A flight safety message to CFI's and charter operators
Thread Starter
A flight safety message to CFI's and charter operators
By now most readers would be aware that digital copies of all the old Aviation Safety Digest (No. 1 to 150) are available on this Forum via a sticky.
Here is one comment from a reader:
"Incredible. For many years I have read numerous posts on this forum giving huge credit to the old Aviation Safety Digests from years gone by. Being a somewhat younger member of this profession I was unable to ever come across an old copy or was around during its heyday.
I can now see why these publications have been held in high regard for many decades".
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Here is an edited copy of just one accident to be found from Aviation Safety Digest No. 56 dated May 1968 and for those flying Cessna 182's. The lessons in this accident are still pertinent to this day.
Quote:
"Soon after departing on a cross-country flight from Wilcannia. N.S.W., the pilot of a Cessna 182 attempted a landing on a small bush airstrip in gusty crosswind conditions.
The strip which was nominally about 60 feet wide proved to be still under construction and only a 15 feet wide section down the centre had been properly graded and was suitable for use. The remaining width consisted of soft soil.
After it had touched down initially on the narrow centre section of the strip, a gust of wind lifted the aircraft. The pilot held it off the ground and crabbed into wind in an attempt to remain over the graded section, but, still in the crabbing attitude, the aircraft dropped heavily to the ground and the nose wheel dug into the soft earth to the right of the intended landing path. The nose leg was torn off, and the aircraft pitched down on its nose and slid 30 yards on the underside of the nose cowling and main wheels. The pilot and his two passengers were unhurt and hastily left the aircraft.
The pilot then returned to the aircraft, turned off the magneto switches and began to examine the damage. He said as he was doing so, a sudden explosive" puff" of flame leapt out from in front of the engine firewall on the lower starboard side. Fanned by the strong wind, which was blowing from the starboard side of the aircraft, the fire quickly spread. Soon afterwards, the starboard fuel tank exploded and the whole aircraft was engulfed in flame. It was completely burnt out within about 15 minutes.
It was found later that the pilot had not turned off the fuel. It was probable that when the nose leg failed, damage occurred to the fuel system in the vicinity of the carburettor or the fuel filter bowl, which is mounted near the lower starboard side of the firewall. As the fuel was not turned off, it would have then flowed freely into the engine compartment resting on the ground thus making it possible for the fire, once started, to develop uncontrollably.
Comment
It is very likely that, had this pilot turned off the fuel as part of his emergency drills, no fire would have broken out and the aircraft would not have been destroyed. Although the occupants were out of the aircraft before the fire broke out, it is easy to see that in circumstances only a little different, occupants who might otherwise be uninjured could be trapped and incinerated. All because the pilot didn't remember to turn the fuel off when the aircraft ran into difficulties".
............................................................ ............................................................ ............................................................ ......
Some years ago, this writer was instructing at Point Cook in a Cessna 152. As part of emergency drill on the ground the student was to assume an engine fire had occurred and to go through the appropriate emergency drill which included turning off the fuel valve in the cockpit. The student was unable to move the fuel valve which appeared to have jammed in the open position. The instructor was also unable to turn off the fuel valve. Afterwards, the instructor entered the defect in the aircraft maintenance release. Despite this entry, the flying school concerned permitted the aircraft to continue operating for several weeks with the comment that most Cessna 150/2 aircraft had hard to operate fuel valves and it wasn't a significant problem.
Months later, an incident occurred where, in the same Cessna 152, during an engine start with an instructor aboard, excessive priming coupled with faulty throttle actuation caused a small fire to erupt in the area of the carburettor air intake. The instructor was unable to turn off the fuel valve. Fortunately the fire went out of its own accord with damage confined to the air intake filter and scorched paint.
It has been common practice to leave the fuel valve on at all times in the Cessna 150/2. With time, it becomes more difficult to turn the fuel valve to the off position. This defect appears not to have been noticed or even ignored by pilots and maintenance personnel during scheduled inspections. The potential danger of this becomes obvious after reading the earlier accident report.
............................................................ ............................................................ ............................................................ ....
The Cessna 182 accident report described above was extracted from Aviation Safety Digest No. 56 of May, 1968. Today, it would be a good example of a flight safety notice to be read by students at any current flying school or charter operator. With the easy availability via Pprune of all 150 editions of Aviation Safety Digest, perhaps CFI's and managers of flying schools and charter operations could pass this information to their employees, private pilots and students. Better still, use the company flight safety information board or photo copy selected incidents and accidents from Aviation Safety Digests and place them in crew rooms for students to read.
Here is one comment from a reader:
"Incredible. For many years I have read numerous posts on this forum giving huge credit to the old Aviation Safety Digests from years gone by. Being a somewhat younger member of this profession I was unable to ever come across an old copy or was around during its heyday.
I can now see why these publications have been held in high regard for many decades".
............................................................ ............................................................ ............................................................ .....
Here is an edited copy of just one accident to be found from Aviation Safety Digest No. 56 dated May 1968 and for those flying Cessna 182's. The lessons in this accident are still pertinent to this day.
