Insurance Discount May Pay for Your BPPP Training - American ...

Safety Pilot
By Thomas Turner
You are the Lead
From the NTSB:
Eight airplanes were flying in formation. Their pilots regularly flew formations
together. Three airplanes were in each of the first two elements, and two airplanes
were in the third element. The first element descended to an estimated 500 to 1000
feet above ground level and proceeded up a canyon. The lead descended into the
canyon and the other airplanes followed about 500 feet behind. The pilot of the
number three airplane estimated he was about 200 feet above the leader’s altitude
and number two airplane was between them. As the airplanes proceeded toward
the end of the canyon, the pilot of the number three airplane became concerned
about terrain clearance and decided to exit the formation. He initiated a hard pull up
to the left and began to climb. After completing about 15° of turn he saw the lead
airplane collide with trees and terrain. The number two airplane was a little to the
right of the lead when it collided with the terrain. Both airplanes came to rest within
75 feet of each other about 400 feet below the crest of the saddle at the end of
the canyon. Three aboard the lead airplane, a V35A, and three aboard the
number two airplane, an S35, perished.
NTSB Probable Cause:
• V35A (lead): The pilot’s inadequate in-flight planning and failure to maintain an
adequate terrain clearance altitude within the canyon.
• S35 (#2): The pilot’s inadequate in-flight planning and failure to maintain an
adequate terrain clearance altitude within the canyon.
Notice there’s no
difference in the
probable cause issued
in the two individual
NTSB reports (LAX02FA211 and
LAX02FA212). There’s an important
point that is often overlooked in
recreational formation flying circles:
There is no provision in the Federal
Air Regulations for abdicating
pilot-in-command responsibility
to anyone outside the aircraft,
including formation lead. Any pilot
approaching an unsafe condition,
including violations of airspace,
minimum safe altitudes, and
visibility and cloud clearance
requirements when not operating
on an IFR clearance, should
immediately execute the briefed
break-formation maneuver and
avoid the hazard. That’s what
the third pilot did.
Caution,
Formation Wake
Turbulence
An ABS member who flies
formation extensively in a Beech
Travel Air contacted me recently with
video taken from his wingman on
takeoff. The Bonanza had apparently
encountered strong wake turbulence
behind the Travel Air, requiring
“full control deflection” because the
Bonanza was “shoved off the runway
just after rotation.” The Bonanza
pilot had a similar encounter behind
the Travel Air on landing from the
same flight.
This was not the first time Bonanzas
following the Travel Air have reported
32 AMERICAN BONANZA SOCIETY JANUARY 2013