Accidents resulting from medical issues

In recent discussions on accidents, there seems to be an assumption that a common cause is older pilots losing control - perhaps forgetting after fifty years how to do a coordinated turn. I have long suspected that many accidents may have a medical component resulting from the pilot becoming partially or totally incapacitated. Underlying medical issues may not be easy to find in a post mortem where a pilot was still alive on hitting the ground - the resulting trauma might easily conceal underlying issues.

I experienced such an issue a year ago on the third day of the TUSC OLC cross-country event. While doing a low save over rather unfriendly terrain, I suddenly experienced sharp pain and cramps in my left leg that left it almost completely disabled. Fortunately, I was able to return home doing mostly right turns and landed safely. This was caused by a deep-vein thrombosis (blood clot) in the major vein near my left knee.

Such clots are popularly called “coach class syndrome� and are often triggered by positional immobility. You can’t get much more immobile than in a racing glider cockpit! Contributing factors were dehydration, low blood oxygen and an inherited genetic condition that predisposes blood clotting. (This is shared by about 5% of people of European descent). Now properly diagnosed and treated, I am cleared to fly again, but in addition to anti%coagulant medication I take extra precautiions by keeping well hydrated, using oxygen at lower altitudes and limiting the length of my flights.

If the clot had broken and penetrated my lungs (not uncommon) the resulting pulmonary embolism could have been fatal or at least severely disabling. I could easily have ended up as one of the recent accident statistics with more questions than answers.

This is but one example of medical conditions that can overtake anyone, but especially older individuals, and that might lead to loss of control while flying. There are quite a few others too!

Mike

One of the bestg known examples, taken from Wikipedia:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dick_J...r_pilot)#Death

"Dick Johnson died July 23, 2008, at age 85. He was flying a Ventus A glider from a Midlothian, Texas airport[4] when it crashed about 2.25 miles (3.5 km) from the airport after flying for some time. The Medical Examiner of Dallas County determined that Johnson died from the injuries he received in the crash. The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable accident cause to be an incapacitating cardiac event, as Johnson had severe coronary artery disease with symptoms and had been prescribed medication for it."

On Tuesday, September 11, 2018 at 3:16:05 AM UTC-4, Mike the Strike wrote:
In recent discussions on accidents, there seems to be an assumption that a common cause is older pilots losing control - perhaps forgetting after fifty years how to do a coordinated turn. I have long suspected that many accidents may have a medical component resulting from the pilot becoming partially or totally incapacitated. Underlying medical issues may not be easy to find in a post mortem where a pilot was still alive on hitting the ground - the resulting trauma might easily conceal underlying issues.

I experienced such an issue a year ago on the third day of the TUSC OLC cross-country event. While doing a low save over rather unfriendly terrain, I suddenly experienced sharp pain and cramps in my left leg that left it almost completely disabled. Fortunately, I was able to return home doing mostly right turns and landed safely. This was caused by a deep-vein thrombosis (blood clot) in the major vein near my left knee.

Such clots are popularly called “coach class syndrome� and are often triggered by positional immobility. You can’t get much more immobile than in a racing glider cockpit! Contributing factors were dehydration, low blood oxygen and an inherited genetic condition that predisposes blood clotting. (This is shared by about 5% of people of European descent). Now properly diagnosed and treated, I am cleared to fly again, but in addition to anti%coagulant medication I take extra precautiions by keeping well hydrated, using oxygen at lower altitudes and limiting the length of my flights.

If the clot had broken and penetrated my lungs (not uncommon) the resulting pulmonary embolism could have been fatal or at least severely disabling. I could easily have ended up as one of the recent accident statistics with more questions than answers.

This is but one example of medical conditions that can overtake anyone, but especially older individuals, and that might lead to loss of control while flying. There are quite a few others too!

Mike

The answer to this issue is self awareness, self responsibility, and self grounding. Or acceptance of the possible outcomes.

Tough to be aware of an underlying condition that is undiscovered, symptomless and undiagnosed - perhaps just like the majority of medical issues that catch you unawares.

