Dust in the overrun

Flying Safety, May, 2003 by John "Duke" Parrett

It was a beautiful Saturday morning for a student cross-country. The blue sky was exceptionally clear as the T-38 Talon exited a low-level route which had taken it over some breathtaking mountain scenery near Sierra Blanca in New Mexico. Traffic at the destination AFB was non-existent...alone in the pattern...what an opportunity to practice landings. The Instructor Pilot (IP) and student pilot took full advantage of the tower's offer: "...closed traffic. approved until further notice." Then, with barely enough gas to be legal for landing, the IP took the Talon to demonstrate and instruct a minimum roll landing for the full stop. (Editor's Note: This incident occurred at a time when practicing T-38 minimum roll landing was acceptable. It was a procedure used to land safely at heavy fuel weights and wet runways.)

With stern determination and a steady glide path destined to plant the main gear on brick number uno, the instructor's concentration was interrupted by a call from his otherwise quiet and placid student: "Sir, there's dust in the overrun."

Dust in the overrun!? What could this possibly mean coming from my student? I was flying jets when he was still in high school. Surely it must be insignificant and undoubtedly inappropriate. Plus, it was annoying in light of the fact it interrupted my all-important instruction; words of wisdom which would someday help make this student a most capable pilot and soon a witness to the perfect min roll landing.

Without a second's hesitation, my thought processes returned to concentrating on perfect aircraft control as I allowed the airspeed to decrease precisely 10 knots below normal, thus ensuring a firm touchdown, simulating a wet runway, at the threshold. As the nose came into the overrun with almost the max landing angle of attack, I was abruptly awakened as to the significance of my student's comment. Our aircraft instantly rolled right to an inverted attitude of 120 degrees of bank and only 35 feet above the ground!

What was this student's perception of dust in the overrun which was obstructed from the back seat (the IP's position)? My left leg muscle tightened to apply opposite rudder to upright the Talon (since ailerons are totally ineffective at the lower airspeed and higher angle of attack).

What did he see that I could not? (I quizzed myself brutally while taking life-protecting measures with the flight controls!) At this same precise moment of rudder application the opposite side of the miniature tornado assisted in the rudder roll and the aircraft again took just as quickly a new bank angle of 30 degrees of left bank upright. Then, simultaneously applying rudder, ailerons, power and a prayer, I completed a successful go-around after only slightly touching the runway with the left main gear.

I then quickly analyzed that this situation was actually the result of an "omnipotent" IP who met a New Mexico dust devil that had planted its swirling cloud in the runway overrun. I also analyzed that the "student" was an individual with insight and instinct well grounded in survival.

Several comments are appropriate. First, I will never again commit myself to the full stop with only enough fuel for a min fuel go-around.

Second, and more important, this incident prompted me to examine my attitude toward the student as a species. While it's true that IPs typically know a lot more and have a vastly greater experience level than their students, nevertheless students are quite capable and perceptive, and are always an important--often critically so--part of all dual flights. From now on, I will "go placidly amid the noise and confusion of the universe" and listen, because even the inexperienced and the few-of-hours have their story, too. And in flying, all stories are worth the time to listen to.

(Editor's Note: When this article first appeared the author was a T-38 Instructor at Reese AFB, TX. Currently he is a simulator instructor at Columbus AFB, MS and the Operations Officer for, the GTR Squadron of the Civil Air Patrol, the USAF Auxiliary.)