Training Areas for Safety
--Pilot decision-making requires
--Perception
--Experience
--Analysis
-- Judgment
--Survivability

Emergency Field
Once you are in an engine failure situation, get to the best L/D speed. The lift over drag speed is the speed that gives the best performance in time and distance when the engine is not functioning in no-wind conditions. You are a glider, a poor glider. Most trainers glide at a 10:1 ratio. You move forward ten feet for every one-foot of altitude. To penetrate a headwind add half of the estimated wind velocity to your gliding airspeed. A spiral descent will allow you to make wind adjustments that a committed straight-in will not. Given the choice, spiral over your chosen landing site.

A wide-long field is preferable to short-narrow field. Into the wind decreases ground impact speed. Uphill is better than downhill. Slope is difficult to judge from the air. If you can determine a slope, assume the slope is much greater than it appears. Any obstruction to the approach end of the field will cause a loss of useable landing distance ten times greater than its height.

Taking gliding lessons will make you a much more assured pilot in an emergency. An airplane without an engine is just a low performance glider. Knowing just how low your glide performance is (See POH) will enable you to select routes and altitudes that allow desirable options. You want to be able to make a power-off glide to a safe landing. Any excess altitude gives us the option of stopping the propeller. This is done by slowing to stall speed and using the starter to place the prop horizontal. The increase in glide performance will vary aircraft type to aircraft type. A stopped propeller can improve the L/D ratio to as much as 12:1. The time and distance gained may make the critical difference.

Emergency IFR
Over 50% of such accidents have fatalities. Usually caused by uncontrolled flight into terrain. The pilot fails to understand what the instruments are telling him. Unusual attitude recovery practice is a part of the training program and part of the Practical Flight Test. 40% of the flights had received no weather briefing. 35% occur at night. 25% of the pilots have instrument ratings but may not be current. Overconfidence and lack of regard are influencing the judgment and decisions made by these pilots for what a difference weather conditions can make.

The same number of non-instrument rated pilots get killed every year because we have made little progress in keeping them out of instrument conditions. The problem is not the weather or accuracy in reporting the weather. The problem is the pilot and how he functions in the pilot. Non-rated pilots just do not seem to realize the risks involved in marginal conditions. The wrong personality arises (anti-authority, impulsive, invulnerable, macho, resignation) before, during, and after the situation. Each personality leads the pilot further into the abyss. The pilot who has not experienced lack of control does not recognize the problem until the accident.

No one plans to have an accident. The non-rated pilot's chances of survival in IFR conditions are little and none. There are two types of entries for VFR into IFR. The first is disorientation followed by loss of control. This problem can be solved only by total avoidance. Just say, "No". The second type is VFR flight into lowering visibility conditions. Here, again, we need to recognize that less than VFR conditions are in the weather picture and say, "No". We often decide not to drive under adverse conditions. Likewise, with flying.

Never enter IFR from VFR.
1. Maintain control. This will be easier if you are skilled at trimming and controlling your aircraft with a light touch.
2. Make a standard rate 180 to reverse your direction. Stay light on the controls.
3. Place your total reliance on the instruments. Ignore outside sensory input from your eyes, ears, or body. Be gentle on the controls.
4. Use the Attitude Indicator for pitch and bank. Be gentle.

Communicate
If the radio is not already on an active frequency go to 121.5. Put the transponder to 7700 since this will activate alarms at any radar facility within range. It is important that every phrase of an emergency radio call be said three times. Mayday (An English version of the French for 'help me') is repeated thrice, then the full aircraft identification thrice. Your position, problem, intentions are then repeated. Talk smoothly and clearly. The emergency use of a cell phone has never been questioned even in an aircraft. Use it if you must.

Pre-Crash
The ideal ground contact speed in a calm wind of a C-150 at full stall is about 35 kts. The combined average wind and stall speed would reduce ground contact speed to about 23 kts. This is close to or even less than the average crash speed of automobiles in the U. S. The structure of an airplane, except for the cabin, is built for lightness. It will crumple on impact and absorb shock. Small increases in speed become large increase in impact energy.

Any ground contact in close to a normal configuration and attitude will be survivable. Fly to the ground, don't stall it in. Half of engine failure accidents have stalled into the ground. Only 1 out of six crashes results in any injury or death. Prior to ground impact shut off fuel, open doors, tighten belts, and turn off electrical. Stay with the aircraft. Use caution to confirm activation of ELT by using aircraft radio. 121.5 Electrical sparks could ignite fuel fumes.

C. R. M. During Emergencies
1. The PIC decides who attends to JUST flying
Line up the options,
Set priorities
Communicate the what and why of your plan.
2. The PIC decides who monitors source of emergency
Few aircraft emergencies require immediate reaction.
Monitor the situation before taking considered action.
..... 3. The PIC decides what to ignore
Doing nothing is better than doing the wrong thing quickly.
4. Conflicting opinions are resolved by outside source.
Contact ATC
.... Consider all available sources of information
Make assumptions but be sure to confirm any facts you can.
5. All doubts are expressed to those involved.

Getting Help (A story)
At the time of our being surrounded by thunderstorms we were at 8500 heading West over Southern Missouri.. Virburnnium airport was given as four miles west of our position. I executed an emergency spiral descent and landed without difficulty on the paved but unnumbered runway. A gentleman gave us a ride into town and the only pay phone there. I called FSS and was advised to head to Springfield without delay if I expected to beat an approaching front.

Our new friend took us back to the airport and we took off immediately with only a cursory runup. No sooner was I airborne than I realized that the compass was cocked over and out of fluid. Our rapid descent had causes a bubble to expand and force out the fluid. We had no way to set the heading indicator either by runway or compass. lThe runway had no numbers. I had no idea of which way to head for Springfield. What to do?

I have always made it a practice to record ATC frequencies in order of use along the course line of my sectionals. So I immediately contacted Center and told them of my problem. Asked them to track my line of flight so I could set my heading indicator and then they could give me a vector to Springfield. We arrived at Springfield with no problem but, being Sunday, everything was closed. No services at all.

I scrounged around a dump pile and found a can of brake fluid with a couple of ounces remaining. I removed and opened up the compass and filled it with brake fluid. We left early next morning and flew to California with no problem.

I realized that given the light winds, I could have made a tentative heading setting by tracking to a VOR. Pulling a heading off the OBS and using it to set the heading indicator. Doing that would have required climbing up to the cloud bases for adequate reception. My wife would not have considered such a procedure a viable option.

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