SAFETY IS AN ATTITUDE AND REQUIRES PARTICIPATION

[flying-i]

Howdy all

This tragic Alldays accident resulting in the fatility of two pilots has caused a reaction to some imperfections within the gyro industry. There were a few things that should have been dealt with before this accident and if we as a community want to help ourselves then we need to understand that reporting information to a central place for analysis by appropriately educated people is the only way forward. Information should be desensitised and reduced to that of a statistical and factual nature.

The initial challenge to overcome is the individual ego and sales via manufacturers/ agents who want their products to appear perfect. Safety is an attitude and anything that is out of the ordinary needs to be reported. The CAA requires that all incidents be reported, but my experience tells me that the information does not get analysed by someone with the appropriate experience, if at all, and it is not used to track trends and hence to help find solutions to incidents that continually happen. There is also a stigma attached and so many, if not all, minor incidents go unreported. Look after the small incidents and the big incidents will look after themselves.

Safety is an attitude and pilots as educated via their instructors need to form the basis of a community that shares and reports information with a view to making flying safe. There may be some incidents that can be prevented by updating or changing training methods and that would be relevant to all makes of gyro and then others that are gyro specific or even gyro type specific.

If we had adopted this culture then at least 5 cases of doors opening (more than one type of gyro) would have been known in South Africa alone. Part of the remedy could have been in the training with checks as well as mandated planned flights with an instructor with the door purposely left unlatched so that in the event of the door opening in flight, the pilot deals with it from a knowledge base and not from an experimental base. This could have been rolled out to all makes of gyro with door options.

The past tragedy may have been avoided if the pilot had the confidence to do a proper precautionary landing and possibly then have noticed the wires as opposed to a straight in approach on the first available road for an emergency landing. If there was no option to do the pre cautionary then so be it. Having been in more than one emergency where death was eminent I am fully aware of how panic can consume the thought process and it is only through practised procedure that one is able to go through the motions that result in a walk away landing. I am not judging here or stating as fact what happened.

Pre-determined actions to a recognised emergency/ incident are far more beneficial than having a pilot work things out for themselves during a sensory overload moment. Training and the dynamic thought process behind what is being taught is paramount to survival. Paperwork that does not aid in the turning out of well trained and dynamic thoughtful pilots is a waste of time and all to prevelant in our system. We need to educate CAA and RAASA as to our plight and involve them while we take control of our destiny.

A trend is something that needs to be defined but in my book something that happens two or three times needs to be assessed as to why. Gyro’s burning on impact has happened way more than two or three times and as we can see from the forum progress is being made. It seems that gyro’s with the fuel cell as part of the cabin structure are prone to cracking in adverse conditions and the aerated fuel is ignited via the hot exhaust or turbo. Manufacturers of these makes of gyro need to acknowledge this and seek solutions. On the forum one manufacturer is actively seeking a solution as we are informed via a particular end user, and although this is commendable THEY should have made this public themselves. This is one solution that needs to be rolled out to all gyro’s with that type of construction. In my book that manufacturer and their appointed agent would gain far more RESPECT from the community by being the solution provider for all, as opposed to keeping their solution in house and claiming that they are working on something after the fact.

The concept of reporting must be understood and is not a platform for the bad mouthing of any make or type of gyro. This remains our biggest challenge and I have no suggestion as to how to deal with that but my first step would be that of RESPECT. If a gyro has permission to fly in a country then it should be allowed to operate freely. If however there are or is a trend that manifests in incidents and accidents then the duly appointed safety and training body or person should ask and expect to receive adequate answers as to the proposed solution. There is no one set of rules that will govern this approach but the wise choice of a neutral person or body would be a welcome start. With time this will become a culture and it will benefit all. The skydiving community has learnt this lesson and implemented an effective reporting system that does not compromise on the information given and or compromise the person or persons involved as personal details are removed.

We should use this past accident as the catalyst to unite and form a gyro community with safety as an ATTITUDE and NOT waste this very expensive lesson or in fact allow the blood of previous pilots involved in fatal accidents to go unnoticed.

Regards


Mark Bellingan
PPL 0271007478
NPL: RAF 2000, M16, ELA

[saraf]

WELL DONE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Gyronaut]

I concur exactly!

[Learjet]

Very well said Mark

[Jabbanaught]

Mark , I have always had alot of respect for you , and after this post you moved up in that regard . I have stayed out of posting regarding the incident because it really has made me 'TJANK" more than once , both these pilots where well known to me , I bought my gyro from Llewellyn , And Christa was the friendliest sincere lady that always had time for everybody .

Regardless of what happened in the last moments , we can just learn from this , and i am 100% sure that both of these two friends of ours , would prefer us learning and working together than us concentrating on who flies what .

So my plea is this .

Lets us as a GYRO COMMUNITY , work together , Learn , develop and impliment safer measure in our sport .

I TODAY AM PROUD TO SAY I FLY A GYRO .

Paul

[saraf]

Hi All

I have spoken to Mark in this regard, We / He will be working on a form and plan of action to implement exactly what mark has done in Skydiving. Mark halved the accidents in Skydiving in less than 6 months by implementing this system.

Regards
Eben Mocke Jnr