Originally Posted by
jonkster
Personally I think simply saying 'pilot error' does nothing to improve the situation or make the horrible outcomes of similar events any better.
In my opinion, trying to understand why pilot error occurs and working at ways to prevent future episodes is a far more honourable way to treat people impacted by past tragedy so to reduce the likelihood of things repeating
I think saying pilot error does something to improve the situation if it can be combined with something to help prevent OR compensate for it. I have provided the compensation based on the reality that pilot error is going to occur. Check your killer items just prior to takeoff.
Regardless of whether you fly something big or small, check the various items that if not properly set can cause an accident. Imagine if the several jet aircraft that crashed due to flaps being retracted for takeoff, had pilots that were checking their killer items just prior to takeoff(ie Spanair-Madrid, Delta-DFW, Northwest-Detroit). Literally hundereds of lives saved.
Originally Posted by
jonkster
One of the things I think aviation (at least in past times) can teach us is how it tends to look less at blame and punishment for individuals making mistakes and more at acknowledging those mistakes and learning from them.
If someone I know is hurt I can understand a desire for vengeance and punishment for the person whose error caused it (and would probably be at the front of the crowd asking for punishment) but if I am looking dispassionately at an event I am more interested in knowing how I can avoid it ever happening again because of my human frailty.
Nowhere have I made any statement hinting at vengeance or punishment(although many are charged for dangerous operation of a car when there is an accident). I think having a statement made on your piloting ability after something like this happens is hardly unfair although it seems to have raised the ire of one or two folks who likely never posted a word of compassion for the victim(or the owner of the aircraft).
Originally Posted by
jonkster
I will defer to your Tiger Moth experience - I have only a little time in Tigers but I recall I found like many older taildraggers there was not much to see directly in front of them from the rear seat before getting the tail up and none of them had a written checklist in the cockpit. It was all mental check list.
A piece of paper or laminated plastic though can be a trap as well though. I have watched many pilots run through checklists more as a magic incantation to ward off evil than to really think about what they are doing and why.
Like most pilots though I do something similar to you in the way of mental checks prior to take-off however I know from my experience that is not foolproof when there are unexpected distractions to my normal rituals. If you are immune from that I am envious of your ability.
There is no need to defer to my Tiger Moth experience. It is not that much but I do know that this is a type that crashes a lot and demands respect.
Originally Posted by
jonkster
Given that a written checklist in the cockpit of a Tiger would be uncommon and that all checks would be done by memory, I can sympathise with the pilot.
Some posts have made it sound like it is accepted reality that most Tiger Moth pilots are not using checklists which may be the case. But it need not be accepted reality. Perhaps it is an acceptable standard for someone who is experienced overall and very familiar on type, flies it on a regular basis, is not bouncing among various different aircraft types, or actually is the so-called "Skygod". But if you end up taking off without doing something that would be an important checklist item, it is not acceptable.
I flew several old warbirds like the Moth a few years back. All had checklists. I personally made the one for the Tiger and others had made checklists for the other aircraft, so one need not accept that relatively simple aircraft like this don't need a checklist. More so for the prior to takeoff portion of flight rather than prior to landing in my opinion.