When Hiring a Pilot

The Cessna 337 pilot was en route on an IFR flight plan originating from an uncontrolled aerodrome in Olds to Peace River, Alberta. Thirteen minutes after takeoff, he received his IFR clearance and was cleared to maintain 8000 ft. Several minutes later, he was observed at 6600 ft. and the controller queried about the altitude. The pilot responded that he was between layers but would start a slow climb. Three minutes later, he was still at the same altitude and was again queried about his intentions. This time, he responded that he had a rough-running engine but would continue the climb and make a decision on the engine when he got to Rocky Mountain House.

Nineteen miles from Rocky Mountain House, the pilot requested and received clearance to the airport. Radar showed him heading to the nondirectional beacon.

Twelve minutes later, he asked for and received the latest weather from the UNICOM operator: 500 ft. broken and 1500 ft. overcast, with visibility 0.5 mi. in light snow and fog. He stated that he had the ground in sight.

Radio contact was lost and the aircraft failed to arrive. An air/ground search located the plane the following morning 2 mi. from the airport. It had struck a stand of trees in a steeply banked out-of-control attitude and been consumed in a post-crash fire. Neither the company president nor his pilot had survived.

Several witnesses had observed the aircraft near the airport. All reported that the front propeller was rotating slowly. (Transportation Safety Board (TSB) investigators later confirmed that the front engine had a cracked No. 4 cylinder, accounting for the reported rough-running engine. The front propeller was at the low-pitch stop at impact. However, the pilot had not completed the engine failure check to the point of feathering the propeller.) One witness familiar with the C337 stated that the rear engine did not sound as if it was at high power and that the aircraft appeared to be wallowing at low speed in a nose-high attitude. These witnesses also reported heavy snow showers in the area, with visibility as low as 1/4 mi. in snow and fog.

The pilot had received a detailed weather briefing by phone prior to the departure from Olds. The forecast predicted extensive low cloud persisting along the foothills throughout the forecast period, creating ceilings 0 to 1000 ft. AGL, with visibilities of 0.5 to 4 mi. in snow and fog. Severe clear icing in local freezing drizzle was included in the forecast. Another C337 pilot who flew into Rocky Mountain House 30 min. after the accident reported picking up 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch of ice during the approach. The accident aircraft was not equipped for flight into known icing conditions.

Although the pilot held an airline transport license, his medical category had expired and his license was valid for private pilot privileges only. His instrument rating had expired 10 months prior to the accident flight. During the two years before it expired, his instrument rating had twice been suspended. It was first suspended when he attempted to take off into known icing conditions with an aircraft that was not properly equipped ¾ during an instrument check ride. The second suspension came when he failed to follow his air traffic control (ATC) clearance. He did both on the accident flight.

He initiated this flight despite his knowledge of the weather and icing conditions and the capabilities of the aircraft. He maintained an altitude of 6600 ft., between layers, possibly to avoid icing conditions, without informing ATC of the deviation from the clearance to 8000 ft. that he had accepted.

When hiring a pilot, how carefully do you check his or her paperwork, capabilities, past performance and references?

The TSB accident report (A93W0026) concluded, in part, that:

"It is possible that the aircraft was unable to maintain flight on one engine because the front propeller was not feathered, and because the aircraft was likely contaminated with ice during the descent through clouds."

Reduced performance and environmental conditions ended with the loss of control at an altitude that did not leave room for recovery.

Originally Published: ASL 4/1997
Original Article: When Hiring a Pilot

Through the Mountains

He departed the Calgary area late in the afternoon on a VFR flight to the West Coast. However, the planned six-hour flight ended tragically less than an hour later when he mistakenly followed the wrong fork in the river and turned into a narrow box canyon.

Surrounded by 9000-ft. mountains, he could neither outclimb the terrain nor turn around. As he strained for altitude, the classic stall/spin occurred, with no altitude or room to recover. Neither he nor his passenger survived.

Weather did not bring about this accident, as it was a clear and sunny afternoon with light winds; nor was a lack of mountain-flying experience to blame, as the Cessna 150 pilot had flown the routes in the Rocky Mountains on numerous occasions.

Three factors may have led to the accident: vision, available charts and altitude.

First, the pilot was classified as having monocular vision (one good eye), and he was looking directly into the afternoon sun. Depth perception and map reading would have been difficult even without his visual handicap.

