Pay Attention

Flying Safety, May, 2001 by Lt Col Russell Smith

Real-life drama of an accident that almost happened

"Airplane Crashes into Wooded Lot: 2 Injured, Aircraft Destroyed"

Here's the story of how this headline didn't get printed:

The flight was scheduled as a mission check ride for the pilot in the left seat, with a mission check pilot riding in the right seat. The aircraft was a 1979 Cessna 182 with a little more than 650 hours on the engine. The check ride was scheduled to last about one hour, southwest of Cedar Rapids (KCID) airport.

Preflight and pre-takeoff checks went according to plan, and the engine showed no abnormalities. The Cessna departed KCID for the practice area to evaluate the left-seat pilot's ability to conduct various CAP search mission patterns. About 45 minutes into the flight, the right-seat pilot noticed the oil pressure had dropped from where it usually indicated on this aircraft. He brought this to the attention of the check pilot, and they decided to cancel the remaining maneuvers and return to base.

The crew expedited a return direct to KCID, and after rollout they turned onto the taxiway to the maintenance facility. At this time the oil pressure gauge dropped to zero. The engine seemed to be running "a little rough" but showed no other abnormal signs.

When the maintenance crew examined the oil filter, they found metal "chunks" in the filter media. An engine teardown showed that a rocker arm had failed and the disintegrating parts jammed into the oil pump, rendering it inoperative. The maintenance chief later advised CAP personnel that the engine was literally moments from catastrophic failure.

What did this crew do right to prevent the above headline from occurring? They included a scan of the engine instruments as part of their cockpit routine in a search grid. This gave them four-dimensional situational awareness (above, below, around and inside). They reacted quickly to an engine gauge indication that both had not seen before and decided to "play it safe," as opposed to trying to "finish up" the check ride. They quickly returned to the base to avoid an off-airport landing.

This is a prime example of an accident that didn't happen. Put yourself in the same position. Do you routinely scan the gauges, or do you rely on warning lamps to let you know you have lost temperature or pressure? Would you have taken an extra five minutes to complete your check ride ("filling squares") instead of returning to base?

Lt Col Chuck Enfield was the left-seat pilot. Chuck completed pilot training in 1942 and flew C-47s (DC-3s) in the China/India theater of operations in WWII. He has accumulated over 4600 flying hours, still maintains instrument currency and is a Mission Pilot for Iowa Wing CAP. For those of you who have heard the saying "There are old pilots and there are bold pilots, but there are no old, bold pilots," he is proof of that adage.

Major Michael Krenz was the right-seat pilot. He is an Advanced Products Manager at Rockwell-Collins, where among other duties he helps develop futuristic aircraft cockpit systems. He is the Iowa Wing CAP IG, Mission Check Pilot and Mission Coordinator.

Due to the diligence displayed by these two pilots, they avoided an off-airport landing which could have resulted in the loss of an aircraft and possible injury to two people.

What about you? Do you pay attention?