Number 202
April 1996
Pilot and Aircraft Tune-ups
Maintenance of flight proficiency–and sound operational judgment–can be challenging for both general aviation and professional pilots. Most air carrier and air taxi pilots rely on company training and check programs to maintain their currency. But even a short time out of the cockpit can cause a pilot to lose “the touch,” as described in this First Officer’s report: ■ The Captain had just come back from a 3-week vacation, so we decided I would take the first leg. Shortly after rotation, I noticed a “mushiness” in the roll controls. I told the Captain that the controls felt weird. Once we got up to a higher altitude, the Captain took the control wheel and rolled it back and forth a few times. He gave it back, saying, “Well, I’ve been on vacation for a while.” I took this to mean he was diplomatically telling me he couldn’t feel any problems. Up at cruise altitude, the Captain studied the maintenance history and discovered that an aileron PCU [Primary Control Unit] had been recently replaced...The following day, we were dismayed to read that engineering found the ailerons to be primarily inoperative. The First Officer looked to the Captain for confirmation of the flight control abnormality, but the Captain’s recent absence from the flight deck left him out of touch with the aircraft’s “feel.” The FO sums up his report with several disturbing questions about the crew’s decision to continue the flight with mushy-feeling controls: What if we had lost an engine on takeoff with a strong crosswind? What if we had encountered wake turbulence on short final? A general aviation pilot, in turn, discovered that touchand-goes may not be enough to reestablish currency: ■ Not having flown my aircraft for four months, I was performing the three required touch-and-goes to reestablish my currency. On my second approach, I heard two pilots reporting their positions [also in the pattern]. My attention was diverted as I attempted to visually confirm their actual positions. Thus, I neglected to perform my “GUMPS.” On short final, a horn sounded, which I incorrectly interpreted as being a stall warning horn. I believed that if it was indeed the stall horn, it may have been malfunctioning, given that my airspeed was well above stall speed. I heard the prop “ting,” and realized that the horn had been indicating gear up, not stall. I concentrated on maintaining control despite the inevitable consequences. Despite over 600 landings in this aircraft, I now believe that I should have been accompanied by an instructor. A pilot still lacks proficiency after a period of inactivity and is vulnerable to errors.
ASRS Recently Issued Alerts On...
A confusing arrival procedure into Bogota, Colombia Separation of an SF-340 propeller blade leading edge Failure of an EMB-120 cockpit window support beam Alleged need for a B-757 speed brake warning system Confusing signage for runways 28/23L at Cleveland, OH
An air carrier check pilot reported a lack-of-currency incident
(in the form of an altitude deviation), and offered this
excellent advice, applicable to all:
■ You get rusty when you don’t fly, and you lose your
edge. Stay realistically current, not just legal.
Aircraft Check-Ups
Having the aircraft in top shape is equally important for a safe flight, as this government pilot learned. ■ I was on an IFR flight plan at FL190. I became nauseous, had tingling in my arms and hands, and my eyes were burning and watering. I got on oxygen, which seemed to help for a while, but then the symptoms returned. [At my destination], I asked for a special VFR clearance and radar vectors to final. I declared an emergency to receive priority handling. After an uneventful landing, I was met by an ambulance and transported to the hospital. Tests were inconclusive. A hole was found in an air duct in the aircraft, and it is possible that exhaust fumes were piped into the cabin. The hole has been repaired, and the aircraft now has a carbon monoxide detector in it. Many reporters can attest to the value of a carbon monoxide detector, since a problem like this is unlikely to be noted on preflight. If an aircraft has not been flown for a period of time, a mechanic’s inspection may also be a good idea. The next reporter encountered a similar hidden source of trouble. ■ I had preflighted and run the engine up…and I proceeded to take off. At about 100 feet AGL, I smelled fumes; at 200 feet AGL, I saw smoke; at 300 feet AGL, I turned back to the airport. Initially I thought it was an electrical fire, so I pulled the master switch off. I realized this was not the problem, so I turned it back on and called on CTAF to announce an emergency landing. I landed safely and nothing was damaged. The fire was the result of a bird’s nest that had been [partially] removed. When the airplane’s owner removed the nest, some [remaining] papers and straw had become lodged between the cylinders and caught fire. I couldn’t see or feel these articles on preflight. It would have been helpful if the owner had mentioned the nest to the reporter, as a “heads-up” for potential problems.
