CFI-to-CFI Newsletter - Volume 8 Issue 3 - 26
SAFETY SPOTLIGHT
AS IT INITIATED THE RIGHT TURN TO CROSSWIND, THE ZENAIR APPEARED TO "BE STOPPED IN THE AIR"
BEFORE DESCENDING STRAIGHT DOWN, STRIKING THE GROUND WITH THE NOSE AND LEFT WING LOW. ONE OF
THE OFF-FIELD WITNESSES REMARKED THAT "IT SEEMED WEIRD OUT...AND THE WIND GOT REAL STRONG."
EXPERIENCED INSTRUCTORS LEARN TO WORK
THE EDGES-OR, MORE ACCURATELY, LEARN
where those edges actually lie. A CFI who
cancels every time visibility drops to five
miles or cumulus thickens somewhere in the
next county won't earn much of a living and
probably won't stay in the profession long. But
there's a fine balancing act in making the most
of less-than-ideal conditions while staying out
of trouble, and the closer things get to no-go
status, the more crucial it becomes to have
a quick way out. Sometimes even the traffic
pattern isn't quick enough.
Early in the evening of August 17, 2015, a
32-year-old flight instructor contacted ground
control at the McAllen Miller International
Airport (KMFE) in Texas to request closed
traffic in a Zenair CH 2000, a two-seat,
1,700-pound low-wing airplane powered by
a 116-horsepower Continental O-235. Thirty
seconds after receiving a taxi clearance to
Runway 13, he reported ready to take off and
was cleared without delay due to traffic on final.
The Zenair subsequently aborted the takeoff
and the landing traffic was told to go around.
(Note: The current airport diagram identifies
the runway as 14, but it's not clear when that
designation might have been changed.)
About one minute later, the instructor asked
about the weather and advised ground control
that he and his student planned to do "four or five"
circuits and then "call it a night." The controller
reported wind from 070 degrees at 7 knots, but
by the time they received a new takeoff clearance
three and a half minutes later (with a delay for
landing traffic) it had increased to 10 knots with
gusts to 15, its direction varying from 060 to 100
degrees. An unidentified voice on the frequency
commented, "That windsock is really full."
Seven and a half minutes after their first takeoff
clearance, the Zenair instructor and his student
were again cleared to take off from Runway 13,
making right traffic. Two minutes later, while
still flying upwind, the instructor requested a
full stop. The tower controller approved that
and advised of helicopter traffic inbound at low
altitude a mile south of the runway.
Two off-airport witnesses corroborated the
tower controller's account of what happened
next. As it initiated the right turn to crosswind,
the Zenair appeared to "be stopped in the air"
before descending straight down, striking the
ground with the nose and left wing low. One of
the off-field witnesses remarked that "it seemed
weird out...and the wind got real strong." A
third person who did not see the crash itself
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of CFI-to-CFI Newsletter - Volume 8 Issue 3
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