CFI-to-CFI Newsletter - Volume 1 | Issue 3 - 3

ing declaring an emergency over the radio. I commend those instructors who do emphasize declaring an emergency during this exercise, but I know not everyone is doing this. Remember, it doesn’t cost a dime more to engrain this procedure into your students’ brains. It’s an important lesson that could save more lives. Piloting an airplane is as much a mindset as it is a skill. Remind your students that flying requires constant education, for there is no such thing as knowing it all. Instructors should also emphasize that regardless of how many years you fly, you should still learn something from every flight. I thank my buddy for sharing his story because it caused me to reflect on my own experiences and reevaluate how I’ve handled some of my most serious emergencies. It’s impossible to count how many times this erroneous mindset prevented me from declaring an emergency when I should have. I should also point out that in the number of times I did declare an emergency I never once had any negative repercussions. Perhaps that is the most important point to this discussion. Make sure your students know to declare an emergency any time they experience a problem. If they become disoriented, declare an emergency. If they’re not sure if they have enough fuel to make the field, declare an emergency. Finally, if they are too busy to talk on the radio, then at least set their transponder code to 7700 so they get a controller’s attention. Teach this from day one and your students will always know it. Who knows? One of your students may come back to thank you one day. Fly safe. Mark W. Danielson is a retired Navy pilot and FedEx MD-11 captain. A CFI for over 30 years, he has flown more than 14,000 hours.

ASI Online

Accident Case Study: Cross-country crisis
BY MACHTELD SMITH
WHY WOULD ONE launch on a 500-mile VFR cross-country, over mountains,

without a preflight briefing or even a check of en route weather? As you watch this latest Air Safety Institute Accident Case Study, you will shake your head in disbelief about the decisions this pilot made before and during the flight. But more importantly, you’ll want to share and discuss with your colleagues and students why things went wrong and what the pilot could have done different. Cross-Country Crisis pieces together the chilling story of five passengers entrusting their lives to a Seneca II owner pilot who completely ignored basic VFR rules—including proper fuel management. The pilot’s blatant disregard for the safety of his passengers as accentuated by his flawed judgment spelled disaster for everyone from the moment the flight boarded. Using actual ATC audio and Microsoft Flight Simulator re-creations Accident Case Study: Cross-Country Crisis has you ride along as the weather deteriorates and the pilot struggles to maintain control of the aircraft in half a mile visibility and heavy snow in mountainous terrain near Huntington, West Virginia. To make matters worse the aircraft is low on fuel leaving ATC and the pilot few options. The study is interspersed with scene analysis and safety tips to decipher where things went from bad to worse. Unfortunately, no amount of analysis can change the outcome of this accident. But the Air Safety Institute hopes to help others avoid similar entrapment by sharing lessons learned from this accident (www.airsafetyinstitute.org/xcountryacs). Spread the story, share the lessons. Machteld Smith is a senior aviation technical writer for the Air Safety Institute and a multiengine instrument-rated commercial pilot.

Safety Quiz: Aircraft preflight
Here’s a question for you: Your student has rented an airplane from the local FBO for some dual night flight instruction, but you notice the landing light is not working. Do you need to cancel the lesson? Here’s one for your student: Is it okay to blow into the pitot tube to clear away a small obstruction? This preflight primer is a great way to test your students’ knowledge and review the regulations (www.airsafetyinstitute.org/ preflightquiz). The quiz is underwritten by the AOPA Insurance Agency, Inc.

www.airsafetyinstitute.org | 3

http://flash.aopa.org/asf/acs%5Fcrosscountry/ http://www.airsafetyinstitute.org/xcountryacs http://www.aopa.org/asf/asfquiz/2010/101022aircraftpreflight/index.html http://www.airsafetyinstitute.org/preflightquiz http://www.airsafetyinstitute.org/preflightquiz http://www.airsafetyinstitute.org

CFI-to-CFI Newsletter - Volume 1 | Issue 3

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of CFI-to-CFI Newsletter - Volume 1 | Issue 3