11 Feb 24:

I created a forum today for Aviation Safety Officers (you) to share safety knowledge in the General Aviation Community, hosted for free on groups.io.

I joined the FAATeam 20 years ago to bring years of safety program experience as a military Aviation Safety Officer and Air Line Pilots Association Accident Investigator to the GA community, and currently volunteer at the Richmond FSDO. We have learned a lot and would like to continue the conversation in this "Knowledge Cafe," so please consider checking in with your tips and questions, so we can continue to improve our airspace system. Fly Smarter Kent 2009 FAASTeam Rep of the Year

Click here to join the discussion: https://groups.io/g/AviationSafetyOfficer.

Sleep Hygiene

 Good NEWWS - Nutrition - Exercise - Water - Wellness - Sleep

Here's a few more sleep more tips we've hear through the years...

-Before you sleep and write down things we don’t want to forget. The evening “brain dump” helps strengthen memory and helps us fall asleep more easily. Keep a pen and pencil next to the bed in case other ideas wake us up mid slumber.

-Turn off non-essential ringers and haptics before sleeping.

-A heavy meal too close to bedtime, especially protein, sends a signal to the brain that we plan to be up for a while. 

-The body goes into systems check and repair mode while sleeping, especially during deep REM. As a result of decreased blood flow there can be some stiffness in the morning. A warm shower will help get the blood flowing again and reduce stiffness.

- Favorite sleep science term - Zeitgeber - Sleep/Wake cycles are diurnal, tied to the sun. If we need to sleep during the day, we have blackout curtains and don't peek outside. Once sunlight hits the eyeballs the body thinks it's time to be awake! And don't be surprised if there is a little sleep disruption during full moons, our ancestors found that was a good time to hunt.

Kayaking provides exercise, wellness and sleep benefit. Take healthy snacks like an orange and some water to check all of the NEWWS blocks.

More Good NEWWS for our health.

Runway Safety - Incursions and Excursions

26 Jan 24:

I've been involved with aviation safety for 40 years now, beginning as a Tech Pubs Librarian in our Marine Corps Fighter Squadron to Accident Investigator  Instructor with the Air Line Pilots Association. We've had two severe threats plaguing us ever since more than one airplane tried to operate in the same area, runway COLLISIONS and runway EXCURSIONS. We have developed a slew of defenses against the threats, but there is still high potential for accidents during takeoff and landing with an associated catastrophic consequence.

We can not accept the threats as they currently are. So how do we reduce or eliminate the runway threats? 

Tactically, For Today:

1. Increase awareness tailored to each operating area. Check out the NASA Aviation Safety Reporting (ASRS) database for your airports and the FAA's new safety videos From The Flight Deck.

2. Brief threats with your team. Your team includes hangar flying, ATC, FBO, Dispatch, passenger...Complex taxiways? Night? Low visibility? High traffic? Crosswinds? Non-towered field? Multiple runways in use? Crossing runways?

3. Take specific actions to reduce (mitigate) or eliminate the the potential threats. Some examples, taxi slow, lights on to cross runways, pick a runway with better winds, stabilized approach, fly the aircraft at all times from chocks to chocks.

4. ACTIVELY LOOK, LISTEN AND LIVE. 

Herb's Rules to Live By;

-Look outside

-Use a checklist

-Never fly hard IFR in a single engine aircraft

Our Mentor (Herb)

Strategically, Tomorrow:

1. If we see something, say something. Hazards should be identified to the nearest person who can take action to fix the problem, and also fill out a safety report through the NASA ASRS, We can't fix what we don't know, and the problem may be at more than just one airport.

2. Engage your team members at every level, to increase your awareness and the awareness of the entire at Global Airspace System (GAS). 

3. Fly Smart

Kent Lewis

2009 FAASTeam Rep of the Year

(850) 449-4841 lewis.kent@gmail.com

Bio: Herb Albert Webber, the best pilot I ever flew with. A kind person and quiet leader. 

Herb was born on October 3, 1923 in Cloquet, Minnesota and graduated from Cloquet High School in 1941.

Herb was an Airline Transport Pilot, flight instructor, and an FAA safety counselor and was type rated and qualified to fly numerous large and small jets, turbo props, and single engine air planes.