Second, the only map of the accident area recovered from the crash site was a 1:1,000,000 scale chart. World Aeronautical Charts show little detail of the valleys and passes in the mountains, and so it would have been easy to mistake the turn along the south branch of the river for that of the main river 3 mi. farther on.

Third, the pilot had flight-planned an altitude of 9000 ft., but evidently had not climbed to that altitude: the accident site was at the 6300-ft. level.

Originally Published: ASL 4/1997
Original Article: Through the Mountains

by Pat Very

When the geography of the land is irregular, as it is in the mountain and coastal areas, flying can prove to be the most efficient and cost-effective way to travel. The spinoff to this is the feeling that you get looking out over the spectacular beauty and awesome ruggedness of the panorama below. It can be truly breathtaking.

Here are a few tips that I've picked up over the years that you may find helpful when contemplating flight out West, in God's country.

Looking out for Number One... and Your Passengers

The key word when it comes to mountain flying has to be flexibility. You must gear your mind for constant change and be ready and willing to adjust your plans. This is not to say that the trip has to be cancelled if you run into weather, but rather rethought. Maybe the primary route is not such a good idea on that particular day. A good mountain pilot will make that ssessment, adjust his or her routing, notify the

FSS as soon as possible and carry on. Be flexible: have a plan B or C or D...
You must plan to have as many things going for you and your passengers as you possibly can. Filing a flight plan along with any amendments to your route can enhance your chances of survival in the event of a mishap. What is on board will determine how comfortable your stay will be. Always carry appropriate survival gear and clothing for you and your passengers, make sure that you dress for the terrain, and carry a good first-aid kit. Remember that being 10 min. from home in the mountains can put you into country that could severely strain your survival skills. Always let someone know where you're going and when you expect to return, even on short flights. Make sure that your ELT is operational, regardless of the inspection or battery date.

Know your aircraft's performance, especially how much room it takes to turn it around. Practise and become proficient in minimum-radius turns. Turning is part of learning to fly in the mountains

Schedule frequent stops when flying unfamiliar mountain routes. Talk to local pilots; I've usually found them to be friendly, helpful and very knowledgeable. Other benefits of stopovers are enjoying the local topography and becoming familiar with the airport and local services, such as courtesy cars, rentals and proximity to hotels. You never know — on a future trip, when the weather turns sour, you might be spending the night there.

Assessing the Conditions

Visibility is essential when mountain flying. What is marginal on flat land might not be acceptable in the mountains. If you encounter poor visibility en route, slow down, and remember that the radius of the turn increases with speed. Be flexible: consult plan B.

Try to determine the wind direction and strength when entering mountain valleys and passes. Look for clues such as ridge and peak plumes created by compression, forming clouds on the downwind side. On the water, whitecaps will form at about 10 mph. Bear paws, those dark patches on the water, are caused by downbursts of wind, indicating gusty conditions, downdrafts and probably a rough ride. Trees will bend and appear lighter on the upwind side. Cumulus and towering cumulus will often slope downwind at the top, becoming a great wind indicator.

Always check both sides of valleys when they are obscured by cloud. Stratus fractus, the ragged cloud often encountered in moist air masses, clings to the valley walls. The view from one side can give you a totally different perspective than that from the other.

Cumulonimbus clouds are bad news in the mountains and should be avoided like the plague. Visibility can drop to near zero in no time, and downdrafts created by the storm cell can rush out the valleys and over the ridges with a vengeance, generating severe turbulence. They are also, by the way, the cause of many a forest fire in those out-of-the-way valleys. If you come across a fire en route, punch the position into your long-range navigation system (LORAN) or global positioning system (GPS) and pass it on to the nearest FSS as soon as possible.

Outflow winds are a common occurrence at certain times of the year in this area and have to do with pressure differences between the interior and the coast. Air flows out from the interior through valleys and fjords and, as it accelerates in venturi effect, it can reach velocities as high as 70 and 80 mph. The mechanical turbulence generated by these winds can be enough to ruin your day. Surprisingly enough, though, because of the nature of these winds, flying 2000 to 3000 ft. above the range usually puts you in smooth air. That said, you should always be cautious and expect turbulence when surface winds are high.

Next issue — En Route & Mountain Strips

About the Author

Pat Very is a private pilot with a Commercial Licence. He started flying in 1970 on the East Coast, but since moving west in 1978, he has accumulated over 4000 hrs of experience in and around the Rocky Mountains.

Originally Published: ASL 4/1997
Original Article:Tips on Mountain Flying - Part I