At joystick or wheel, attitude saves lives
21/07/2004: Business Day
At joystick or wheel, attitude saves lives
Aviation body says human error, mechanical failure contribute to accidents
AS ANOTHER scene of aircraft wreckage flickers across television news bulletins, many begin to wonder if the claim that flying is far safer than driving is really true.
On Sunday, four men were killed when a light aircraft crashed into a bus depot in Germiston, east of Johannesburg.
The single-engined Cessna Centurion crashed at the Marco Polo bus depot near Rand Airport . After narrowly missing a busy highway and several buildings, the aircraft's wing hit the roofs of two buses.
It appears the six-seater aircraft experienced engine trouble as it was making a final approach for landing at the airport.
Speculating about the cause of this accident before the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) investigators have completed their report would be unfair, but engine failure is not usually reason enough for an accident. Often there are several options available to a pilot before a fatal accident becomes inevitable.
Gilbert Thwala, executive manager of occurrence investigation at the CAA, says that while a number of factors contribute to accidents, including mechanical failure or adverse weather conditions, human error is the biggest contributor.
But Thwala is quick to point out that South African pilots have the necessary skills, and that training in SA is as good as anywhere in the world.
"The fact is that often a pilot finding himself in trouble has little time to make a decision that could avoid an accident."
Thwala says the number of accidents in SA has been stable over the past few years.
Statistics show a slight drop in the accident rate. In 1992 there were 5549 aircraft registered in SA with 179 accidents reported, of which only 19 were fatal.
Last year the number of aircraft had swelled to 8403 with only 139 accidents, of which only 17 were fatal.
In the first half of this year there have been 12 fatal accidents out of a total of 77 crashes.
Thwala does not believe that the ageing fleet of light aircraft is a factor in crashes. "Age is not important if an aircraft is well maintained," he says.
The CAA has embarked on a promotional drive to raise safety standards in recent years. "Apart from our safety magazine, Safety Link, we have also undertaken various promotional activities," Thwala says.
"For example, if we identify a specific factor leading to accidents, say spatial disorientation, we hold talks on the subject at various schools and flying clubs."
The CAA also posts its accident reports on its website. "That way pilots can learn from the mistakes and experiences of other pilots," says Thwala.
Dennis Jankelow, CEO of insurance brokers Dennis Jankelow & Associates, which handles the insurance of more than 50% of general aviation aircraft registered in SA, also does not believe that there has been an increase in light aircraft accidents.
"The media highlights a number of high-profile accidents and people begin to lose sight of the huge number of aircraft flying in SA every day," he says.
"People read about the four guys who were killed on Sunday but do not pause to ask how many people were killed in road accidents on the same day."
He agrees, however, that human factors are the biggest contributors to accidents.
"The problem is not about our pilots being proficient but rather about attitude and displaying good airmanship," he says.
"Take a pilot who loads a group of friends into his plane and flies to Durban. He encounters bad weather, but pushes on against his better judgment because he does not want to lose face in front of his mates and his ego prevents him from turning around." In such cases accidents are bound to occur.
Engine failure does not necessarily mean an aircraft cannot land safely. Pilots are taught to cope with eventualities such as engine failure or other systems malfunctioning.
Commenting on SA's ageing fleet, Jankelow says that while a new plane is probably more desirable than a 30-year-old plane, if well maintained an old aircraft is just as safe.
"You would feel just as safe in a 30-year-old Boeing 747 as in a brand new Airbus," he says.