CFI-to-CFI Newsletter - Volume 6, Issue 1 - 29
Safety Spotlight
INVESTIGATORS SURMISED THAT HIS JUNIOR POSITION AT THE SCHOOL
AND LACK OF FAMILIARITY WITH THE SPONSOR'S PROGRAM LED THE
CFI TO DEFER TO THE EVALUATOR'S VASTLY DEEPER EXPERTISE.
the ridges and valleys northeast of Phoenix at just 1,000 agl-to his unease and
the "consternation" of a senior flight instructor who was told of the assignment.
The program's standard practice required the students and their evaluators to
review the flight planning before departing on check flights, but the school's CFIs
weren't required to be present and scheduling conflicts often prevented them from
attending. In this case, the CFI actually on the flight wouldn't have been there
anyway, as he was a last-minute substitute. After the evaluator arrived more than an
hour late, the instructor originally scheduled had asked him to fill in so she wouldn't
miss a lesson with another student. Though he normally taught in one of the school's
other curricula, he agreed. Neither he nor the student had flown that route before.
The student's flight plan was recovered from his laptop. Radar track data showed
the flight following it past his fourth charted waypoint, maintaining 500 to 1,500
feet above the ground as it tracked a river valley through rising terrain. It then
turned northeast into the canyon whose walls climbed above the Archer's 5,700foot cruising altitude. The last radar return was registered at 5,800 feet-the same
elevation as the accident site four miles further ahead and a full
1,000 feet below the canyon rim. At the calculated density altitude
of 8,221 msl, the Archer's best possible rate of climb would have
been 375 feet per minute-never mind any downdrafts created by
northeast winds gusting to 17 knots across the craggy landscape.
The instructor's willingness to allow the student to continue up the
canyon is perplexing. Investigators surmised that his junior position
at the school and lack of familiarity with the sponsor's program
led the CFI to defer to the evaluator's vastly deeper expertise. It's
a painful reminder that there's no such thing as being a "nominal"
pilot in command. Either you take final responsibility for the safe
conduct of the flight, or you don't. Either way, someone has to.
David Jack Kenny is the Air Safety Institute's statistician. He is a
fixed-wing ATP with commercial pilot privileges for helicopters and
the owner of a Piper Arrow.
CFI-to-CFI Newsletter - Volume 6, Issue 1
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of CFI-to-CFI Newsletter - Volume 6, Issue 1
CFI-to-CFI Newsletter - Vol. 6, Issue 1
My Toughest Student
Safety Seminar: After the Crash: Surviving an Aircraft Accident
Safety Seminar: AOPA Air Safety Institute Rekindles Spirit of Fun, Learning, & Flying
CFI News
CFI Tips: The Eastman Technique
ASI Message: True Confessions
Accident Case Study: Emergency Management
Safety Spotlight: Blurred Lines
ASI Online: Could You Handle a Survival Situation
Safety Quiz: What You Can't See, Can Hurt You
CFI Tools: Get Ready to Taxi
Chief's Corner: Safe Strategies to Live By
Pilot Safety Announcement: Living on the Edge
CFI-to-CFI Newsletter - Volume 6, Issue 1 - CFI-to-CFI Newsletter - Vol. 6, Issue 1
CFI-to-CFI Newsletter - Volume 6, Issue 1 - 2
CFI-to-CFI Newsletter - Volume 6, Issue 1 - My Toughest Student
CFI-to-CFI Newsletter - Volume 6, Issue 1 - 4
CFI-to-CFI Newsletter - Volume 6, Issue 1 - 5
CFI-to-CFI Newsletter - Volume 6, Issue 1 - 6
CFI-to-CFI Newsletter - Volume 6, Issue 1 - 7
CFI-to-CFI Newsletter - Volume 6, Issue 1 - 8
CFI-to-CFI Newsletter - Volume 6, Issue 1 - 9
CFI-to-CFI Newsletter - Volume 6, Issue 1 - 10
CFI-to-CFI Newsletter - Volume 6, Issue 1 - Safety Seminar: After the Crash: Surviving an Aircraft Accident
CFI-to-CFI Newsletter - Volume 6, Issue 1 - Safety Seminar: AOPA Air Safety Institute Rekindles Spirit of Fun, Learning, & Flying
CFI-to-CFI Newsletter - Volume 6, Issue 1 - CFI News
CFI-to-CFI Newsletter - Volume 6, Issue 1 - 14
CFI-to-CFI Newsletter - Volume 6, Issue 1 - CFI Tips: The Eastman Technique
CFI-to-CFI Newsletter - Volume 6, Issue 1 - 16
CFI-to-CFI Newsletter - Volume 6, Issue 1 - 17
CFI-to-CFI Newsletter - Volume 6, Issue 1 - 18
CFI-to-CFI Newsletter - Volume 6, Issue 1 - 19
CFI-to-CFI Newsletter - Volume 6, Issue 1 - 20
CFI-to-CFI Newsletter - Volume 6, Issue 1 - ASI Message: True Confessions
CFI-to-CFI Newsletter - Volume 6, Issue 1 - 22
CFI-to-CFI Newsletter - Volume 6, Issue 1 - Accident Case Study: Emergency Management
CFI-to-CFI Newsletter - Volume 6, Issue 1 - 24
CFI-to-CFI Newsletter - Volume 6, Issue 1 - 25