Quote:
"Soon after departing on a cross-country flight from Wilcannia. N.S.W., the pilot of a Cessna 182 attempted a landing on a small bush airstrip in gusty crosswind conditions.
The strip which was nominally about 60 feet wide proved to be still under construction and only a 15 feet wide section down the centre had been properly graded and was suitable for use. The remaining width consisted of soft soil.
After it had touched down initially on the narrow centre section of the strip, a gust of wind lifted the aircraft. The pilot held it off the ground and crabbed into wind in an attempt to remain over the graded section, but, still in the crabbing attitude, the aircraft dropped heavily to the ground and the nose wheel dug into the soft earth to the right of the intended landing path. The nose leg was torn off, and the aircraft pitched down on its nose and slid 30 yards on the underside of the nose cowling and main wheels. The pilot and his two passengers were unhurt and hastily left the aircraft.
The pilot then returned to the aircraft, turned off the magneto switches and began to examine the damage. He said as he was doing so, a sudden explosive" puff" of flame leapt out from in front of the engine firewall on the lower starboard side. Fanned by the strong wind, which was blowing from the starboard side of the aircraft, the fire quickly spread. Soon afterwards, the starboard fuel tank exploded and the whole aircraft was engulfed in flame. It was completely burnt out within about 15 minutes.
It was found later that the pilot had not turned off the fuel. It was probable that when the nose leg failed, damage occurred to the fuel system in the vicinity of the carburettor or the fuel filter bowl, which is mounted near the lower starboard side of the firewall. As the fuel was not turned off, it would have then flowed freely into the engine compartment resting on the ground thus making it possible for the fire, once started, to develop uncontrollably.
Comment
It is very likely that, had this pilot turned off the fuel as part of his emergency drills, no fire would have broken out and the aircraft would not have been destroyed. Although the occupants were out of the aircraft before the fire broke out, it is easy to see that in circumstances only a little different, occupants who might otherwise be uninjured could be trapped and incinerated. All because the pilot didn't remember to turn the fuel off when the aircraft ran into difficulties".
............................................................ ............................................................ ............................................................ ......
Some years ago, this writer was instructing at Point Cook in a Cessna 152. As part of emergency drill on the ground the student was to assume an engine fire had occurred and to go through the appropriate emergency drill which included turning off the fuel valve in the cockpit. The student was unable to move the fuel valve which appeared to have jammed in the open position. The instructor was also unable to turn off the fuel valve. Afterwards, the instructor entered the defect in the aircraft maintenance release. Despite this entry, the flying school concerned permitted the aircraft to continue operating for several weeks with the comment that most Cessna 150/2 aircraft had hard to operate fuel valves and it wasn't a significant problem.
Months later, an incident occurred where, in the same Cessna 152, during an engine start with an instructor aboard, excessive priming coupled with faulty throttle actuation caused a small fire to erupt in the area of the carburettor air intake. The instructor was unable to turn off the fuel valve. Fortunately the fire went out of its own accord with damage confined to the air intake filter and scorched paint.
It has been common practice to leave the fuel valve on at all times in the Cessna 150/2. With time, it becomes more difficult to turn the fuel valve to the off position. This defect appears not to have been noticed or even ignored by pilots and maintenance personnel during scheduled inspections. The potential danger of this becomes obvious after reading the earlier accident report.
............................................................ ............................................................ ............................................................ ....
The Cessna 182 accident report described above was extracted from Aviation Safety Digest No. 56 of May, 1968. Today, it would be a good example of a flight safety notice to be read by students at any current flying school or charter operator. With the easy availability via Pprune of all 150 editions of Aviation Safety Digest, perhaps CFI's and managers of flying schools and charter operations could pass this information to their employees, private pilots and students. Better still, use the company flight safety information board or photo copy selected incidents and accidents from Aviation Safety Digests and place them in crew rooms for students to read.
Last edited by Centaurus; 19th Nov 2017 at 07:48.
CFI's and managers of flying schools and charter operations could pass this information to their employees, private pilots and students. Better still, use the company flight safety information board or photo copy selected incidents and accidents from Aviation Safety Digests and place them in crew rooms for students to read.
The safety impact of the "Crash Comic" on Australian aviation participants cannot be over emphasized.
The current version does not even come close to the value of the original.
CC
Man Bilong Balus long PNG
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: Looking forward to returning to Japan soon but in the meantime continuing the never ending search for a bad bottle of Red!
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That is why in their day many dogeared well thumbed copies of the ASD were to be found on coffee tables and crew rooms of most if not all flying organisations across Australia and even overseas.
Em nau! There were even a few very tattered copies laying around the Pilots rooms at various places in PNG back in the early 90's.
The current version does not even come close to the value of the original.
The current version does not even come close to the value of the original.
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Australia
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With the easy availability via PPRuNe of all 150 editions of Aviation Safety Digest, perhaps CFI's and managers of flying schools and charter operations could pass this information to their employees, private pilots and students.
