The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) Air Safety Institute (ASI) has released another episode in its Accident Case Study video series.
The latest video, which can be seen below, details the plight of a Cirrus SR20 landing at William P. Hobby Airport in Houston. A series of miscommunications in the traffic pattern, three go-arounds, and ultimately a departure from controlled flight resulted in a fatal crash in the vicinity of the airport.
“These studies are an opportunity for pilots to gain valuable insight into the full extent of the situation to help understand the different options and different outcomes,” said Air Safety Institute Executive Director Richard McSpadden. “They get the experience…without the risk of being in harms’ way.”
Each Accident Case Study video uses actual radio communications recordings and on-scene videos, combined with animation developed by technical experts, to explain the dynamics of the situation and track the accident chain of events, ASI officials note.
In the video, Air Safety Institute experts analyze the circumstances of the crash, and discuss how to recognize and avoid the mistakes that led up to this tragic accident.
I’m just a beginner student pilot, but with 46 years of life experience, it’s clear that this unfortunate woman is being dicked around by ATC. Shame on them. Nasty jerks with blood on their hands.
I flew IFR from PWK into RFD last Sunday. The clouds were overcast up to around 3000 with the bases under 1,000 AGL. I was flying a G1000 172 and I was already on a procedure turn for the ILS 07 when ATC told me they were going to try to squeeze an MD80 in front of me. Fortunately, they changed their minds quickly as I was finishing the turn. They vectored the regional guy around me and gave me the number 1 position. He landed very shortly after I did and all was well. That was the right decision, imo.
Now, they did try to clear me to a CNF fix, initially, which I believe is never supposed to be used for ATC comms. That’s another story…
What was the identity of the ATC?
Houston Hobby, according to the report.
From a former controller, former A.T.C. supervisor, former airline captain, current CFI: This is one of the most unprofessional and confusing set of instructions I have ever heard. The controller was clearly unable to proficiently sequence a GA plane into the flow of Air Carriers. So, why not use one of the 13s for GA arrivals and the other 13 for airliners?
The controller caused “burn-out” in the cockpit.
I do recognize the pilots failure to keep up and be more proficient in dealing with bad ATC.
Exactly my thoughts also. The wind was coming from the SE and quite strong, it would have been sensible to position her for 13 which would have made for a better outcome.
Terrible outcome for all concerned.
Pilots need to understand an aircraft will not stall if the elevator is released. It will merely descend rapidly building up indicated-airspeed.
The only way an aircraft can pitch to the critical angle-of-attack is by holding the elevator control aft. Pilots cause all stall.
Robert I can’t agree more. All Instructors need to be educating their students about the fact that at Zero Gs the stall speed is Zero.
Robert you’re right about this except for one thing. The aircraft will not “descend rapidly building up indicated airspeed”. Release the back pressure on the controls and the nose will drop and the airplane will re-establish it’s trimmed airspeed. You are correct that the pilot stalls the wing, it won’t stall itself.
Unless you are in the midst of a go around in an aircraft requiring full nose up trim for landing and pushing forward to keep from stalling until more airspeed is regained and full flaps are retracted to at least takeoff flaps. All this , while trying to run nose down trim (manually) to keep from pushing on the yoke in an attempt to regain more airspeed.
Releasing the yoke prevents a stall? Depends.
If you ever fly a 185 make sure the instructor does a go around with CG on the aft end of the envelope from full flaps at sea level so the engine can develop a full 30” of MAP. You’ll immediately realize that relaxing forward pressure is the last thing you want to do. Trimmed airspeed, flap position and CG has a lot to do with whether you pull, push or relax yolk pressure.
sending her on the first go-around was out of order, as she was being overtaken by the 737, which gives her the right of way, unfortunately this happens too often to light airplane pilots…and this is where all the problems began…
Am I correct in assuming that Gen Av. vis-a-vis Commercial Carriers is perceived as chopper liver?