Originally Posted by
jonkster
To simply say 'the pilot was incompetent' or 'use a checklist' is not really explaining anything and does not really contribute to avoiding future incidents.
I have on multiple occasions in this thread given info on how to prevent future incidents in the exact conditions that happened this day.
These include methods to prevent the accident whether one is using a checklist or not and was repeated by me yesterday(in the post that you partially quoted but is no longer here). Also, what should be done if one gets airborne early, something which is inevitable some point on grass runway ops.
Originally Posted by
jonkster
Poo-pooing factors like the above mentioned seat height, mis-set trim, striking a bump etc in favour of saying "pure incompetence" is (in my opinion) not helpful. I have seen how seat height in a tail wheel aircraft can have quite an impact, particularly for people with low recent currency on type or low tailwheel time. When I switch seats from front to back I often get my first landing wrong. A different visual picture due to jacking up the seat, a different stick feel, low recency, distraction, uneven runway in an aircraft with poor forward visibility etc are not excuses, they are factors that I need to be aware of.
There is a big difference between getting the landing wrong due to changing your seat height and crashing due to changing your seat height. Or in this case, a big difference between getting the takeoff wrong and crashing. Of course a seat position change can influence things but it doesn't change the basics of flight. If the landing doesn't work out right, do something about it. Same with the takeoff. Many pilots move from seat to seat in the same aircraft(front to back, left to right) on type or fly various different types that can be quite different. If the new perspective screws up a landing enough, then go-around, if one gets airborne too early, do something about it. Common sense is an important part of flying. If the cushion is so thick that it significantly affects you, remove the cushion and get something thinner, something which should be obvious as soon as you get in the cockpit, that is, whether you will be comfortable or not.
In the accident case, the pilot said he didn't want to touch down again after getting airborne. That was his thought process and seat height has nothing to do with not wanting to touch down again, which may be the only option available to prevent a stall. Seat height also has nothing to do with setting trim properly before takeoff either(and I did not "Poo-poo" the fact that it was mis-set). Looking at the picture, his height in the cockpit looks quite normal to me. Could making excuses for poor flying ability be a possibility?
If low recency is an issue, one should go up with an instructor. That can vary by pilot and falls under the self-recognition of capability, another important thing that a pilot needs.
But seriously...if he really had 120 hours on type with a significant amount of time on grass runways, that is a fair amount of experience. I don't know whether individual age factor has been considered. Doctors do have the ability to pull drivers licenses in some jurisdictions, and for good reason.