AOPA ASI Blog: Leading Edge

In about 10 to 15 percent of GA accidents something mechanical broke or failed to work as planned. Usually it’s the engine, sometimes the landing gear (retractable), and very seldom the flight controls. But if ever there were a place for Murphy to cause mischief that might be it.

Here’s why: Flight controls almost always work. The systems are relatively simple, well-designed, and robust. They are checked on every annual (supposedly), and I would guess that 99.999 percent of the time everything is good.

But a recent NASA ASRS report indicates that just when you thought it was OK to ignore that most reliable system…

Weather:  clear, wind 030 at 7 kts. Student was landing on Runway 08. Upon touchdown the airplane veered significantly to the left. Student attempted to straighten the ground roll using rudders. Student then stated she could not move the rudder. Instructor immediately initiated a go around. Once airborne and stable, instructor verified rudder pedal was ‘stuck.’ Upon visual inspection, instructor noticed that the bushing holding the left rear rudder pedal had come loose when the cotter pin had come off and bushing had become lodged into the side wall of the airplane. Instructor managed to reposition the bushing and landed without incident. Mechanic replaced the cotter pin and verified aircraft was airworthy.

Although this flight ended without incident, it could have been catastrophic had either a less-experienced PIC and/or a more aggressive maneuver (spin) been in operation. My suggestion is to “wiggle” the rudder pedals prior to spin entry and landings to ensure the rudder pedals are not stuck. A visual inspection would not hurt either.

We don’t know the general condition of the aircraft, so it’s possible that the cotter pin was just the tip of the proverbial iceberg, but it does serve as a reminder that all those seemingly inconsequential pieces can become critical at exactly the wrong time. Has anyone suffered a similar or worse mishap?

The thunderstorm season is in full swing, and Oklahoma seems to be ground zero for the really bad ones, although they can occur anywhere, anytime as any pilot knows. For the first time, three storm chasers were lost tracking a big twister in rural Oklahoma. Storm chasing is a fascinating, frustrating, and potentially very dangerous business as the players attempt to get close to funnels, but not too close, to shoot pictures, measure wind speeds/pressure, and create memorable video for public consumption and awe. The three chasers were, by reputation, highly experienced and cautious. The details of the accident are sobering: The small Chevy Cobalt they were driving was hurled about a half-mile, end over end. Witnesses said it looked as if it had gone through a trash compactor. A nearby Weather Channel SUV was “merely” tossed two football fields, but there were no serious injuries.

The late Captain Bob Buck, a great aviation and weather pioneer, had once remarked to me that thunderstorms were “treacherous.” I’d never heard anthropomorphic characteristics ascribed to a force of nature.

The Washington Post article on the chasers noted that the fatal funnel, “Remained shrouded in rain and difficult to see. It was eccentric in its behavior, like many tornadoes. First it traveled southeast, then shifted due east in a track paralleling Interstate 40. When it reached U.S. Highway 81, the tornado made a sharp turn to the northeast, as if following a road sign.” Apparently that caught the chasers off guard and they could not escape.

This year, if the averages are normal, we can expect about eight fatal airplane/thunderstorm encounters, and there’s no way to guess about the close calls, but I’ll estimate they’re much higher than the disasters. Every week someone will get a rude education that avoiding the big clouds is more than just a good idea.

Unlike most other weather phenomena, a thunderstorm encounter will not have a relatively gradual onset like icing or getting into instrument conditions. Everything will be tolerable and then it will become awful in a few seconds. Use your imagination to feel the Force, Luke. It’s been described as the energy release of dozens of nuclear weapons.

There are many effective tools to stay clear: Our eyes, datalink, onboard radar, spherics, ATC assistance and perhaps most importantly, the willingness to delay, fly well out of the way, or land. Use as many of them as are available—do not depend on just one!

Most storms live and die quickly, but we’d like to have our lifespan greatly exceed the storm. The Air Safety Institute will be making a big push on thunderstorm education next week, June 9-16. On Thursday, June 13, we’ll have a live webinar at 8 p.m. EDT and will be joined by air traffic controller Andy Marosvari to discuss all things convective. Join us, won’t you?

These webinars and online courses from the Air Safety Institute are just part of what the AOPA Foundation does to help general aviation improve its safety record. And your support keeps those efforts alive. A donation to the Foundation goes a long way toward continuing these free educational resources for pilots everywhere.

You just have to wonder about the sanity of some people charged with developing communities. This article appeared in the Island Packet newspaper in Hilton Head, S.C. (bold print is added):

Hilton Head Committee to Consider Rezoning Near Airport
5-23-2013
by Brian Heffernan

Owners of a failed 8.56-acre housing development off Beach City Road, not far from the Hilton Head Island Airport runway, are seeking a zoning change to allow for higher density residential redevelopment. The Planning and Development Standards Committee, which includes Town Council members, will review the rezoning application at 3 p.m. Wednesday at Town Hall.

The land is about 3,000 feet from the north end of the runway, within the airport’s approach path and partially within the outer hazard zone.

The Federal Aviation Administration, S.C. Aeronautics Commission, Beaufort County government, and town staff have all advised against increasing the property’s allowable density from the current four homes per acre to up to 12 homes per acre.

The town Planning Commission, however, voted 5-3 earlier this month to recommend the rezoning.

The owners, 217 Beach City Road LLC, say their lender will foreclose on the property if they are unable to rezone the development, called Beach City Place. Only one house has been built on the 32 planned lots since 2009. Rezoning for higher density could make it more economically viable, a Planning Commission member has said. The State Aeronautics Commission said a denser residential development that close to the runway would subject its tenants to “major safety and quality-of-life risks” and might make it difficult for the airport to get funding and permission for runway extensions. Some Planning Commission members, however, doubted whether the risk of chronic noise or an airplane crash on the property should keep the land from being rezoned.

Wanna bet that none of the planning commission members who voted on this incredibly ill-conceived idea will live in the affected area? The risk of a crash is small, but it’s there, and the noise impact is guaranteed! When the complaints invariably come in from residents who are foolish enough to move into such a development, do you think the developer or the planning commission members will take responsibility? They will be long gone, and somebody will say, “Mistakes were made—we’re sorry.” Wonder if “Errors and Omissions” insurance covers greed and economic self-interest? Hilton Head pilots and responsible residents, you need to speak up—now!

AOPA, through its Airports Division, works hard to block this lunacy nationwide, but we can’t do it without local support. The AOPA Foundation, working with the Airports division and local pilots, supports education programs showing that airports can be huge community assets and good neighbors, but building residential housing off the end of runways is just a bad idea no matter how much it may appear to help the tax base.

Watch your own community around the airport closely. AOPA’s Airport Support Network (ASN) volunteer program is the place to assist the existing volunteer or to become one yourself. Donations to the Foundation support these activities. It’s a good investment!