After graduating from high school, Herb joined The United States Army Air Corps where he served honorably in WW II (1942 to 1944) and flew the B-17G bomber as a Second Lieutenant and pilot. While stationed in Carlsbad, New Mexico for training he met and married the love of his life, Geraldine (Gerry) Marie Webber. They were married for 70 years before her passing on March 29, 2015.

In 1955, he moved his family to Arlington to begin his career in commercial aviation working for American Airlines flying Boeing 707s and 747s along with several other commercial aircraft. He retired from American Airlines as a Captain in 1983. Herb continued to work in the airline industry in various capacities providing training, check rides, and flight checks for up and coming pilots. In August of 1989 Herb accepted a job as Captain with TAG flying the Boeing 707-138B for TAG to the Middle East and other parts of the world. He flew for TAG until January of 2004. After leaving TAG, from 2004 to 2010, Captain Webber flew various aircraft, including a Conquest 441-II, one of his favorites, across the USA as an employee for Hilliard Energy, Ltd. As if Captain Webber did not have enough to do, from September 2001 to 2014 he also flew for Van Bortel Aircraft. While at Van Bortel he selected pilots, provided check rides for customers and employees, scheduled pilots, performed flight tests on airplanes out of maintenance, and picked up new aircraft from the Cessna factory.

In his spare time Captain Webber was a Colonel in the Commemorative (Confederate) Air Force air shows where he flew the B-17G, Sentimental Journey, and several other WWII aircraft all over the US and Canada. When Captain Webber Flew West he was the oldest employed corporate pilot in America and had logged over 42,700 hours of flying time.

Herb's proudest accomplishments in life were wrapped around Gerry Webber, the love of his life for over 70 years, his three children, his grandchildren, and his lifetime love for flying.

Heightened Situational Awareness - The Prescription for Complacency

22 Jan 24:

Complacency Kills. In numerous accident reports we see "complacency" cited as a probable cause. So what proactive weapons do we have to defeat complacency?

1) Checklist discipline is a continuing challenge, the industry will benefit from education on the purpose, design and use of critical item checklists. Research by Drs Degani and Dismukes comes to mind, recommended reading The Multitasking Myth: Handling Complexity in Real-World Operations. 

2) Be situationally aware of each new mission as it presents itself. With our ultra safe system and as we build experience, it is easy to develop an expextation bias that everything is going to be A-OK. We can shift from expectation bias to threat expectation, we know that things can and will go wrong. The next mission will never be flown on the same date/time conditions as the last. 

3) Fiercely support the front line, the person most likely to discover a chink in the system's armor. For folks who are not on the front line, go beyond involvement in a mission to commitment to safely accomplish the mission. Ex: A dispatcher is involved with a flight's safe completion. The flight crew is committed. 

4) Share learning lessons as expeditiously as possible to increase the knowledge, skills, resources and experience of the crew/fleet/business/system. Don't wait a year for the final mishap report, share Threat Bulletins as soon as the threat is discovered, and let the team take action at their level.

We've been doing this study since the Wright Brother's first crash, and I have sobering examples of WHY we need to do safety better, and be the betterest at safety. 

Suggestions? Questions? I hope you have both.

Fly Smart

POC: Kent Lewis. (850) 449-4841. lewis.kent@gmail.com

References: 

Google Dr Asaf Degani and checklist to learn why checklists are designed the way that they are.

Google Dr Key Dismukes for fantastic, readable book on Pilot Error, Multitasking Myth

Takeoff And Larding Accident Reduction (TALAR):

Here is an article I wrote in 2006 for The National Association of Flight Instructors (NAFI) Mentor magazine. Unfortunately we still need these learning lessons.

Defensive Posturing By Kent Lewis

Recent reports point to the high number of mishaps that occur during takeoff and landing evolutions. Most interesting is the number of these mishaps that occur during flight instruction. In 2005, there were 132 takeoff and landing accidents during instructional flights, resulting in 4 fatalities ( 2006 Nall Report). Landing accidents ranked higher than the overall GA average, while takeoff accidents were lower. The FAA Safety Team (FAASTeam) has designated takeoff and landing accident reduction as a special emphasis area. Additionally, the Commercial Air Safety Team, of which the FAA is a member, has also analyzed approach and landing accidents and found high potential for safety gains through effective hazard awareness education and preventive training.

