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At this writing, its impossible to know what ongoing investigations will determine, and whether either the flight crew or the controller will face consequences. This and other incidents, however, highlight a longstanding problem: air traffic control is designed by and comprised of humans, and its therefore imperfect. Controllers make mistakes just like the rest of us, pilots included. The challenge is to recognize those mistakes when they happen and take action appropriate to resolve the issue. A recent encounter I had at a towered airport reinforces the old, bad joke that the controller likely will feel really bad after an accident. The pilot likely wont feel a thing.

Until recently, the constituency comprising LBA operations was paid little attention by the major aviation organizations. Most general aviation pilots affiliated themselves with either the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) or the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA). Most of those organizations members, especially in EAA, often do not fly for personal or business transportation purposes. The heavy-iron two-pilot corporate jets already were well represented by the NBAA.

Most modern comm radios can tune frequencies with 8.33 kHz channel spacing, which currently is required only in high altitude airspace in Europe (Code Y). It would not be necessary to indicate that in the U.S. Further, Im not sure we can file a performance-based navigation (PBN) code as they require FAA approval. The closet reference is AC 90-100A-maybe someone can interpret this for Part 91 (non 91K) operations.

If your aircraft model has a type club or owners organization, you may want to join and participate in their training programs and related activities. Many of the name-brand types are well-served by these programs, and their graduates often come away with new and safer insights on how to operate their aircraft. If your aircraft has unusual handling characteristics-or if you just want to be able to take full advantage of its performance-obtaining specialized instruction from an instructor or training center with experience in that model should be a no-brainer.

That was when I realized that my system had stopped charging. Not only was the weather collapsing, but the location I had just departed had limited maintenance options and expected severe thunderstorms with hail the following day. From my previous loss of electron flow, I knew I could do a great deal in this different airplanes cockpit to manage power consumption, plus I was flying steam gauges that didnt need electrons. Plus it was Mothers Day weekend, so continuing to a destination with known good weather required less decision making than finding an alternate airport with services.

As I progressively increased my use of the Mooney and Bonanzas, the process of safely using the airplanes for virtually all of my domestic transportation followed a more organized safety management process. Cutting to the chase, in the 52 years I have been flying I have not had an accident, incident or serious occurrence where the outcome of the flight was in doubt. I also accomplished my transportation objectives more than 95 percent of the time. Im no superman and only an average stick, so what are my secrets? Pilots will all approach this differently, but I believe the factors highlighted in the sidebar on page 5 were most responsible for this record.

While an FBO might have policies, published hours and options galore for the wayfaring airman, at many airports, the lowly line man or woman is your first and last line of defense when you are up against any of the scenarios he mentioned, and a host more. They can make or break your trip, and they know it. How much he or she cares may very well be tied to how you treated them the last time your presence graced their ramp.

The wreckage path extended about 185 feet; the propeller, various engine components, and pieces associated with both left and right wings were located along it. The main wreckage was completely consumed by post-impact fire, precluding detailed examination of the cockpit instruments, flight control surfaces and control tubes. One propeller blade was fractured near the hub; the other two blades exhibited s-bending, leading edge gouging and chordwise scratching.

As pilots, our biggest oxygen consumer is our brain. Night vision is one of the first things to go. The retinas rod cells, which provide night vision, are heavy oxygen consumers. Retinal function begins to deteriorate at altitudes as low as 5000 feet, and so will your night vision. Low perfusion of oxygen also reduces visual acuity. Blurred vision and tunnel vision are both common symptoms of hypoxia. If you experience these symptoms before reducing altitude or starting supplemental oxygen, they may linger.

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