CFI-to-CFI Newsletter - Volume 13 Issue 2 - 26

CFI'S pOINT OF VIEW
student pilot departed from heard the airplane take off-about 5 minutes
later the wind came up and rattled his hangar door. As this man was leaving
his hangar, he estimated the wind to be 40 to 50 knots and he said it was
gusting violently. Another witness saw the accident from his truck and said
the wind was strong enough to rock his vehicle.
The windy weather that March day had been forecast, and according to
the NTSB Accident Report a contributing factor to the crash was poor
weather decision making. During the investigation of this accident, the CFI
admitted to the FAA FSDO inspector that he had a problem reading and
understanding aviation weather-coded text. As a result, his instructor's
certificate was suspended under the authority known as 44709 or simply a
" 709 Reexamination. " This is standard practice in accidents or incidents
that are caused by or attributed to the CFI's lack of qualifications or
questionable competence. In addition to the importance of a pilot making
a knowledgeable weather assessment, aeronautical decision making was
THE CFI ADMITTED TO THE FAA FSDO INSPECTOR THAT HE HAD A PROBLEM
READING AND UNDERSTANDING AVIATION WEATHER-CODED TEXT. AS A
RESULT, HIS INSTRUCTOR'S CERTIFICATE WAS SUSPENDED UNDER THE
AUTHORITY KNOWN AS 44709 OR SIMPLY A " 709 REEXAMINATION. "
a discussion review item. Training and evaluation in the inspector's office
reestablished the individual's privileges as an FAA certificated flight
instructor. However, due to the concussion, the student pilot was unable to
get an FAA medical certificate.
This story is not just a warning or a reminder for a pilot to always be
informed of and alert to weather conditions. It also is a reminder of the
responsibility of a flight instructor to provide adequate instruction and
real-world working knowledge for pilot-in-command duties. As stated in the
Aviation Instructors Handbook (FAA-H-8083-9) Chapter 8, the CFI
has a responsibility to instill and ensure aviation safety. Setting an example
for an instructor's student is fundamental to that goal. This story is an
example of weakness in a subject area that was dangerous to the solo student.
It also illustrates lack of instructor supervision of the student.
Specific to this accident, a weakness in reading and understanding weather
forecasts and reports is more common than it should be. Flight instructors,
student pilots, and all pilots have a great resource available to them in the
36-page FAA publication General Aviation Pilot's Guide to Preflight
Weather Planning, Weather Self-Briefings, and Weather Decision
Making. Professional flight instructors must be knowledgeable and pass
that knowledge on to other pilots-and if they do not, they are a dangerous
liability.
Regarding liability, this article did not consider how an accident attorney
might address liability in a crash such as this where a 709 reexamination is
ordered by the FAA. That is a topic for another day, yet it brings us back to the
headline on this article, " Caught in a Crosswind. "
Ed Helmick has been a flight instructor since 1988. He formerly managed a
flight school in Spanish Fork, Utah, as well as schools in Scottsdale, Arizona,
and Honolulu, Hawaii.

https://www.faa.gov/sites/faa.gov/files/regulations_policies/handbooks_manuals/aviation/aviation_instructors_handbook/10_aih_chapter_8.pdf https://www.faasafety.gov/files/gslac/courses/content/33/346/GA%20Weather%20Decision-Making%20Aug06.pdf https://www.faasafety.gov/files/gslac/courses/content/33/346/GA%20Weather%20Decision-Making%20Aug06.pdf https://www.faasafety.gov/files/gslac/courses/content/33/346/GA%20Weather%20Decision-Making%20Aug06.pdf

CFI-to-CFI Newsletter - Volume 13 Issue 2

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of CFI-to-CFI Newsletter - Volume 13 Issue 2