Maybe we should all self-ground as we age, but at what age - 65?, 70?, 80?

Mike

What!? You must be young. Kid, it’s like this.....
The choices I’ll have will be sitting in a wheelchair next to the pool after a stroke watching my lovely wife straps on lead weights while singing Amazing Grace, OR
.....auger in.
I say fly your ass off.....let terra firma be your tantou, seppuku your glory...�HAI�!
R

The problem is that incapacitating events are only loosely correlated with

age. Heart attacks can strike apparently fit 30 year olds (one of my
brothers in law is a case in point; ex Royal Marine, age 38, passed a
public
transport driving medical less than a month before dropping dead of a
previously undetected heart problem. The actual number of medical
induced glider accidents is so low that we will never get any statistical
evidence to give a science-based numerical age limit.

My observation is that most ageing pilots do give up gliding when they
decide their reflexes/eyesight or some other reason make them query their
ability to continue. That's typically somewhere between 65 and 80, with
exceptions either side. Personally, I've only been gliding for 58 years
and
still have more to do - until I decide to stop.



At 13:24 11 September 2018, Mike the Strike wrote:
Tough to be aware of an underlying condition that is undiscovered,
symptomless and undiagnosed - perhaps just like the majority of medical
issues that catch you unawares.

Maybe we should all self-ground as we age, but at what age - 65?, 70?,
80?

Mike

On Tuesday, September 11, 2018 at 7:15:10 AM UTC-7, pete purdie wrote:
The problem is that incapacitating events are only loosely correlated with
age.


My friend started asking me to be a safety pilot in his Mooney when he reached his mid 80s. After one flight, he said he would be away the following week. "I'm going skiing" he explained.

On Tuesday, September 11, 2018 at 7:33:04 AM UTC-7, wrote:
On Tuesday, September 11, 2018 at 7:15:10 AM UTC-7, pete purdie wrote:
The problem is that incapacitating events are only loosely correlated with
age.


My friend started asking me to be a safety pilot in his Mooney when he reached his mid 80s. After one flight, he said he would be away the following week. "I'm going skiing" he explained.

I flew for almost 40 years and always had said I would retire at 70, I did!! I do miss it but don't regret it.

Gary Kemp "NK"

After surviving the early (1970's) years of hang gliding, and continuing for a total of nearly thirty years and around 2,500-3,000 hours of flexible wing soaring flight, getting into sailplanes seemed like a major relief. It is incredibly easy to fly a relatively modern sailplane compared to a hang glider in Southwestern US thermal conditions. This is primarily because of the effortless three-axis control through the stick and rudder and the fact that landings are usually done on wheels. (I say "usually" because I doinked it last year.)

Compared to sailplanes, hang gliders have a very narrow operating envelope when it comes to wind speeds on launch and landing. Turbulent conditions and the instability of the air are also more demanding. A moderately rough day in a sailplane might make you hold the joystick with three fingers instead of two and, once in a while, you might lose track of your drinking tube. The same day in a hang glider will probably require every ounce of your strength to keep yourself centered in a nasty thermal core. I appreciate the fact that launch and landing speeds in a sailplane are higher and therefore more potentially dangerous, but the amount of control and the tripled or quadrupled glide ratio allows more range when selecting potential outlanding sites.

I transitioned to sailplanes, reluctantly giving up hang gliding. I still miss it terribly, as the experiences I treasure are rarely matched by flying sailplanes. Don't get me wrong- I enjoy sailplanes tremendously, but compared to the violent, visceral, physically challenging (and risky) experiences hang gliding served up, sailplanes are well, kinda ho-hum . Unfortunately, I just don't "bounce" like I used to. I hope to get another 20+ years of flying sailplanes (I am 65), but I will quit when I either tell myself I can't maintain competency or some good friend honestly informs me it is time to hang it up.

Just what MM said I agree totally! Best thrill I ever had in hang gliding just not sure I can handle it now!