Now some may believe that accidents happen during flight instruction because of the higher threat and error exposure, because new pilots are developing skills necessary to safely negotiate these environments. or skilled pilots are practicing advanced maneuvers in a low altitude regime. One constant in these scenarios though, is the presence of a Certified Flight Instructor (CFI) or Airline Transport Pilot (ATP), one who is responsible for the safe outcome of the flight. What happened to this safeguard? Are we effectively identifying and managing the additional hazards associated with flight instruction? And what desired knowledge, skills, tactics and experience can help us safely manage these hazards?

Let’s start by saying that I hope this article will generate discussion amongst students and CFIs. The main hazard during flight training is letting the aircraft get to an unrecoverable state, and way to prevent that is defensive posturing. Defensive posturing is the mental attitude and associated physical actions that ensure that an aircraft never reaches an undesired state in flight training. Maintaining a defensive posture to manage threat and error during flight instruction is the responsibility of both parties. Good defensive posturing begins in the brief, by establishing who the Pilot In Command (PIC) is, who will be the Pilot Flying (PF) and who will be the Pilot Monitoring (PM). The student has unspoken expectations, at a minimum, that the instructor will be responsible for the safe conduct of the flight. The student is exposed to the threat of not knowing how far the instructor wants a maneuver to develop and at what point he will appear to correct an undesired aircraft state. A good CFI will ensure that these states do not develop by maintaining a defensive posture, mentally and physically, throughout the flight and keeping the student in the loop. The student should be briefed on speaking up if their comfort level is being challenged and to call for a “Training Time Out”. This will signal the instructor that the student has serious reservations about the maneuver in progress, and immediate action is required to ensure flight safety is maintained. Both parties must ensure steps are taken to maintain desired aircraft path and communicate. Questions are free, hospitals are not.

Lets consider a training flight with the “Practical” Test “Standards” in mind. Just as with any practical test, the oral portion shall be completed prior to the flight portion. It is

important for both agents in this transaction to establish common ground on what is “practical” to complete during the flight, and what “standards” both people expect. The people with the 500 pound heads call this a “shared mental model.” In other words, everyone in the cockpit, cabin, hangar, control tower, etc...needs to be on the same flight plan. While it is practical to practice simulated emergencies and aircraft handling at various speeds and altitude, the standard is that no one shall simulate any condition that may jeopardize safe flight or result in possible injury or aircraft damage.

Here’s where the discussion begins, with an example. When I instructed in the UH-1N (Bell 212), we did not practice full autorotations, but rather power recovery autos that ended in a 5 foot hover. Other schools took the maneuver all the way to the deck, increasing training and at the same time assuming increased risk. Many flight schools teach full autos in smaller helicopters. What’s the right method? Well, the standard applied here is that “the instructor is expected to use good judgment in the performance of simulated emergency procedures. The use of the safest means for simulation is expected. Consideration must be given to local conditions, both meteorological and topographical, at the time of the test, as well as the applicant’s workload, and the condition of the aircraft used. If the procedure being evaluated would jeopardize safety, it is expected that the applicant will simulate that portion of the maneuver.” (Flight Instructor Practical Test Standards for Airplane, August 2002, p. 6). Now I just noticed this irony, the fact that any term associated with weather contains the word logical. But I digress. In the example above, you would want to be sure of the practice area you are using. Is the terrain flat? Is the aircraft in good condition and certified for the intended operation? How are the winds? And is the student prepared and the instructor qualified? Be sure that when introducing simulated emergencies, they are briefed before the flight and preceded by an announcement, such as “you have a simulated engine fire”. If you want to play “gotcha!” and just blurt out “engine fire”, your student might just beat you to the throttle, fire handle, mixture, etc...unless you are defensively postured. Be positioned to guard and maintain proper power, flight path and configuration. Don’t let a simulated emergency become a real emergency.

