Bush flying pile-ups; CAUSE: A review.

[Alex Clark]

Let us discuss bush aircraft crashes.


This subject is something of a scared cow... Since fatalities occur in many of the wrecks, we all want to turn a blind eye from some obvious pilot screw ups. Or.. the surviving pilot is our buddy so we only talk about what a great pilot we think they might be...

While there are a few incidences of true mechanical failure, most of these pile-ups can be traced to pilot goofs. Sometimes not just one goof, but a series of mistakes that lead to the eventual accident.

I see a couple things which always play a key role.

1. WEATHER.... The weather does not go out looking for you... YOU decide to fly in the weather which is prevalent in the area being flown. Many of these wrecks occur because pilots insist in flying in bad winds , rain, fog, snow or icing conditions. Some 135 pilots do it so they won't loose their jobs. Other do it because they are low time pilots and fairly clueless. Many do it because their " EGO " won't let them stay on the ground.


2. Exceeding the skill and experience level of the pilot.

a. This occurs when a pilot has been flying a lightweight plane with just themselves and some gear for the last few years.
Suddenly they decide to haul all their buddies and a ton of gear out hunting. The pilot lets buddies Billy-Bob and Clitus convince them that as long as the plane has room inside, it should be able to take the weight.
And once again the pilot's EGO raises its head and says " What the heck, lets go....we certainly cannot admit that this might be making us a little uncomfortable.." The EGO then flies the plane to the scene of the crash.

b. This also occurs when a pilot thinks that making short landings and take-offs at sea-level ( Lake Hood Strip) should count as experience for landing at a 3,500 feet high dirt and rock, sloping runway up in the hills... One does not equal the other.... Just like making 500 main-gear-only landings in a C-172 does not equal 1 true tail-wheel landing...

c. In some cases it is because the pilot has never expanded the training/experience they receive. Having 2,000 hours does not mean squat if it is the SAME 2,000 hours over and over. These folks have log books full of pencil whipped BFRs and hundreds of flights along the highway using a GPS.


I will get off my soap box and let somebody else add to the list

 

[aktango58]

Wow Alex, sounds like you need a plane to fly.

I take it one of the recent crashes involved friends?

One other I will add is the old case of not having enough time to get current before time to head out to camp...

and because it is moose season, and your mechanic is out hunting, you will let that little squawk go until after... things like spongy brakes

 

[jgerard]

pride, bad decisions, and getting behind the airplane where you become a passenger instead of the pilot.


Jason

 

[Alex Clark]

Jgerard

you become a passenger instead of the pilot

right on!

 

[docstory]

Thinking you can get away with something stupid because you have before.

 

[Alex Clark]

OK , since nobody else is jumping in for the last couple hours....

How about the much printed, yet misunderstood, MOOSE HUNTERS STALL....
This may be responsible for a couple recent fatalities and I know for a fact it killed one of our old members here at Supercub.org.

I have lived through two of these... Both many moons ago..

Basically the pilot enters a series of tight turns because his passenger has seen a moose (caribou) and now they are spinning around in an effort to see if the antlers are legal. * NOTE: This is also a real danger on Civil Air Patrol missions when looking for lost hikers or aircraft wreckage.

Because of the fear of loosing sight of the ground target, the pilot often pulls the plane around into a high G turn while the plane is directly over the critter. The passenger or co-pilot is yelling " There he is, there he is ! Stay on him! " And the pilot lets his ego and adrenaline go nuts while he or she yanks and banks.

Often the moose or caribou knows exactly what is going on above them and they make a break for the tall brush... NOW, the pilot is no longer in a circular turn, but instead a series of uncoordinated cork-screw maneuvers while pulling high-G.
And of course since the crew are trying to gauge antler size, ( or if a bunch of old metal is a plane wreck) the aircraft has been loosing whatever altitude it had during cruise ( search ).

Now the plane is low, slow and at a high bank angle. What used to be a 42 mile per hour stall speed is now closer to 60 mph...
The bottom ( inside ) wing no longer has enough airflow for lift and stalls......

So now the low wing drops along with the nose.... With one or more crew members still looking at the darn moose.
The pilot may attempt to raise the stalled wing via the ailerons (cross controlling) and now the plane snaps into a low level spin entry.
At low level spin entry only has one outcome.

HOW TO AVOID:
1. Remember that you cannot legally hunt the same day you are airborne. That includes radioing your buddies on the ground. So do not get all excited about the worlds biggest moose. He won't be there tomorrow. If you are one of the yahoos who break the rules and poach moose the same day... well you deserve to crash..

2. Make a rectangular pattern at a further distance with less bank angle.
You will have longer to look at the ground target and will have more control.