CFI-to-CFI Newsletter - Volume 6, Issue 1 - Safety Spotlight: Blurred Lines
CFI-to-CFI Newsletter - Volume 6, Issue 1 - 27
CFI-to-CFI Newsletter - Volume 6, Issue 1 - 28
CFI-to-CFI Newsletter - Volume 6, Issue 1 - 29
CFI-to-CFI Newsletter - Volume 6, Issue 1 - ASI Online: Could You Handle a Survival Situation
CFI-to-CFI Newsletter - Volume 6, Issue 1 - 31
CFI-to-CFI Newsletter - Volume 6, Issue 1 - Safety Quiz: What You Can't See, Can Hurt You
CFI-to-CFI Newsletter - Volume 6, Issue 1 - CFI Tools: Get Ready to Taxi
CFI-to-CFI Newsletter - Volume 6, Issue 1 - Chief's Corner: Safe Strategies to Live By
CFI-to-CFI Newsletter - Volume 6, Issue 1 - 35
CFI-to-CFI Newsletter - Volume 6, Issue 1 - 36
CFI-to-CFI Newsletter - Volume 6, Issue 1 - 37
CFI-to-CFI Newsletter - Volume 6, Issue 1 - 38
CFI-to-CFI Newsletter - Volume 6, Issue 1 - Pilot Safety Announcement: Living on the Edge
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/cfi_vol14issue4
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/cfi_vol14issue3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/cfi_vol14issue2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/cfi_vol14issue1
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/cfi_vol13issue4
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/cfi_vol13issue3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/cfi_vol13issue2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/cfi_vol13issue1
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/cfi_vol12issue4
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/cfi_vol12issue3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/cfi_vol12issue2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/cfi_vol12issue1
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/cfi_vol11issue4
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/cfi_vol11issue3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/cfi_vol11issue2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/cfi_vol11issue1
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/cfi_vol10issue4
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/cfi_vol10issue3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/cfi_vol10issue2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/cfi_vol10issue1
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/flashcards_2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/cfi_vol9issue4
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/cfi_vol9issue3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/cfi_vol9issue2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/cfi_vol9issue1
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/cfi_vol8issue4
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/cfi_vol8issue3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/cfi_vol8issue2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/cfi_vol8issue1
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/cfi_vol7issue4
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/cfi_vol7issue3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/cfi_vol7issue2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/cfi_vol7issue1
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/cfi_vol6issue4
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/cfi_vol6issue3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/cfi_vol6issue2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/cfi_vol6issue1
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/cfi_vol5issue4
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/cfi_vol5issue3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/cfi_vol5issue2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/cfi_vol5issue1
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/cfi_vol4issue4
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/cfi_vol4issue3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/flashcards_201310
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/cfi_vol4issue2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/cfi_vol4issue1
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/cfi_vol3issue3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/cfi_vol3issue2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/cfi_vol3issue1
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/cfi_vol2issue4
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/cfi_vol2issue3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/cfi_vol2issue2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/cfi_vol2issue1
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/cfi_201011
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/cfi_201009
https://www.nxtbookmedia.com