Premium on Safety - Issue 23, 2016 - 8

An Ongoing Decline...
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SAFETY SPOTLIGHT

operating to runways toward the shorter end of an airplane's nominal performance envelope
(clearly not an issue with helicopters). Unsatisfactory landings, predominantly overruns, made
up a full 45 percent of all accidents involving corporate jets, and were also implicated in more
than a quarter of all accidents in turboprops.
Takeoff accidents are more rare, but can be catastrophic-as in the 2014 crash of a
Gulfstream IV that attempted to take off from Bedford, Massachusetts, with the controls
locked. A follow-up study by the NBAA found that preflight control checks were skipped on more
than one-sixth of the flights reviewed. It's another reminder that, good as it is, the corporate
safety record still has some room for improvement.
David Jack Kenny is the Air Safety Institute's statistician. He is a fixed-wing ATP with commercial pilot privileges for helicopters and the owner of a Piper Arrow.

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Blinded in a Flash
What To Do When Lased

DID YOU KNOW?

BY MACHTELD SMITH

Exposure to a laser attack is an in-flight
emergency that may startle or distract
you, compromising your ability to fly the
airplane. The effects of glare, flash blindness,
or afterimages may obscure your vision
temporarily, so it's imperative to combat the
phenomena immediately by shielding your eyes
with anything that can block the laser light and
taking evasive action to avoid further exposure.
Laser attacks are difficult to predict. But
when crews or witnesses report them, ATC will
issue a cautionary broadcast. Not only do these
reports help other aircraft avoid the location,
they also help prosecute those that commit a reckless and dangerous crime. That's good news
for pilots, especially as laser incidents have been increasing.
To underpin the issue, the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012 prohibits aiming a laser
pointer at aircraft, and anyone who ignores the law will face enforcement action. But, to do so,
the FAA, FBI, local law enforcement, and other government agencies need to locate the source
of unauthorized laser transmissions. This is where flight crews can step in once they recover
from the immediate dangers of being lased. Here is a quick way to report:
* Ident the transponder to lock in the aircraft's position on ATC radar.
* Report the laser illumination to ATC using the phrase "laser attack" and include the
direction, color, and intensity of the beam.
* In uncontrolled airspace, broadcast a laser illumination caution on the Unicom frequency.
Report the time, location, and altitude that the incident occurred, and include the direction,
color, and intensity of the beam.
* After landing, complete the FAA's Laser Beam Exposure Questionnaire (www.faa.gov/
aircraft/safety/report/laserinfo/).
* Learn more about when and where laser strikes occur, and watch the FBI's video, Making
a Point About Lasers, which illustrates the dangers and ramifications of pointing lasers at
aircraft (youtu.be/lVxp-RKMp88).
More information:
National Business Aviation Association: nbaa.org/ops/safety/in-flight-safety/laser-strikes/
FAA Laser Safety Initiative: www.faa.gov/about/initiatives/lasers/
FAA Laser Incident Reporting Form for Mobile Device: www.faa.gov/mobile/?event=laser
FBI Program: www.fbi.gov/news/stories/protecting-aircraft-from-lasers
Airline Pilots Association: alpa.org/advocacy/lasers

Machteld Smith writes for the AOPA Air Safety Institute. She holds a commercial pilot certificate
with multiengine, instrument, and seaplane ratings.

http://www.USAIG.COM http://www.airsafetyinstitute.org http://www.usaig.com http://www.faa.gov/aircraft/safety/report/laserinfo/ http://www.faa.gov/aircraft/safety/report/laserinfo/ http://www.USAIG.com https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lVxp-RKMp88 http://www.nbaa.org/ops/safety/in-flight-safety/laser-strikes/ http://www.faa.gov/about/initiatives/lasers/ http://www.faa.gov/mobile/?event=laser http://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/protecting-aircraft-from-lasers http://www.alpa.org/advocacy/lasers

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Premium on Safety - Issue 23, 2016