Another C lost with fatality Arizona City, AZ.

[Hank]

57 minutes ago, aviatoreb said:

(Knocking on wood has been proven scientifically to lower risks of most activities except for competitive lumber jack trials involving speed chain saw drills).

You've never seen the hand sawing speed competitions!

[steingar]

Statistics work really poorly with low numbers, which is what we have for aviation accidents.  Back when I first got into the game most accidents were caused by either running into weather or out of gas.  There were occasionally ones where the pilots got lost, couldn't find an airport, ran out of gas and crashed.

The running into weather thing doesn't really work anymore, since for very little money you can get in cockpit weather in nearly real time, and the number of VFR into IMC accidents has decreased.  Pilots still run out of gas, though in the Mooney it isn't the easiest thing to do if you aren't trying.

There are instances where you get boxed in with little recourse.  Most of those involve a combination of malfunctions and hostile terrain, like the fellow who recently embedded his Mooney in na orange grove.  Used to be mechanical stuff was a bit rare, but I suspect its starting to climb up as a cause of aircraft accidents.  It could be because fewer folks are running into IMC so the mechanicals just appear higher on the list, or it could be that our airplanes are just getting that much older.

[aviatoreb]

5 hours ago, Hank said:

You've never seen the hand sawing speed competitions!

Is that a competition for sawing wood by hand?

or for sawing off hands?

or essentially both?

[skydvrboy]

I've been contemplating this as I study for my instrument rating.  Will it make me a better pilot? For sure!  Will it make me a safer pilot?  I don't know.  It sure opens up a whole lot of dangerous situations where I'd currently just stay on the ground.  I reconcile that by knowing that it will lower my insurance rates.  If the actuary tables show I'm less of a risk, that's good enough for me.

On a side note, like Erik, if I wasn't flying I'd be doing something else.  In my case I'd probably go back to skydiving.  I just love being in the air.

[hais]

Speaking about risk assessment, I'd like to write and share a risk assessment app similar to the one the folks over at Icon wrote for the A5. I think this should be freely available for anyone flying any model. 

Anyone has the time to help put together a risk matrix? Please PM me so that we can coordinate.

[Hank]

2 hours ago, aviatoreb said:

Is that a competition for sawing wood by hand?

or for sawing off hands?

or essentially both?

I've seen them on TV, sawing a 1-2" thick slice off the end of a log over a foot in diameter, with handsaws. They are judged on time, straightness of cut and evenness of the piece cut off. Logs are refaced between contestants with a chainsaw.

So what is more risky? Lumberjack competitions or XC flying in IMC? I've only ever done one of these, but rarely over two hours IMC at a time.

[carusoam]

One unique thing that makes flying safer…

Discussing flight safety issues specific to Mooney flying…

We know the big ones….

They start off with VFR safety…

Then graduate to IFR safety…
 

No different than any other plane…

 

1) Don’t fly VFR into IMC…

2) Don’t run out of gas…

3) Don’t fly into thunderstorms…

4) don’t fly into icing…

 

Then you hang out long enough to know MSers passed/past… and learn their lessons about Density Altitude, and engine outs…

 

Just remember..

 if you go jogging for your health, it may cause you to have a heart attack…

It’s how quickly you make friends, can make the difference…. 
 

Keep the discussion alive…
 

Best regards,

-a-

[Schllc]

This..... 
http://www.kathrynsreport.com/2022/01/systemcomponent-malfunctionfailure-non_7.html#comment-form

I also remember a time I landed in Louisiana and passed a 172 that had just flown in from from Houston 20 minutes before I landed and had a bird nest in the left front cowling opening that I saw from 30’ away. 
Understanding the accident chain is really important, not anecdotal, and isn’t really part of the statistics. 

How do these types of things factor into the “statistics”?

[Flash]

1 hour ago, skydvrboy said:

It sure opens up a whole lot of dangerous situations where I'd currently just stay on the ground.

This is very true. Icing and embedded thunderstorms generally aren't VFR pilot problems, and they can be very big problems for an IFR pilot.

But the instrument rating also turns some days from dangerous situations (scud running), into much safer situations (climbing through the clouds to clear skies on top). Flying through complicated airspace (the LA area, for example) can be much less stressful on an IFR flight plan (because you're not worried about staying clear of (or being cleared into or allowed to enter) Class B, C, and D airspace).

[aviatoreb]

1 hour ago, Hank said:

I've seen them on TV, sawing a 1-2" thick slice off the end of a log over a foot in diameter, with handsaws. They are judged on time, straightness of cut and evenness of the piece cut off. Logs are refaced between contestants with a chainsaw.

So what is more risky? Lumberjack competitions or XC flying in IMC? I've only ever done one of these, but rarely over two hours IMC at a time.

How about imc with a running chainsaw?

[ilovecornfields]

16 hours ago, hais said:

Speaking about risk assessment, I'd like to write and share a risk assessment app similar to the one the folks over at Icon wrote for the A5. I think this should be freely available for anyone flying any model. 

Anyone has the time to help put together a risk matrix? Please PM me so that we can coordinate.

If you have an Apple device the MMOPA FRAT tool is pretty good. And free.

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/mmopa-frat/id1206155543

[MikeOH]

Well, I was not flying for over 3 months last year after being hit by a car cycling and having my foot broken!  So, yeah, my experience is flying is safer

[EricJ]

The AZ Pilot's Assoc publishesa newsletter once a month and does a synopsis of the crashes over the previous report period.    This is the report on this crash:

Date: December 31, 2021 Info. Source: ASN, FAA Location: Arizona City Type: Mooney M-20C Injuries: 1 Fatality

SUSPECTED CONTROLLED FLIGHT INTO TERRAIN

The aircraft crashed under unknown circumstances in mountainous desert terrain on December 31, 2021, and was located on January 3rd, 2022. It appears the aircraft had an expired registration, and the registration was cancelled by the FAA effective 01/30/2021. The media stated the aircraft departed Marana Airport at approximately 11:30 am Friday December 31 and was found by Law Enforcement on Monday January 3 about 3:30 pm. Its destination was reported to be French Valley Airport, Riverside California. The aircraft had crashed on the Tohono O’odham Indian Reservation approximately 30 miles west of Arizona City. The Pinal County Sheriff’s Office stated weather appeared to be a factor in the crash.