On Sat, 18 Feb 2006 13:56:11 GMT, Jose wrote:

There is no excuse for most pilot error. But there are reasons.

I'd have to disagree with the first sentence. Making a decision based on
facts known at the time of launch can substantially change after the wheels
go up.

An example of one of my errors was before I got my IFR ticket, I decided to
launch on a forecast of broken 4000 foot ceilings and tops at 6000.
Forecast was to improve by the time I got to my destination. I did flight
following at 8000 so I could be VFR over the top and be in the clear smooth
air. You can guess what happened. Forecast was a bust.

Did I make an error on launch. Hardly. VFR conditions predicted. By the
time I got to the destination, field was IFR with 800 foot ceilings. End
result, no biggie, 'fess up to center, went to another field that had VFR.

Does the above make me a bad pilot for getting caught VFR on top. I made a
launch decision based on the best information at hand. If you make a
judgment on the surface, one would think how could a pilot get stuck on
top. Things happen. To make a blanket statement there is no excuse for
most pilot errors is wrong.

I have made many errors in my short piloting days (536 hours).

The trick is to learn from those errors, not repeat them. We are human.
While the margin for error is narrower when flying the plane, there is some
room for error, albeit very little wiggle room, but there is. An example
of this is landing above the stall speed. Procedurally speaking, you want
the plane to stop flying when you land. Would you call it an error on the
pilot to land at 10 knots above stall speed? Not likely, as that is the
margin of error I am talking about.

I am my own worst critic on my flying. Oversight on preflight is
inexcusable, but any distraction can detract from the quality of a
preflight. One night flight, somebody came up to me and was talking to me,
I got distracted, and forgot the untie the tail tie down. I did check the
control surfaces. Found out real quick after startup needless to say. I
felt like kicking myself for such stupidity. Does this make me a bad pilot
for inadvertently forgetting to untie the plane? I do my preflight like
it's the first time I ever flew the plane, and I own my plane. Errors
happen and can be excusable since we are human.

I had an engine failure once, and declared an emergency. I forgot to open
the door on landing. Does this make me a bad pilot. Procedure says to use
the emergency checklist. Well, guess what, my first priority was to fly
the plane. I didn't have time to pull out a checklist. Does this make me
a bad pilot because I didn't use the checklist or I didn't open the cabin
door on landing?

Lets talk about fuel exhaustion. How can a pilot run out of gas? Yes,
it's inexcusable to launch on a four hour leg with 3 hours of fuel. But,
what's to say the pilot launches with 4 hours of fuel for three hour
flight. Gasket leaks, slowly depleting your fuel. Head winds were higher
then expected. Fan stops, and now the pilot makes an off airport landing.
Media comes out, oh my, pilot ran out of gas. First thought, and last
impression is pilot was stupid for running out of gas. Guarantee you, the
outcome of the gasket leak won't come out in the media one year later after
the NTSB comes out with the final ruling. All we will remember is that the
pilot ran out of gas.

I think the point I am trying to make is to err is human. First
impressions are last impressions

To err is excusable depending on circumstances.

Please note, I am talking about normal everyday errors that pilots make,
not stupid ones like reckless acts of operating an airplane.

Allen