AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2017 - 75

would have been considered. The
sectional chart showed a maximum elevation figure of 5,100
feet, with a mountain near the
accident location topping out at
3,700 feet. It sets a terrible example when instructors do not model
the procedures they're teaching.
This would include not making
any plan for the flight, not having appropriate charts, and not
following the guidance that in
mountainous terrain, to allow at
least 2,000 feet of vertical clearance. Some would question the
wisdom of flight over such inhospitable terrain in a single-engine
aircraft after dark.
With no charts for the area,
night conditions, and no terrain awareness, the outcome was
predictable. In the post-crash
interview, the student noted that
he felt comfortable flying at night
in a G1000-equipped Cessna 172
that he'd flown before because of
the additional situational awareness provided. That aircraft was
unavailable, so a conventionally
equipped Cessna 172 was used for
the accident flight.
The student said, "Everything
got weird the night before the
flight." He called the CFI at
approximately 8:30 p.m. the night
before to discuss the plan, but the
instructor's wife said he had gone
to bed. Around 7:30 a.m. the CFI
emailed the student saying that
the flight plan was good, and did
not indicate any need to change
destinations.
The report noted the "Student
decided that all was OK because
he trusted the CFI, so he continued on course and altitude."
Glass cockpits can be a huge
benefit, but perhaps it's still a good
idea to be able to fly without all the

latest equipment. The electrons are
seductive and basic skills erode.
Here's a hypothesis on how
the instructor managed to make
such a fundamental mistake. Most
basic flight instruction takes place
close to the home airport, and as
creatures of habit, many of us get
what I'll call an "altitude mindset."
Because terrain and obstructions
are well known, we use a rote altitude for en-route VFR flight or
maneuvers. In the relatively flat
country around Frederick, especially if one doesn't venture too far
west, 3,000 feet generally will be
sufficient for VFR operations. The
highest terrain is around 1,700 feet.
However, looking at the instrument
charts-especially if one goes just
a little farther west-the minimum
en-route or off-route altitudes
jump to 5,000 to 6,000 feet. The
VFR maximum elevation figures
(MEFs) rise significantly, as well.
When I've ventured west, I've
had to consciously recalibrate my
altitude mindset. An altitude of
3,000 feet is no longer adequate
because of high ground. Several
times flying to Denver, it's taken
a constant reminder that 10,000
feet is only about half of what it
means back east-and not worth
much once west of the Front Range
foothills.

DISCUSSION
> Night controlled-flight-into-terrain accidents happen fairly
regularly and the probable cause
typically is "the pilot failed to
avoid terrain." That tells us what-
not why. In this very unusual
case, one of the pilots survived
and gives us great insight as to
how this could have happened.

Night flying is remarkably
similar to instrument flying, and
in sparsely lit areas such as over
water or unpopulated country, it
is instrument flight. It's smart to
use IFR procedures after dark,
even if you're not flying in the
system. VFR pilots should understand that the difference is, well,
day and night.
There's plenty of guidance
regarding CFIT, and the accident
numbers are declining. A similar
improvement happened when
the airlines equipped aircraft
with enhanced ground proximity
warning systems. These typically provide about 30 seconds of
warning before ground impact.
Electronic flight bags (EFBs)
and glass cockpits are not
enhanced ground proximity, and
there are bold-print disclaimers
in all the manuals, but they will
help a lot if used intelligently.
This does not mean terrain following up the Columbia River
Gorge. Regardless of how we get
the information, you have to know
where the terrain and towers are.
That's basic airmanship. On this
route my EFB shows that even
4,000 feet is too low. The proper
(and safe) VFR cruising altitude
was 6,500 feet.
In January 2008, the NTSB
issued a safety alert titled
"Controlled Flight Into Terrain
in Visual Conditions" with the
subheading, "Nighttime Visual
Flight Operations are Resulting
in Avoidable Accidents." The
alert stated that recent investigations identified several accidents
involving CFIT by pilots operating under visual flight rules at
night in remote areas, that the
pilots appeared unaware that the
aircraft were in danger, and that
www.aopa.org/pilot AOPA PILOT | 75


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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2017

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