CFI-to-CFI Newsletter - Volume 7, Issue 4 - 28

SAFETY SPOTLIGHT

and that conﬂicts between them are far from
unknown. For at least a critical moment or two,
the actual teaching must often take a back seat
to more urgent priorities such as identifying and
avoiding potential traffic conﬂicts, maintaining
aircraft control during critical phases of ﬂight, and
guarding against abrupt or impulsive student inputs.
Developing an instinct for which to prioritize can
be a life-saver if things start happening too fast for
the rational mind to keep up-such as when all these
hazards come into play at once.
At about 1:35 on the afternoon of Saturday,
February 22, 2014, a Model 55 Beech Baron
took on fuel at the Lagrange-Callaway Airport
(KLGC) in northwestern Georgia. The airplane
was based at the DeKalb-Peachtree Airport

(KPDK), 65 nautical miles to the northeast on the
far side of Atlanta's sprawling Class B airspace.
On board were a 12,000-hour ﬂight instructor, a
1,700-hour commercial pilot, and a private pilot
in the back seat. The purpose of the ﬂight was
for the instructor to give both clients the annual
instrument competency check required by the
airplane's insurance policy.
The weather was clear, calm, and relatively warm
(19 degrees C), so it's not surprising that KLGC
was a busy place. In addition to powered traffic
using Runway 31, the Civil Air Patrol had been
conducting glider ﬂights from the intersecting
runway since early morning. They'd begun on
Runway 21, which offers almost 2,800 feet of
pavement prior to the intersection with Runway

13/31, but by afternoon had shifted to Runway 3,
which provides less than 1,700 feet. Witnesses
described the radio traffic among the glider
and tow plane crews over the common traffic
advisory frequency as "constant," and at least
one complained about the volume of extraneous
conversation it contained.
The time of the Baron's departure was not
recorded, but shortly before 2:00 p.m. at least one
witness heard its pilot report inbound on the ILS
to Runway 31. (Another did not remember hearing
that transmission.) A few minutes later the Baron
appeared on short ﬁnal coming in fast. As it ﬂoated
some 2,000 feet "bobbling and searching for the
ground," a CAP Cessna 172 began the takeoff roll
for another glider tow on Runway 3. The tow pilot

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of CFI-to-CFI Newsletter - Volume 7, Issue 4

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
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