accidents will happen
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: Norfolk
Posts: 407
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
accidents will happen
Allow me to recount a brief tale of an incicent in the past 24 hours which suggests to me that often people make accidents. Much of the detail I have left vague to protect the guilty!. I was busy doing some tedious work painting in a recently converted part of my barn when I received a telephone call from my local flying club. An aircraft of some sort had put down at a disused strip a few hunderd yards from me with low fuel, could I assist. Said aircraft was on its way to my flying club to refuel but for reasons of safety the flying club were not able to assist (to be more precise would make it easier to identify the type). Realising that they were now far from home and with a reducing fuel supply they attempted to identify a suitable alternative aerodrome and it was this which led to them landing close to my garden.
In the above alone there is a story about planning, fuel management, etc. If they had looked in Pooleys or similar they would have known that they were not able to refuel without a certain piecec if equipment which they were not carrying.
When I offered assistance and enquired why they had landed at this particular disused strip they said that on hearing that they could not refuel they had planned to fly to the nearest international airport some 15 minutes to the North. Their GPS had directed them to this landing area. The GPS said this was the location they were looking for, their eyes told them that this was a deserted disused airfield rather than an international airport. They believed the GPS.
I'm sure there were contributory factors such as concern about running out of fuel, unknown area, etc. So I have attempted to disguise the precise details but this could so easilly have been much worse. Sometimes we are our own worst enemies.
I hope they 'Learnt About Flying From That'.
In the above alone there is a story about planning, fuel management, etc. If they had looked in Pooleys or similar they would have known that they were not able to refuel without a certain piecec if equipment which they were not carrying.
When I offered assistance and enquired why they had landed at this particular disused strip they said that on hearing that they could not refuel they had planned to fly to the nearest international airport some 15 minutes to the North. Their GPS had directed them to this landing area. The GPS said this was the location they were looking for, their eyes told them that this was a deserted disused airfield rather than an international airport. They believed the GPS.
I'm sure there were contributory factors such as concern about running out of fuel, unknown area, etc. So I have attempted to disguise the precise details but this could so easilly have been much worse. Sometimes we are our own worst enemies.
I hope they 'Learnt About Flying From That'.
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: Norfolk
Posts: 1,966
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
FF
Funny old thing, I was power-harrowing a field between mine and the location that you are referring to, probably about a mile and a half to the the disused when I saw an aeroplane land.
Mmmmmmm!
Stik
Funny old thing, I was power-harrowing a field between mine and the location that you are referring to, probably about a mile and a half to the the disused when I saw an aeroplane land.
Mmmmmmm!
Stik
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Kandahar Afghanistan
Posts: 539
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Re: accidents will happen
formationfoto,
How about this true story,
I'm working at FISK (arrival fix for the EAA Oshkosh Air Show), an experimental calls on frequency stating that he needed expidited service to OSH that he was low on fuel. I asked his position, he responed that he didn't know, his very next transmission was my engine quit, I'm going down.
I broadcast in the blind for any aircraft between Ripon and FISK to advise if you see anyone going down, an RV-6 pilot said I got em. I requested that he follow him down and advise me if he lands safely and if possible give me a fix on his position. Luckily the pilot landed safely in a field.
FISDO (the enforcement arm of the FAA) drives out to the aircraft and discovered that he departed from FLD (Fond Du Lac) airport, less than 5 miles from where he went down.
Apparently preflighting his aircraft was optional.
Mike
How about this true story,
I'm working at FISK (arrival fix for the EAA Oshkosh Air Show), an experimental calls on frequency stating that he needed expidited service to OSH that he was low on fuel. I asked his position, he responed that he didn't know, his very next transmission was my engine quit, I'm going down.
I broadcast in the blind for any aircraft between Ripon and FISK to advise if you see anyone going down, an RV-6 pilot said I got em. I requested that he follow him down and advise me if he lands safely and if possible give me a fix on his position. Luckily the pilot landed safely in a field.
FISDO (the enforcement arm of the FAA) drives out to the aircraft and discovered that he departed from FLD (Fond Du Lac) airport, less than 5 miles from where he went down.
Apparently preflighting his aircraft was optional.
Mike
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: New South Wales
Posts: 1,794
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
On the opposite wall as I sit on the carsie (the 'can' for you Americans), contemplating the meaning of life and why I don't eat more fruit and bran, is a poster. It has a photo of a 1920s biplane (a Jenny, perhaps?) almost intact, but sitting 20 feet off the ground in the branches of a tree. The legend says this:
"Aviation itself is not inherently dangerous. But to an even greater degree than the sea it is terribly unforgiving of any carelessness, incapacity or neglect."
A cliche, to be sure, but it's nice to be reminded of it like this every day (or every other day).
QDM
"Aviation itself is not inherently dangerous. But to an even greater degree than the sea it is terribly unforgiving of any carelessness, incapacity or neglect."
A cliche, to be sure, but it's nice to be reminded of it like this every day (or every other day).
QDM