3. Remember that there are probably people ( hunters) on the ground watching you circle. All you are doing is telling THEM where the big moose is located. So they will probably harvest it long before you hike over the next day.

4. Practice righting the plane with your rudders.

5. Fly the flipping plane while somebody else does the looking... The moose are being over-hunted anyway, it is not worth piling up a $100,000 plane..

 

[aktango58]

2. Make a rectangular pattern at a further distance with less bank angle.

A figure 8, long strait with a wide turn works well.

Another factoid of this time of year, we fly further faster, so we have our food and such close and under feet. When stuff moves in the bumpy patch controls get jammed.

 

[Crash]

A coupe of tips I'd like to pass along. Most here I'm sure know them, but if it saves one pilot then the post / time was worth it.

1) Never fly into a mountain valley in a climb. Take the time to circle around outside the mouth of the valley to gain enough altitude to clear anything that may be in the way when you round the bend. It is really easy to get caught in the trap of the terrain raising faster then your ability to climb and the valley getting too narrow to turn around in. Also, always fly to the far right hand side of the valley so you have all the room available to make a turn around if needed. The time to fly low in a valley is on the way out with descending terrain in front of you.

2) If hauling a heavy load out of a short strip in less then ideal conditions (up hill take off, trees at the end, tail wind, squirrely winds, etc.). Do a test take off with a lighter load and see how it goes. If you get off fine and clear the trees by a good margin, land and add more to your load (what you know will still be safe in those conditions). Some days my Cub feels like a rocket ship, others, it feels like a dog. Conditions effect your plane's performance from day to day. Better safe then sorry.

3) Engine quits or will not produce power. Fly the airplane FIRST!!!! Screw the emergency check list. The essentials (fuel selector, carb. heat, mags switch) should be automatic anyway and should not divert your attention from flying the plane. I know this one first hand and believe me, the plane comes out of the air real quick when the engine stops producing power. Pick the best, clearest place to land (straight ahead) and set it down as well as you can. Do not try to turn around and return to the field or spot behind you. You will most likely stall in the turn and spin it in. Maintain GOOD flying speed.

4) When making slow tight turns to check something out, pull on a notch of flaps going into the turn and let it off as you roll out. Never do more then one circle around an object. It's best to make passes then circle and circle. Too easy to skid the plane after the first 360 degree circle (Moose stall).

Anyway, just some thoughts after the latest spat of fatal accidents.

Condolences to all the friends and family left behind.

Greg

 

[Alaska_Rallyer]

If you got it use it! Anything that will increase your margin.
Too often we blast off with usable runway behind us. I landed on this shorter gravel bar this hunting season to wait out a north slope lightning storm. I had time to kill so rather then pickin boogers i picked rocks. Added an extra 75ft to my gravel bar. I had to push the plane back part of the way, all the while thinking it was a waste of time since i had plenty of space all ready. As i neared the end of the gravel bar, barely flying, barley clawing my way above the river bank bushes, i was really wondering how i could have underestimated my performance sooo much. I then pushed the carb heat back in...
I was pretty happy i spent the time to get that extra bit of useful runway. I also need to get into the habit of utilizing a good takeoff checklist.

 

[aktango58]

on short strips use all the runway before you lift off. trying to lift early will use more ground if you don't have speed...

Have a go no-go point picked out... If she is not doing what is expected, shut down. On a short strip that might be the spot where your tail is supposed to lift. The decision spot should leave enough space to stop.

 

[Indabush]

There are a lot of planes that only fly in the fall time, being proficient goes a long ways. It's pretty tough to be on your game if you only do it once a year. Pride and ego contributes to a lot of accidents as well as is getting too comfortable.

 

[aktango58]

just cause you see a 180 on the bar does not mean that your -18 can land safely... Don't judge a landing strip by other's tracks/aircraft. You don't know how much damage they did getting there:sad:

 

[sierra bravo]

Get good training and maintain good equipment. Do the best you can and know that regardless of how good you are, if you encounter conditions or timing that lead to your ultimate demise, total strangers will criticize you on the internet.

None of us is immune to accidents.

 

[Dave Calkins]

Hey, two items mentioned above, that I had not thought of, nor had I ever been taught:

1. docstory............"...Thinking you can get away with something stupid because you had before..."

2. crash........."...do a Test Takeoff with a lighter load..."


I have gotten away with doing the same stupid thing more than once. Some folks would call that "experience". Well...maybe.

Doing a "test takeoff" with a lighter load will help you "know the track" that you intend to race down. This would be especially relevant at a landing zone with obstacles, and/or doglegs, etc. How did this idea ever escape me?

