AAIB reports
As I have now stepped down from instructing or solo flying, any accidents involving my flying will be the fault of the supervising instructor/solo pilot!
Over the course of my 3,000 + hours, (I don't bother keeping track any more!)
I have observed and reported to the AAIB three interesting events.
In Case One, myself and two other tug pilots had quit flying for the day, as the weather at the gliding club was very poor. We were gazing at the murk out the clubhouse window, as a Cessna 180 that is KEPT ON OUR FIELD approached downwind, did not touch down until more than half way down the runway, and carried on into the hedge at the far end - where his wife had been waiting in her car! In his report to the AAIB he blamed it on the gliding club not responding to his radio call, (we never do, and he knew it!) nor did we advise him of conditions (we don't do that either, when we have shut down for the day! Of course the AAIB gave credence to his evidence.
Second event. A helicopter lifted out of a field directly on the approach line where a glider was completing his first five hour solo. I was running the ground events, we had absolutely no idea he was there so close, or that he was there at all. His report to the AAIB was economical with the verity.
And number three, I was towing a glider toward Shipston. The very experienced and qualified pilot on tow warned me of traffic, I looked but didn't see it, and he then said in no uncertain tones, TURN LEFT NOW! ! ! ! !
So I did, and the light aircraft, which was training some numpty in blind flying with some of the windows obstructed, more or less ran its wheels over my roof. And said they never saw us at all! Here again the story was a tad different from our experience, but the AAIB has to listen to all concerned. I give them great credit that they actually tracked down the numpties from radar evidence. Good show! But I did call the airfield where this flight had originated, and got some details they left out of their version! About the blocked vision! haven't these people ever heard about foggles?
Glider pilots assume that power chaps don't look out. Self preservation.