Four killed in N. Ca

[Dave Siciliano]

Best,

Dave


"Witnesses, including some pilots, reported the plane made a final turn to line up up with the runway at the [Fall River Mills] airport about 10:30 a.m. [Friday], said Sheriff's Sgt. Marc St. Clair. The plane then dove toward the ground, striking trees as it crashed and caught on fire in a wooded area about a half mile from the airport..."

"Keith Paulson had 25 years of flying experience, friends and family said, and was a conservative pilot. Amy Whiteley said her father never took risks while piloting, and the plane had undergone its annual safety inspection in April. 'We can't put any reason to it,' she said. 'This was a man who would not take any chances.'"

http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20080527/NEWS/805270329

 

[alaskaflyer]

I've never seen any direct data on it, but I would wager an expensive dinner that on average more "experienced" pilots fall victim to getting slow on approach and stalling than new pilots. I would really like to see the FAA spend more time on emphasizing this danger instead of, say, runway incursions.

 

[KennyFlys]

I've never seen any direct data on it, but I would wager an expensive dinner that on average more "experienced" pilots fall victim to getting slow on approach and stalling than new pilots. I would really like to see the FAA spend more time on emphasizing this danger instead of, say, runway incursions.

This would be why I push slow flight down to the absolute minimum so they see what the plane can actually do and what happens when you change the dynamic.

In the POH for our Skyhawk, it says short field approach is at 70 MPH. I've been letting students demonstrate it at 60 and a few below that so they can see what really happens when the plane does get slow. I want them to know the difference between a plane in a powered descent and a refrigerator.

 

[nddons]

This would be why I push slow flight down to the absolute minimum so they see what the plane can actually do and what happens when you change the dynamic.

In the POH for our Skyhawk, it says short field approach is at 70 MPH. I've been letting students demonstrate it at 60 and a few below that so they can see what really happens when the plane does get slow. I want them to know the difference between a plane in a powered descent and a refrigerator.

That's interesting. I've been working to keeping my final approach speed as low as possible (i.e. closer to 60 in the "60-65" range in the 172SP POH), gust factor not withstanding. However, I occasionally get that "sinking feeling" when I presume I'm well behind the power curve, and a moderate power application yields little reduction in the sink rate. I hate that! But I think your approach is the right thing, Ken. You have lucky students.

That might be why my CFI warned my that my DPE would consider the 1,000 ft markers to be the end of the runway, and landing short of the 1,000 ft markers was a failure.

 

[jesse]

That might be why my CFI warned my that my DPE would consider the 1,000 ft markers to be the end of the runway, and landing short of the 1,000 ft markers was a failure.

I sure hope not--because I don't see how that is going to promote safety.