Flight Training - December 2019 - 26

PREFLIGHT ACCIDENT REPORT

BY DAN NAMOWITZ

ROUGH ROLLOUT AT RED CREEK
THIS PILOT DIDN'T HEED THE WARNINGS
YEARNING TO FLY IN THE BACK-

country? Eager to try out short-field
skills learned in training, or sample the
performance of an aircraft designed
just for that flight environment?
That's only half the battle when it
comes to taking on some of the remote,
challenging strips out there. Preparation that starts with airport-specific
research, which may be vague or out
of date, should also involve asking
yourself some hard questions about
whether your skills will stand up to
the absence of key facts.
Now let's say you weigh the
risks and pronounce the trip a go.

flip the aircraft as it decelerated on
rollout on the strip.
You won't find the Red Creek
airstrip on a sectional chart, but its
quirks and notoriety are well known
elsewhere. From online videos that
highlight arriving above a spectacular landscape to the strip that's
nestled in a canyon, to web pages
posting backcountry expert advice
from pilots' groups, it's possible to
brief the dos and don'ts.
In the case of the 1,200-foot,
one-way-in, one-way-out Red Creek
airstrip, the Arizona Pilots Association and the Recreational Aviation

Using the closed, uncharted,
unmaintained runway is "at your own
risk!" and "injury and loss of aircraft
are possible."
Learning from unfortunate experiences of others, another question to
ask yourself is: If something does go
wrong, can I make sure help will be
forthcoming?
Answers to those questions-
some better than others-emerged
on November 3, 2018, when a
backcountry-capable, two-place,
200-horsepower Aviat Husky
taildragger flown by a 46-year-old
private pilot nosed over on landing
at Red Creek airstrip located in a
riverside canyon north of Scottsdale,
Arizona. Neither the pilot nor his
rear-seat passenger was injured.
According to the National
Transportation Safety Board, a troublesome mix of excessive braking
and a soft surface in calm-wind
conditions probably conspired to
26  FLIGHT TRAINING DECEMBER 2019

Foundation caution that using the
closed, uncharted, unmaintained
runway is "at your own risk!" and
"injury and loss of aircraft are possible." Their list of published hazards is
lengthy and ranges from unpredictable winds, surface infirmities, and
critical density altitude concerns, to
warning that there is "no access by
emergency vehicles."
The capricious winds discourage the practice of "dragging
it in"-descending with power
at a below-normal glidepath on
final approach-as "particularly
hazardous." And environmental
considerations also apply: The Verde
River, which leads one to the field, is
designated as scenic, and eagles nest
in the area. Pilots are urged to "leave
no trace" of their presence.

All of which added up to this
general recommendation from the
groups: "Neither the authors of this
bulletin, nor the U.S. Forest Service,
encourage the use of the Red Creek
airstrip! Despite this, some will
attempt a visit."
The November 2018 accident left
far more than a trace of human visitation; post-accident photos depicted
the inverted Husky sitting on the
runway after the occupants were
evacuated in a police helicopter.
It was fortunate that the aircraft
had slowed enough so that its upset
in soft turf caused no injuries. The
evacuation was delayed by the pilot's
inability to contact outside help on
several frequencies. According to
the NTSB, "the pilot estimated it
took about 30 minutes to make the
successful radio contact" with an air
traffic control facility where-again,
fortunately-someone was familiar
with the place.
Some accidents occur after a
sudden change is made to a planned
outing, and backfires. According
to the pilot's account included in
the official report, similar elements
cropped up on the accident flight
that had taken off several hours
earlier from Scottsdale. Following
landings at two other strips, the pilot
wrote, he "decided to check Red
Creek."
If you disregard (or miss) advice
to stay away from a place, and then
run into trouble, it won't go unnoticed. The NTSB report echoed the
resigned tone and cited the cautions
of the published safety disclaimer
about Red Creek issued two years
prior to the accident.
dan.namowitz@aopa.org
Flight Training - December 2019

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