Hey Guys & Girls
Now I don't want to start a fight but I am just curious about the title?
Why? Well my mind is struggling to get to terms with a few issues being raised by the regulars on several forums about aviation on the net?
1. All our training to get a PPL and later a CPL or even an ATP is with one purpose (and I would like to be corrected on this) and that is the correct and safe handling of an aircraft under all conditions with one thing and that is the standard of accuracy to be displayed during the check ride that improves or rather increases at each subsequent "level". Now these include emergencies - and especially engine failures or other life threatening emergencies.
2. My instructor taught me that when the sh!t hits the fan any landing that you and your passengers can walk away from is a good one (especially in a single engine and more often than not on most twin piston aircraft).
3. Interesting that the above incident happened in Namibia but with a South African registered aircraft. So my question is why blame the poor Namibian Aviation Industry? (Or am I now missing something?)
4. Don't get me wrong!!! One thing I know is that aircraft are replaced but human lives are not. It is sad if a beautiful machine is written off - but not nearly as sad as when a person loose their life? I know of far too many pilots who have killed themselves and their passengers or even instructors who killed their students in an attempt to "save a plane" rather than making a survivable forced landing that could cause damage to an aircraft???
5. Maybe we should change our attitude - lets emphisize the positive in this incident - like this one "SUCCESSFUL FORCED LANDING - PILOT SUVIVES!" rather than calling it "Namibian Graveyard Continues".
6. Surely we need to examine the facts and determine the lessons to be learned from every incident - but maybe we need to give credit where it is due as well.
7. I also agree that if there are indications of neglegence or people who are culpable we need to address it and call a spade a spade - however lets be consequent and call the fork a fork and the broom a broom as well.
VG300