A Monthly Safety Bulletin from The Office of the NASA
Aviation Safety Reporting
System,
P.O. Box 189,
Moffett Field, CA
94035-0189
January 1996 Report Intake
Air Carrier Pilots General Aviation Pilots Controllers Cabin/Mechanics/Military/Other 1661 547 80 25
TOTAL
2313
飞行翻译公司 www.aviation.cn 本文链接地址：美国ASRS安全公告CALLBACK cb_202.pdf
April 1996
Pilot and Aircraft Tune-ups
Maintenance of flight proficiency–and sound operational judgment–can be challenging for both general aviation and professional pilots. Most air carrier and air taxi pilots rely on company training and check programs to maintain their currency. But even a short time out of the cockpit can cause a pilot to lose “the touch,” as described in this First Officer’s report: ■ The Captain had just come back from a 3-week vacation, so we decided I would take the first leg. Shortly after rotation, I noticed a “mushiness” in the roll controls. I told the Captain that the controls felt weird. Once we got up to a higher altitude, the Captain took the control wheel and rolled it back and forth a few times. He gave it back, saying, “Well, I’ve been on vacation for a while.” I took this to mean he was diplomatically telling me he couldn’t feel any problems. Up at cruise altitude, the Captain studied the maintenance history and discovered that an aileron PCU [Primary Control Unit] had been recently replaced...The following day, we were dismayed to read that engineering found the ailerons to be primarily inoperative. The First Officer looked to the Captain for confirmation of the flight control abnormality, but the Captain’s recent absence from the flight deck left him out of touch with the aircraft’s “feel.” The FO sums up his report with several disturbing questions about the crew’s decision to continue the flight with mushy-feeling controls: What if we had lost an engine on takeoff with a strong crosswind? What if we had encountered wake turbulence on short final? A general aviation pilot, in turn, discovered that touchand-goes may not be enough to reestablish currency: ■ Not having flown my aircraft for four months, I was performing the three required touch-and-goes to reestablish my currency. On my second approach, I heard two pilots reporting their positions [also in the pattern]. My attention was diverted as I attempted to visually confirm their actual positions. Thus, I neglected to perform my “GUMPS.” On short final, a horn sounded, which I incorrectly interpreted as being a stall warning horn. I believed that if it was indeed the stall horn, it may have been malfunctioning, given that my airspeed was well above stall speed. I heard the prop “ting,” and realized that the horn had been indicating gear up, not stall. I concentrated on maintaining control despite the inevitable consequences. Despite over 600 landings in this aircraft, I now believe that I should have been accompanied by an instructor. A pilot still lacks proficiency after a period of inactivity and is vulnerable to errors.
ASRS Recently Issued Alerts On...
A confusing arrival procedure into Bogota, Colombia Separation of an SF-340 propeller blade leading edge Failure of an EMB-120 cockpit window support beam Alleged need for a B-757 speed brake warning system Confusing signage for runways 28/23L at Cleveland, OH
An air carrier check pilot reported a lack-of-currency incident
(in the form of an altitude deviation), and offered this
excellent advice, applicable to all:
■ You get rusty when you don’t fly, and you lose your
edge. Stay realistically current, not just legal.
Aircraft Check-Ups
Having the aircraft in top shape is equally important for a safe flight, as this government pilot learned. ■ I was on an IFR flight plan at FL190. I became nauseous, had tingling in my arms and hands, and my eyes were burning and watering. I got on oxygen, which seemed to help for a while, but then the symptoms returned. [At my destination], I asked for a special VFR clearance and radar vectors to final. I declared an emergency to receive priority handling. After an uneventful landing, I was met by an ambulance and transported to the hospital. Tests were inconclusive. A hole was found in an air duct in the aircraft, and it is possible that exhaust fumes were piped into the cabin. The hole has been repaired, and the aircraft now has a carbon monoxide detector in it. Many reporters can attest to the value of a carbon monoxide detector, since a problem like this is unlikely to be noted on preflight. If an aircraft has not been flown for a period of time, a mechanic’s inspection may also be a good idea. The next reporter encountered a similar hidden source of trouble. ■ I had preflighted and run the engine up…and I proceeded to take off. At about 100 feet AGL, I smelled fumes; at 200 feet AGL, I saw smoke; at 300 feet AGL, I turned back to the airport. Initially I thought it was an electrical fire, so I pulled the master switch off. I realized this was not the problem, so I turned it back on and called on CTAF to announce an emergency landing. I landed safely and nothing was damaged. The fire was the result of a bird’s nest that had been [partially] removed. When the airplane’s owner removed the nest, some [remaining] papers and straw had become lodged between the cylinders and caught fire. I couldn’t see or feel these articles on preflight. It would have been helpful if the owner had mentioned the nest to the reporter, as a “heads-up” for potential problems.
A Monthly Safety Bulletin from The Office of the NASA
Aviation Safety Reporting
System,
P.O. Box 189,
Moffett Field, CA
94035-0189
January 1996 Report Intake
Air Carrier Pilots General Aviation Pilots Controllers Cabin/Mechanics/Military/Other 1661 547 80 25
TOTAL
2313
飞行翻译公司 www.aviation.cn 本文链接地址：美国ASRS安全公告CALLBACK cb_202.pdf
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