Density altitude strikes again

A brand-new video showing a small airplane crash from inside the aircraft:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yDu0jYiz-v8

The video claims that a combination of density altitude and an "air pocket"
brought the aircraft down into the trees, but all I see are effects of density
altitude and what looks like the beginning of a stall.

Everyone survived. The passengers walked away from the totaled aircraft, the
pilot was badly injured but will recover fully, and the cameras were
completely unaffected.

It's interesting that the FAA produced a corny but informative video on
density altitude half a century ago, and it's still pertinent today:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZCb6nw_T4U

It almost looks as if the movie were made in the same area as the crash.

NTSB report (preliminary): WPR12LA283

June 30, 2012
N773C Stinson 108
Bruce Meadows Airport, Stanley Idado
Airport elevation 6370 feet
Temperature 27° C
1 crew, 3 passengers

Mxsmanic wrote:

NTSB report (preliminary): WPR12LA283

June 30, 2012
N773C Stinson 108
Bruce Meadows Airport, Stanley Idado
Airport elevation 6370 feet
Temperature 27° C
1 crew, 3 passengers

This accident received huge mainstream media coverage featuring in-cockpit
video recordings. Here's one of them:
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=835_1344412426

Yes, looks like a classic high DA accident. Airplane was never able to
climb to a decent altitude.

Mike

Mike Adams writes:

This accident received huge mainstream media coverage featuring in-cockpit
video recordings. Here's one of them:
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=835_1344412426

If it bleeds, it leads.

"Mike Adams" wrote in message
.. .
Mxsmanic wrote:

NTSB report (preliminary): WPR12LA283

June 30, 2012
N773C Stinson 108
Bruce Meadows Airport, Stanley Idado
Airport elevation 6370 feet
Temperature 27° C
1 crew, 3 passengers

This accident received huge mainstream media coverage featuring in-cockpit
video recordings. Here's one of them:
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=835_1344412426

Yes, looks like a classic high DA accident. Airplane was never able to
climb to a decent altitude.

Mike

If DA stands for Dumb Ass it meets all of the conditions of such.g

On Saturday, August 11, 2012 9:50:05 PM UTC-4, Mxsmanic wrote:

If it bleeds, it leads.

In Saudi Arabia, women walk *behind* men.

.. . . . . . . . .

On Thursday, August 9, 2012 7:42:24 PM UTC-4, Mxsmanic wrote:
A brand-new video showing a small airplane crash from inside the aircraft:



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yDu0jYiz-v8



The video claims that a combination of density altitude and an "air pocket"

brought the aircraft down into the trees, but all I see are effects of density

altitude and what looks like the beginning of a stall.



Everyone survived. The passengers walked away from the totaled aircraft, the

pilot was badly injured but will recover fully, and the cameras were

completely unaffected.



It's interesting that the FAA produced a corny but informative video on

density altitude half a century ago, and it's still pertinent today:



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZCb6nw_T4U



It almost looks as if the movie were made in the same area as the crash.

This clip is getting our attention (flight safety workgroup) as a human factors issue.
Obviously there was poor planning for the takeoff. Density altitude and gross weight were indeed factors.
What has piqued our interest isn't what's obvious but rather how this pilot ignored so many visual cues and performance cues during the takeoff run, all of which should have been telling him to abort.
He ignored these clues over the extended run over terrain where the takeoff could have been aborted at any time.
Finally airborne, the aircraft was barely able to maintain level flight at an angle of attack so close to max Cl that ANY attempt at bank would have increased the stall speed to the max Cl thus causing a stall in turn which would most likely have been fatal at ground contact.
If anything is to be learned from this accident as far as our workgroup specifically is concerned, it will involve the human factors in play during the actual takeoff run.
It's interesting work.
Dudley Henriques

On 2012-08-15, Dudley Henriques wrote:
What has piqued our interest isn't what's obvious but rather how this
pilot ignored so many visual cues and performance cues during the
takeoff run, all of which should have been telling him to abort.

Never underestimate the power of denial.

On 8/14/2012 11:04 PM, Dudley Henriques wrote:


This clip is getting our attention (flight safety workgroup) as a human factors issue.

Dudley, I assume (perhaps wrongly) that was a commercial flight. That
pilot may have made that same slow takeoff in that same loaded plane
hundreds of times. So naturally he "knew" the plane would make it.
....Only today was the day that a clinker was caught in an exhaust valve
so he was missing 50 RPM, or today was the day that a bit of rare wind
sheer gave him an unexpected tailwind on his upwind leg.

I once took off in a "not so strong" 152 after having carelessly left
the mag switch not quite all the way into the "both" detent. The
difference was only 50 rpm, so I missed that cue. By the time I figured
out that this takeoff was marginal, I was committed. I did a circuit
without ever making it to pattern height.

The lesson learned was golden, but I still kick myself in the ass.

Vaughn

Dudley Henriques writes:

What has piqued our interest isn't what's obvious but rather
how this pilot ignored so many visual cues and performance cues
during the takeoff run, all of which should have been telling him
to abort. He ignored these clues over the extended run over
terrain where the takeoff could have been aborted at any time.

One wonders if he would have behaved the same way if he were alone in the
aircraft. And one wonders how much experience with high-altitude takesoffs and
landings he had. Perhaps he didn't want to disappoint his passengers (one of
whom was his son). Some people give people priority over safety and remain
popular (until they crash), others give safety priority over people and become
unpopular (although they live to a ripe old age).