Reply for InterpreDemon:
"...especially since there is a scarcity of facts available to us at the moment..."
Say again ?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?! I must have vertigo. The only lucid responses I can think of will get this thread locked for sure. With over 850 views and counting in just 3 days; Locking this thread will not benefit anyone. My comments are my opinions based upon my conclusions from the information available to us all:
http://www.wowt.com/home/headlines/361447331.htmlhttp://www.ketv.com/news/plane-crash/36898568No one can please everyone all of the time. I encourage anyone with an opinion to join the discourse.
"...the cause of the "AHRS mismatch" he reported..."
Cause ? Who cares ? Fly the airplane. That question will be answered on the ground in the avionics shop. Either the AHRS is working or it's flagged inop. with "ATTITUDE FAIL" and a pair of big RED "X"s over the Ai and HDG window. All that matters is how the anomaly is handled and that comes with education, training, experience and proficiency
in advance of the incident.
" It would be a shame if all the arm chair captains here learned the poor guy had a heart attack..."
Does the aviation world come to a stop every time an incident raises questions in need of answers that will come eventually ? Do pilots ever learn anything useful from the known facts concerning recent incidents currently under investigation ? I should hope so. Unfortunately, statistics suggest not enough pilots are making the effort.
"He was piloting a slippery, high performance aircraft..."
That's scary.
Any aircraft can be described as "slippery". It all comes down to the
weakest link in the incident chain. In this case it was:................tune in next year for the NTSB report. Until then, we are all just speculating.
"...very reliant upon electronics for situational awareness..."
That only happens when first graders learn basic arithmetic with a calculator.
"I have seen installations where they are down by the PIC's left knee..."
Is that next to or below the knee ? I would like to see that. Please post a pic. Perhaps you can find one among these:
https://www.google.com/search?q=meridian+panel+pics&espv=2&biw=1024&bih=655&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj56d-Zn9zJAhUGQiYKHUTFBq8Q_AUIBigB#tbm=isch&q=piper+meridian+panel+pics "...to have a glitch in that system during the takeoff phase would be at the very least disconcerting to perhaps all but seasoned test pilots..."
"... not to mention recalling anything you ever read in the AIM by chapter and verse, every acronym your instructors pounded into your head and making sure you comply with all aspects of the FARs."
Don't forget the Practical Test Standards.
Is there
any valid reason why
any responsible instrument rated pilot should not or would not be proficient at
partial panel skills starting with the WET compass ? Again, the Wx during this incident was VMC.
This excerpt is from:
§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§
FAA-S-8081-4E
Instrument Rating
Practical Test Standards
for
Airplane, Helicopter, and Powered Lift
Emphasis on Attitude Instrument Flying and Emergency Instrument ProceduresThe FAA is concerned about numerous fatal aircraft accidents involving spatial disorientation of instrument-rated pilots who have attempted to control and maneuver their aircraft in clouds with inoperative primary flight instruments (gyroscopic heading and/or attitude indicators) or loss of the primary electronic flight instruments display.
The FAA has stressed that it is imperative for instrument pilots to acquire and maintain adequate instrument skills and that they be capable of performing instrument flight with the use of the backup systems installed in the aircraft.
Areas of Operation:
VII. Emergency Operations.Task D: Approach with Loss of Primary Flight Instrument IndicatorsReferences: 14 CFR part 61; FAA-H-8083-15; IAP.
Note: This approach shall count as one of the required nonprecision approaches.
Objective: To determine that the applicant:1. Exhibits adequate knowledge of the elements relating to recognizing if primary flight instruments are inaccurate or inoperative, and advise ATC or the examiner.
2. Advises ATC or examiner anytime that the aircraft is unable to comply with a clearance.
3. Demonstrates a nonprecision instrument approach
without the use of the primary flight instrument using the objectives of the nonprecision approach Task (Area of Op. VI,Task A).
4. Demonstrates an appropriate level of single-pilot resource management skills.§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§
All of that competence described above must be demonstrated WITH a view limiting device. The weather in this incident was VMC. The only instrument this guy would need is the WET compass and
it ain't wired to nothing.
Demonstrating WET compass proficiency is a required task in the Private Pilot PTS. I require my students to demonstrate proficiency before their first solo. There is absolutely,
positively
NO EXCUSE (Heart attack; Not withstanding, TBD) for any pilot NOT to maintain proficiency to the standard of the practical test after passing a checkride. Furthermore, there is no implied invitation to set personal minimums outside of the scope of the practical test. (WET compass is an idiom for
magnetic compass and it is now known as
magnetic direction indicator in the PTS.)
"...with traffic around and trying to keep your eyes on the outside world while thinking of and planning your options and actions..."
FAR 91.103 Preflight action.
>>> Each pilot in command shall,
before beginning a flight, become familiar with all available information concerning that flight. <<<
Planning for a
takeoff alternate is generally considered to be
included in the intent of that reg.
"...the only thing we know for sure at this point is..."
You are speaking for yourself and are certainly entitled to do so.
"...that he paid the bill in full where the rest of us have not even received an invoice...yet."
Now
that is a beautiful metaphor. You really did teach me something new today:
I suppose the "invoice" is presented every time we turn the key (literally and figuratively).
We can "pay(sic) the bill" in one of two ways: with education, training, experience and proficiency
OR with our life and our passenger's and anyone else on the ground who unfortunately, gets in the way:
http://www.nbcconnecticut.com/news/local/Funeral-Set-for-Sisters-Killed-in-Plane-Crash-219291611.htmlHere is one for you,
A runway has 2 thresholds.
Q: How do you measure the
distance between them ?
A: In units of feet, yards, meters, etc.
Q: How do you measure the
distance between a
challenge and a
formality ?
A: In units of _____________________
Feet, yards, meters, etc. do not apply.
HINT: YOU already said it twice in your post.