RE: [Paddlewise] Safety Articles

.......Tord wrote:

In FLYING, the US magazine, they've had a series of articles called 'I
learned about flying from that' where the ones involved in mishaps have
written themselves about them, but also another series 'Aftermath' where
official, dry, accident reports are analysed and commented on.

The latter covers fatal accidents, which can't be commented on by those
involved, but mainly covers when the communication and infrastructure
breaks down, either between those in the cockpit, or between air and
ground.
I'm not a pilot (well, 'pilot' of boats and model aircraft I am!), but I
have always found both types riverting stuff.....

Flying accidents are usually the result of a combination of events -
many of which might have been trifling - which form into a pyramid.
Reaching the top of the pyramid is when the accident occurs.

So, in one flying example I studied well, it went like this.

1. Company pilot (ex-South African Air Force Mirage fighter pilot) flies
company executives to look at a remote construction site for the day.

2. The return flight is delayed due to the executive running late over
luch and meetings on site. By the time they get back to the airport,
large thunderstorms have begun building on their route home. The pilot
knows this.

3. Nightfall is also a few hours off - the return flight will be mostly
in the dark.

4. The pilot, although highly experienced, is new to charter work.

5. The pilot is also new to a job where his bosses are urging him to
begin a flight into marginal conditions. They don't want to stay over in
this horrible little town - they want to get home to their families. His
concerns about the weather do not wash with them: after all, he is this
highly-trained former fighter pilot. They remind him that he is a pilot
among pilots, they lean on him with seniority, and he takes off into the
dusk.

6. Early into the flight the conditions turn IMC (Instrument
Meteorological Conditions). And it is solid clag for most of the
intended route.

The rest is reconstruction and conjecture.

7. The aircraft is blown off-course although it maybe the pilot is
unaware of this. Radio contact is intermittent.

8. Despite flying into terrible conditions, the pilot elects to continue
with the flight instead of retiring hurt but alive to the airport he has
just left. Maybe he'd be unemployed, too, but alive.

The plane crashed into below a peak in the highest mountain range in
southern Africa, 200 miles south of its intended route, and killing all
six on board. The wreck was not found for over a year and only when it
was did investigators piece the puzzle together.

It was a classic pyramid of event. But the pilot didn't actually reach
the top until the moment he elected not to turn back. At that point
disaster was inevitable.

It's this kind of thing I think about when I'm kayaking now. I look at
everything. And to steal a homily from flying, better to be on dry land
wishing you were on the water than on the water wishing you were on dry
land.

Paul 
***************************************************************************
PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed
here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire
responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author.
Submissions:     PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net
Subscriptions:   PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net
Website:         http://www.paddlewise.net/
***************************************************************************