cases of skirting the regs where it’s not a problem until there’s crash.
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