Evaluating your resources and the student’s capabilities, this is where the mental part of defensive posturing comes into play. Do you shut down an engine during training, or simulate failure? Do you fly the single engine pattern in your Huey with one throttle at idle, or have the instructor defensively guard the collective and simulate max torque at the single engine value? How about the Power-Off 180, how far do let the maneuver go before someone calls to “knock it off”? Do you let stalls become fully developed? And where’s the line drawn on crosswind takeoffs and landings? Hopefully, not in the grass beside the runway. Most mental models are strongly influenced by goal completion, let’s make sure the primary goal of the evolution is to safely maneuver the aircraft.

Another standard is that there needs to be someone actually flying the aircraft at all times. Be sure to brief Positive Change of Controls. “During flight training, there must always be a clear understanding between student and flight instructors of who has control of the aircraft. Prior to a flight, a briefing shall be conducted that include the procedure for the exchange of flight controls. A positive three-step process in the exchange of flight

controls between pilots is a proven procedure and one that is strongly recommended” (PTS) Be sure to use the word controls during the exchange, not salty slang like “I got it”. You got what, another aircraft in sight, the FBO, or the controls? If instructing in tandem seat aircraft, brief a lost intercom procedure to exchange controls such as shaking the stick fore/aft and left/right and /or hand signals. That is the preferred method, vs whacking someone on the head with a kneeboard.

Now on to tales of daring and almost do...During the takeoff roll in a T-44 (King Air 90), the Instructor Pilot (PM) became distracted and did not make the required V1 call. The student (PF) reacted by initiating a high-speed abort several knots beyond V1 and selected reverse thrust. The instructor, seeing the end of the runway fast approaching, took control of the aircraft, rotated and attempted to push the throttles full forward. In this lickety-split series of unfortunate events the throttles mechanically stopped on the reverse side of idle, not at the desired max power setting. The airplane struggled airborne for a few feet, then crashed beyond the departure end of the runway. Both pilots survived, but the airplane was destroyed. During the takeoff roll, it is important for the instructor to guard power and flight controls to ensure safe manipulation. Strange things happen, like seats sliding aft and over-rotation, that require immediate correction. Have your hands and feet ready to take control. Guard the power, yoke/stick/cyclic, fuel, gear and flaps. You’ll need hands, feet, knees and maybe an elbow or two. The art here is to be ready to assume control of path and configuration, but avoid riding the controls, which can result in some instructor-induced oscillations and undermine student confidence. Discussing beforehand when and how much your student can expect to see or feel you near the controls will pay dividends here. Don’t even get me started here on mental defensive posturing, monitoring and automation mode awareness.

Not-so-good things happen outside the pattern, too. I learned a lesson early in my instructor days, fortunately up at 8500 feet. We were flying the mighty Turbo Mentor (T- 34C), practicing recoveries from Power-Off Stalls. The aircraft was in the landing configuration, and the student initiated the maneuver. Maneuver entry was slow, and progressed too deep into the stall. The aircraft departed control flight. The student did not reduce angle of attack and level the wings, so I took control of the aircraft. At this point (almost inverted), I determined our best course of action was to “lower” the nose and regain airspeed. We completed the roll, returned to controlled flight and dusted everything off. My first and last “dirty” roll. The student was confused, appreciably so, because he wasn’t expecting Power-Off Aerobatics. I explained that it was my fault for not making sure we set up for the maneuver properly, and allowing it to continue beyond the initial departure. He was game for another try, so I demonstrated the maneuver again, and he went on to do several very nice stall recoveries. While I was ready for an upset recovery, the lesson learned here was to do a better job making sure the maneuver is set up properly. A poor set up usually equals an undesirable outcome, especially in the pattern. And it is always better to use superior judgment so you don’t have to use superior skills.