 

[rotto789]

Thanks for all the great tips guys, I'm burning them into my memory bank right now, won't be long and I Hope to be flying my experimental super cub in the bush, so much info on here (supercub.org) it is mind boggling, great place to learn!

thanks again,

Rick 8)

 

[akwing]

...
Have a go no-go point picked out... If she is not doing what is expected, shut down. On a short strip that might be the spot where your tail is supposed to lift. The decision spot should leave enough space to stop.

No-go points may be good for learning, but eventually this process should be come second-nature. Also, some strips are just too short for a no-go point, you have to accept the fact that your committed as the roll starts.

I had to push the plane back part of the way, all the while thinking it was a waste of time since i had plenty of space all ready. As i neared the end of the gravel bar, barely flying, barley clawing my way above the river bank bushes, i was really wondering how i could have underestimated my performance sooo much. I then pushed the carb heat back in...
I was pretty happy i spent the time to get that extra bit of useful runway. I also need to get into the habit of utilizing a good takeoff checklist.

Making a strip better is never a waste of a time, unless your goal is to (hopefully) keep less-proficient pilots from landing. I discourage the use of a check-list, develop a routine flow and stick to it, each take-off. Mags, carb heat, trim, free controls, flaps, and gas. It takes all of 5 seconds.

Get good training and maintain good equipment. Do the best you can and know that regardless of how good you are, if you encounter conditions or timing that lead to your ultimate demise, total strangers will criticize you on the internet.

None of us is immune to accidents.

Training is no substitute for learning/experience. Go out, make mistakes and learn from them. Never make the same mistake twice, you may not be so lucky the next time.
Them strangers are probably right. If the accident isn't purely mechanical, then it's pilot error. I agree with you that no one is immune to accidents, no matter how good you are. Historically, great pilots have made mistakes and died.

Hey, two items mentioned above, that I had not thought of, nor had I ever been taught:

1. docstory............"...Thinking you can get away with something stupid because you had before..."

2. crash........."...do a Test Takeoff with a lighter load..."


I have gotten away with doing the same stupid thing more than once. Some folks would call that "experience". Well...maybe.

Doing a "test takeoff" with a lighter load will help you "know the track" that you intend to race down. This would be especially relevant at a landing zone with obstacles, and/or doglegs, etc. How did this idea ever escape me?

Yea, and then come back and get a heavier load, never done that?



At the end of the day, it's better to be lucky than good.

 

[Alex Clark]

There is no shame in making a couple trips or shuttling part of the load to a longer lake or gravel bar.

One C-170 wreck comes to mind, where the flight was only from the Kenai area across the inlet to the Kuskatan.
The pilot who usually flew light took a full load along with a big pile of camping gear.
He was a little too hot the first go at the strip and then stalled and dumped her into the ground while trying to make a steep turn (base to final) on his second try. Right in front of all sorts of witnesses. Killing all on board...
Two trips would have worked out just fine...

 

[sierra bravo]

I have to think those guys thought they made good decisions. Besides, I wasn't talking about the constructive tips like you gave. Those are solid. Comments like ego, pride, low time? I wouldn't know. I wasn't there.

 

[Alex Clark]

As for the ego comment. More times than I would like to admit, it has been me who let my ego fly the plane. On more than a few occasions the pilots have been close friends of mine. Some of whom are no longer with us.

 

[Aviator]

It's one big balancing act. Gethomeitis, haste, greed, ego, sense of duty, love of flying, external pressures are like water building behind a dam. Too much pressure, the dam busts and disaster strikes. Too little, and nothing happens: flights never leave the ground. Lack of self-confidence, vacillation, timidity, fear are like a dam that doesn't let off any water. These are the “seagull pilots”: you have to throw a rock at them to get them to fly. Then, when the water starts to overflow the dam, they panic and go flying when they shouldn't. Horse sense, training and experience are like turbines at the foot of the dam. They let off pressure and generate useful power to boot. Too few of those, and pressure builds up and little gets done. Too many, and the reservoir gets depleted and fellow pilots don't eat. My 2c.

 

[Alex Clark]

I received a couple e-mails about my remark about using the rudder to lift a falling wing... Both saying I was full of BS...

Here is a video explaining that very subject...

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10201293845502635&set=vb.1667416110&type=2&theater

 

[72A]

I took a flight the other nite to look for a certain moose I saw before season opened, in the area I was searching it was 35 gusting 45 -50, not where I took off where I was looking, I made 2 careful circles and headed home, the gusts made my airspeed fluctuate between 70 and 40 on a shallow down wind turn, had I turned and pulled at a low altitude I would have made the news I made sure and climbed to 1000 ft.AGL before making a SHALLOW turn remember a moose never stalled an airplane. Fly safe 72A

 

[Zk Boy]

Rudder wont lift a wing!! hahahahahahah

 

[574cub]

Never go into anything without having a out. Drag the strip before landing even if you were just in it the other day things can change.

