Flight safety Seminar. Major and Landing Accidents

1. Flight Safety

2. Flight Safety
 An understanding of the causes of actual and potential
accidents and incidents will most likely improve a
pilot’s ability to operate safely.
 Better training methods and a focus on continuing
education of glider pilots will have a positive effect on
reducing accidents and incidents

3. Flight Safety
 Incorrect WEIGHT AND BALANCE has been highlighted as a
particular problem affecting flight safety.
 Pilots need better awareness of the importance of getting the
weight and balance correct.
 Apart from knowing how to make weight and balance calculations
and to make proper use of them, a student needs to know other
possible causes of imbalance situations.
 The FAA GFH discusses problems associated with CG forward of
forward limit, and with CG aft of aft limit.

4. Number of Soaring Accidents
1
9
8
1
1
8
8
3
1
9
8
5
1
9
8
7
1
9
8
9
1
9
9
1
1
9
9
3
1
9
9
5
1
9
9
7
1
9
9
9
2
0
0
1
2
0
0
3
2
0
0
5
2
0
0
7
2
0
0
9
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
NTSB Reported
Fatal Accidents
Year

5. Flight Safety
 Look at glider accidents (fatal and non-fatal)
reported to the NTSB
Year Accidents Fatals Other TO In-flight Landing
2006 35 3 8.3 19.4 13.9 61.1
2007 46 7 6.9 20.5 11.4 65.9
2008 30 3 3.3 23.3 20.0 53.3
2009 34 8 9.1 33.3 18.2 39.4
2010 32 6 9.4 12.5 18.8 59.4

6. Major Accidents
 Launch PT3 events
– Intentional vs unintentional release
 Mid-air collisions
– Glider and Towplane collide turning final
– Airplane collides with Towplane towing Glider
– Two Gliders collide during cruise flight (contest)
– Two Gliders collide while thermaling (contest)
– ‘04-1, ‘05-0, ‘06-1, ‘07-0, ‘08-2, ‘09-0, ‘10-4

7. Major Accidents
 Crashed Gliders
– Glider crashed in mountainous terrain
– Glider crashed in field
 Approach and Landing
– Major thrust for the past few years

8. Landing Accidents
 Hit object on approach -- 10
 Stall/spin on approach -- 1
 Hit object on ground -- 3
 Hard landing -- 3
 Land short (undershoot) -- 0
 Land long (overshoot) -- 1
 Landing accidents have accounted for approximately
60% of the total number of accidents for decades.
 WHAT LESSONS CAN BE LEARNED FROM THIS?

9. Angles vs Distance
Do you find it easy to judge a straight line
distance – say 1,000 feet?
Do you find it easy to judge an angle – say 30
degrees?
Can you easily perceive when an angle changes?
Can the ability to see instantly an angle which is
changing help us as pilots?

10. Flight Safety
 SPRM – Single Pilot Resource Management
 Use ALL available resources to gain information
 Check list usage:
– Pilot
 IMSAFE
– Glider
 Rigging (Flight Manual)
 Pre-Flight (Flight Manual)
 Critical Assembly Check (SSF)
 Pre-Takeoff (Flight and Operations Manuals)
 Landing (memory)
 UNINTERRUPTED CHECKS

11. Scenario based training
 Use realistic scenarios to enhance pilot
decision making skills
– Ground instruction and class room discussions
during primary and recurrent training
– Flight instruction during primary and recurrent
training

12. Generate Scenarios
 Start by generating a scenario
– 2-3 sentences that set the stage
– A single event per scenario
– Make it plausible
– Pictures or videos can augment the text
 The list a set of discussion points
– What factors influence the pilot's decision
– What options does the pilot have
– How should the pilot prioritize those options

13. Flight Safety
 Don’t be rushed
 Don’t assume
 Structured uninterrupted preparation