Now to the pattern. “A student pilot practicing takeoffs and landings in a Cessna 172, with an instructor on board, flared the aircraft too high, and held the flare. The flight

instructor told the student to go around, but the student hesitated prior to adding full power. The aircraft yawed 90 degrees to the left and struck a windsock before the flight instructor gained control of the aircraft. Both occupants were uninjured. The student failed to correct for left turning tendency and the CFI failed to properly supervise the flight.” (AOPA Safety Advisor, Ups and Down of Takeoffs and Landings, 2006) Instructors must be alert to guard rudders in the pattern, especially against skidded turn stalls, and call the waveoff versus letting a maneuver degrade to a dangerous state. As an instructor, you’ll be guarding the yoke/stick/cyclic with one hand, power gear and flaps with the other, pedals with your feet, listening/talking on the radio and watching for traffic. Animal crackers and juice boxes are going to have to wait. Positive learning needs to be encouraged here, emphasizing the importance of textbook patterns, the use of checklists, stabilized control in the approach, flare and landing. Proper checklist usage ensures that the aircraft is configured properly. Flying a stabilized approach means you are hitting all of your airspeed, altitude, and heading/lineup waypoints. You need to be lined up, on speed, on altitude to make a good flare and landing. One mantra to remember is that you fly the aircraft all the way to the tiedowns. Once you have it strapped back down to Mother Earth, your flight is finished. Until then all aircraft, especially helicopters, are trying to return themselves to their natural animal, mineral or plant state. Another threat to manage here is configuration of the aircraft. There have been numerous accidents when aircraft land gear up during “simulated” gear emergencies, or stall because of improper flap settings during takeoff and touch and go maneuvers.

Herb Webber (L), the best pilot I ever flew with. He got better with age!

Checklists, anyone? Workload is high here for everyone, but the instructor must be on the mental defensive to ensure the aircraft is configured and flown properly. If the evolution starts to unravel, disengage, select zone five afterburner and return to fight another day. Or just go around. The go around/rejected landing/missed approach is probably one of the least taught but most important maneuvers a student can learn. Think about and teach the go-around as a proactive maneuver, an accident prevention strategy.

Don’t forget the debrief, this is the best time to see if your perceptions of the flight match up with those of your fellow pilot. Open communication will result in an effective review of the flight. Avoid criticism and practice professional critique. Look for lessons learned and discuss how they will be applied to the next series of flights. Sometimes we learn best from our mistakes, but we like to keep those kinds of debrief items small and insignificant. It is very important to have the student communicate their perceptions of training, so the instructor can ensure decision-making skills are appropriate for the level of training. There are great gains to be made here by discussing the knowledge and skill based behaviors that lead to increased situational awareness, improved aircraft handling and efficient team resource management.

Fly smart and use your resources. The most important piece of equipment in the aircraft is the “computer” between your ears, the second most important is the BIG glass display, you know, that thing in front of your noggin that’s keeping the bugs out of your teeth? Use them and have a great flight!

Fly Smart

Kent has been a student and instructor in both airplanes and helicopters. He currently volunteers as a FAASTeam Lead Representative and is developing this safety blog

The Art of Flying

20 Jan 24:

In the 20th Century there was a great period of industrialization, with the focus on the machine. The aerospace industry did an amazing job with adapting humans to the machine and then the machine to the human. Many gains were made in aeronautical Science, Technology, Engineering and Math. (STEM) is prevalent in our educational system. 

1919 US Navy NC-4, First aircraft to cross the Atlantic

The 21st Century is the time for practitioners to put the A in STEM, the Art of flying, so that our aerospace community can be full STEAM ahead. The focus with art is on the human craft, developing skills that are hard to quantify, such as leadership. It is time to pursue the art of flying with as much passion as we did with higher, farther, faster machines. 

Advanced Aircrew Academy

05 Jan 23:

Like what you're reading and looking for some training? Check out our friends at Advanced Aircrew Academy, they offer online and/or onsite training. Dr. Dan runs a tight ship over there. I just finished the Safety Management Systems [Safety Culture and Leadership]  module, took me maybe an hour because I am well versed in the subject. 

Have we taught the subject? Yes. 

Have we facilitated seminars on the subject drawing together a global group of Subject Matter Experts to share information with everyone from student pilots to senior industry executives? Yes. 

Did we learn a few new things from creating and reviewing the module? Yes. 

So set sail with us in 2024 on our continuous learning voyage. Give Dr. Dan and his crew a call or drop me a line.

Create shared understanding,

"Clark" Kent Lewis

The Safety Guy

FMI: Advanced Aircrew Academy