 

[Gordon Misch]

Several years ago somebody here pointed out that the word "probably" is a big gotcha - for example "I can probably get through this pass in this weather; I'm probably not too heavy to clear those bushes on the end of this strip; I can probably sneak in under this fog, etc.". Haven't we all said that to ourselves at one time or another?

The caution against "probably" in that post made an impression on me, and struck me as wise and succinct. So every time "probably" slips into my thinking I remember that post and do my best to make sure I have at least one out, as 574cub mentioned above - or, of course, don't try it. I think the word "probably" is closely aligned to the word "ego" that Alex pointed out.

I wrecked my 12 in 1990, weather related, fortunately only very minor injuries. It's rebuilt now and I don't EVER want to bend it (say nothing of worse) again.

Alex, thanks for starting this thread - very good points are raised that remind me to continuously re-evaluate my own practices. This is especially true in light of all the fatal wrecks lately.

Stewart pointed out that the pilots in most wrecks most likely thought they were making good decisions at the time. I'd bet he's right. But I'd also bet there was an element of "probably" and / or "ego" involved as well. Not criticism at all, but certainly a reminder to myself, to be plenty darn aware and cautious of those words / feelings.

 

[westwind]

great comments folks - Respect the force of nature if the conditions aren't right today be thankful you have the opportunity to try it again tomorrow, 72A gave a great example of respect..... train like you mean it... cultivate your instincts ...

 

[sierra bravo]

My only advice with respect to improving pilot skills. If you intend to fly at gross, train and practice at gross. Landings, take-offs, slow flight, max performance climbs, max performance turns... the whole package.

The guy driving the plane needs confidence. That should be the tell for whether to go or not go. I don't want to fly with a guy who lacks confidence in the situation. Sometimes I'm that guy so I turn around. The ego label is used by guys willing to pass judgement after the fact. I've been in a few close calls where had I perished? The aftermath judges wouldn't have known the fine details. They'd have guessed and pontificated just the same. There's usually more to the story. Godspeed to the lost. That's the best I can offer.

 

[Gordon Misch]

The ego label is used by guys willing to pass judgement after the fact.

Yes, that happens. But my intended point is that I should ask myself to what extent misdirected ego might be a factor in any decision I am making, before I act on that decision.

I don't want to fly with a guy who lacks confidence in the situation. Sometimes I'm that guy so I turn around.

Right on. Another way of saying to beware of the "probably" trap.

 

[Alex Clark]

NEVER believe a non-pilot when they tell you about some mining camp or ridgeline hunting strip that they claim to have seen C-185s operating from " All the time"...

Twice I have almost bought the farm after listening to non-pilots tell me all about a hidden , yet wonderful, dirt strip.

One was north of the Elliot hwy....( turns out my buddy had seen a C-185 on SKIS during the winter... and had never really been there during hunting season.)

And one was at a mining claim north-west of the road to Glennallen.

The miner in question failed to tell me that the last time a plane had been on that strip was 40 years ago.... and further that he had driven his D-6 cat all over the old path and it now had 10 to 12 inch deep ruts which were full of rain water. Oh yeah, it was also strewn with assorted rocks which ranged in size from a grapefruit to watermelon..

Fortunately the berry bog next to the old runway had a nice thick bed of moss underneath. So when I ran out into the berries, nothing was damaged when I put the Super Cub up on its nose-bowl.

 

[Alex Clark]

Accepting outside pressure to fly when you are concerned...

It is no secret that at one time, many years ago, I was married to the wrong person.

While on a long cross country trip coming back from north-west of Farwell, a friend and I put our two planes down on a gravel bar because it was hailing like crazy...
We had both made the huge mistake of promising our spouses (at the time) that we would be back in time to take them to the A.K. State Fair in Palmer to see some big star singer.

My buddy had a SAT phone or some sort of deal that allowed us to call home. BIG MISTAKE !

Both our non-flying spouses went nuts and screamed at us during our $20 two minute call.
So we both took of again and flew through super crappy weather, only to be late anyway....

We should have not called, since we both knew we were married to whack jobs and nothing would have been good enough.
The extra stress from their screaming and threats ( we both had kids at home) was the extra push that almost sent us to an early grave.

These days if the weather is slightly bad, my current bride simply tells me to camp out until it gets better.
On more than one occasion she has driven to Anchorage to pick me up because the weather is too bad to fly...