Letters - Letter to the Editor

Approach, Dec, 2002

We received a letter from LtCol. Hank Kramer (June Approach), who describes himself as "a retired USAF F-16 driver who has been reading Approach since the 1950s and subscribing to it for over 20 years. "He asked an apparently simple question: "Why does it seem that USN pilots are so reluctant to declare an emergency? This was never a big deal in the Air Force. "At one time, at least, it was part of the Tactical Air Command flight regs that if you were airborne and dealing with a problem covered by the emergency, procedures section of the tech order, "you will declare an emergency."

The aviation bubbas here at the Safety Center agreed that, around the boat, most aviators are reluctant to use the "E" word during minor emergencies, because once you do so, you have lost all autonomy to handle your own issue. In other words, you've just invited the whole ship to come and sit in your lap, and also guaranteed that you'll have a lot of explaining to do on deck. With that proviso, the staff here believes that most Navy flyers know when it is appropriate to call an emergency. We correctly surmissed that our readers would be glad to respond, as well. Here's some of their feedback.--Ed.

Capt. Glenn Berquist, USAF, 37FTS/DO

"I got my wings in the Navy at Beeville in '87. I am now an Air Force pilot instructing in the T-37 at Columbus AFB. The difference in instruction, comparing the Navy and Air Force, is huge. Two separate cultures exist. The Navy focused on knowledge of systems and using airmanship to handle emergencies; if it got real bad, we'd even pull out the checklist in the Navy. In the Air Force, it is strict adherence to procedures. Students are given an unsatisfactory grade if they even forget to say `Maintain aircraft control.' Such airmanship is a given in the Navy, not so in the Air Force--students have to describe just what they'd do to maintain aircraft control, such as `maintain wings level.' Imagine that being required CNATRA verbiage. From day one, the Air Force stresses that if you have just one step of any emergency checklist, then declare an emergency, and you'd better have the pocket checklist out, referring to all the procedures. The result is Air Force pilots here declare emergencies far more often than I ever experienced in the Navy."

LCdr. Jim Ridgway, VP-94

"Having flown the T-34, T-44, P-3C, T-2, P-3 again (and currently), I have to say that I am not at all reluctant to declare an emergency should the situation dictate. I have operated only from land, never from the ship. I know there are many instances in the P-3 where a simple malfunction requires the flight to be terminated, yet is, in no way, an emergency situation. As a T-2C instructor, I found that I made several emergency calls and was adamant with my students, telling them to declare an emergency if there was any doubt at all as to whether or not they should. The priority handling far outweighs any `arm-chair' quarterbacking you may receive after the flight."

Pete Ryan (@flightsafety.com}

"As a retired Army aviator, I couldn't resist the opportunity to make this a tri-service discussion. In the same issue of Approach, the lead story ("Worst Case Scenario") detailed an Army accident that caused all of us associated with Army aviation to hang our heads in shame. An appalling lack of leadership, discipline and character resulted in a tragedy. The author was gracious enough to point out that this was not a uniquely Army problem. That brings me to naval aviators' supposed reluctance to declare an emergency. I believe there is a built-in hesitance to declare an emergency, but I also believe it's more widespread than any one service or activity.

"Calling `Uncle' attracts a lot of attention. Although we know that attention is focused on providing help, it also bares our souls and our mistakes to the whole world. We know that the largest percentage of aircraft mishaps have human factors as causes, so we are too often reluctant to `fess up to having gotten ourselves in a bad spot. Ever run low on fuel? I mean lookin'-for-a-place-to-put-it-down-even-with-the-field-in-sight low? Ever said, `Lord, get me past this one, and I swear I'll never do that again,' after a particularly bad decision about the weather? (Of course, these sorts of things never have happened to me personally.)

"We military flyers have a lot of ego on the line every time we slip the surly bonds. To acknowledge that we are not in complete control of the situation is an enormous confession that we are, somehow, well, human."

Davy Thorn, investigator, Lockheed-Martin (also a former A-6 BN and Naval Safety Center aircraft mishap investigator)

"On a carrier, an IFE usually means the ship has to clear the landing area immediately. That is no small feat, has inherent risks, and disrupts the next launch cycle. That said, if we had an in-flight emergency (fire, bleed-air failure, engine problems, etc.) we would declare an emergency. If it was something that you could live with until the normal recovery time, you would inform either the Air Boss (day/VMC) or Air Ops (night/IMC) of the nature of your problem. Ask for a squadron rep (usually the skipper or some experienced pilot or NFO), and come up with a game plan. Back on the beach, you might declare an IFE for this situation; on the boat, it is not an emergency, but you are dealing with the situation professionally and expeditiously ... We were taught that everyone on the ground was trying to kill you, and it was your responsibility to fly the airplane and ask for help as needed. If someone on the ground is bugging you while you're trying to deal with a systems problem, you either ignore him or politely (or otherwise) tell him to be quiet until you get the problem sorted out. As far as being an NFO, on several occasions (especially when I was the more experienced crew member in the cockpit), I was the one to call knock-it-off so that we could deal with a problem or head for home."