Let's Take the SAR... out of "garbage"!
Have you removed the batteries?
"What's that?" you say " There's no SAR in garbage, regardless of what language you're spelling." That may be true. But a month or so ago, there were numerous SAR techs and other SAR-related people rummaging around in a Canadian garbage dump, much to the consternation of the resident Jonathan Live-it-up seagulls, who are not accustomed to fighting with SAR techs for their share of the — ahem — spoils.
What on earth brought them there? Initially, it was something above the earth. COSPAS-SARSAT to be exact. These alert sentries detected an ELT signal. Using suitable linkage, the SAR system came up with a fairly large circle in which the ELT could be located. A SAR aircraft initially aimed at the circle, then, as it flew closer to the site, homed to the beacon. The spotters squinted through their various windows, looking for the scattered remains of an aircraft.
Despite their squintiest gazes, there was no sign of an aircraft, but there was lots of aerial activity. Flocks of seagulls, buzzards and pterodactyls wheeled soared and swung in the air currents wafting heavenward from the local garbage dump.
Could the aircraft have gone in like a dart and have been covered up with garbage? Perhaps, but there were no reports of missing aircraft in the local area. Besides, as garbage dumps go, this one was reasonable tidy. It did not look as though it had recently been re-arranged to accommodate a crashed aircraft.
But there was no doubt about it. The ELT signal was coming from the garbage dump. What to do? Find it. Thus it was that a flock of folks went rummaging through a garbage dump looking for a transmitting ELT.
Eventually, they found it. Down at about the 3-ft level, searchers came upon a perfectly serviceable ELT, squawking its little electronic heart out. Someone had discarded it with the batteries still inside, and the function switch in the ON position. When the bulldozer operator came along to spread out fresh treats for the gulls, the blade evidently gave the ELT a sharp enough rap to set it singing.
SAR was in the seagull-herding business on the West Coast, as well. Several aircraft, Vancouver Area Control Centre and the satellites all reported an ELT close to Vancouver Harbour. Again, there were no reports of missing aircraft, and the ATS people running the harbour traffic still had an equal number of takeoffs and landings. Even if they hadn't, any ELT that had slipped below the waters wouldn't be disturbing all those folks on the surface. A SAR Labrador was summoned. Again, the spotters had their eyeballs spring-loaded to the pop-out position. When they got close to the "on-top" position they looked down a saw a ship. The signal ceased before they could confirm its origin. They went home.
A few hours later, the Coast Guard reported hearing an intermittent ELT signal. Industry Canada was called in. After following the bouncing signal around the Harbour, they were led to the same ship which had attracted the Lab. Being a container ship, it was full of, what else?, containers. Inside one of the containers was a neatly packaged helicopter headed to an exotic foreign destination.
Inside the helicopter was — you guessed it — an ELT with its function switch in the ARMED position. Apparently the crane operator didn't set the helicopter container on the deck with the same delicacy that a pilot might have used. The ELT thought that it had crashed. Despite all the bits of ship that were in the way, the signal still made it out into the ether with sufficient strength to keep SAR excited for the best part of eight hours.
Not many people are discarding ELTs right now. The ones that they have are adequate; they'll do until the regulations change, some time around the year 2000. But as that time comes closer, more people will buy new ELTs and discard their old ELTs. If they do it the way that the garbage dumper did it, they could destroy the SAR alerting system for a lengthy period.
Never, ever, throw away an ELT with a battery in it. Never, ever, throw away an ELT with its function switch ARMED or ON; battery or no battery. The transmission from an undamaged ELT in a garbage dump can mask a transmission from a damaged ELT trying to alert SAR to an emergency.
Similarly, if you're shipping an aircraft by ship, train, truck or air, ensure that the ELT function switch is OFF. If possible, remove the batteries. Placard the aircraft when you do this, so that the pilot at the other end of the voyage knows that the ELT — and the batteries — must be re-installed before flight.
The ELT-SARSAT-SAR-CASARA team works well to provide SAR alerting, pinpointing and rescue. Around the world, the team has been instrumental in locating and rescuing 1624 aviators in 755 aviation distresses since 1982.
Good as they are, they need your help. You buy, use, maintain and eventually discard the alerting part of the system. When doing so, please use the same high standards of airmanship that mark your other aviation activities.
Help keep SAR out of garbage dumps. It'll help prevent neurotic seagulls.
Originally Published: ASL 4/1997
Original Article: Let's Take the SAR...out of "garbage"!
Winter Fog
I was intending to depart Watson Lake, Yukon Territory, in my Seneca II for an IFR flight to Whitehorse. A telephone weather briefing had the Watson Lake 1500Z weather as 400 ft. obscured, with the visibility 1/2 mi. in fog, temperature -24°C, dew point -27°C, and wind calm. At 1600Z, it was 500 ft. obscured with 1 mi. visibility in fog.
On arriving at the airport, we started the engines. A radio call to the Watson Lake community aerodrome radio station revealed that the latest weather was now down to 100 ft. obscured, with the visibility 1/8 mi. in fog, temperature -22°C, dew point -25°C, and wind calm. This meant, of course, that our departure was going to be delayed, but we decided to taxi the aircraft over to the nearby terminal so that we could at least go inside and be warm while we waited for the weather to improve.
On shutting down and deplaning, I was amazed to note that 1/2 to 3/4 in. of ice had formed on the leading edge and the entire back surface of the propeller blades. The ground run and taxi had taken fewer than five minutes. The props are electrically heated, but little of the ice was on the heated area.
We removed the ice and, after the fog lifted, we departed without incident. What would have happened had we attempted to take off earlier, I do not know. There would certainly have been substantially more ice on the props after the taxi, run-up and takeoff roll.
It's something to keep firmly in mind when operating in fog at low temperatures.
John Faulkner
Whitehorse, Yukon Territory
There is little data on aircraft icing characteristcs in freezing fog. However, the icing environment is known to be severe. And, evidently, at the propeller RPM being used for ground operations, the props became very efficient collectors.
At takeoff RPM, the ice might have been shed, but there are no guarantees. There would likely have been a significant loss of thrust along with a corresponding increase in takeoff distance and a reduced climb performance. If and when the ice broke off, there might have been serious damage from vibration, or from ice striking the fuselage or being ingested by the engine. An engine failure with a poorly performing "good" engine is not a happy thought.
As Mr. Faulker wrote, it's something to keep in mind when operating in freezing fog.
Originally Published: ASL 4/1997
Original Article:Winter Fog
Total Electrical Failure... Using Your Resources
The ferry pilot was making a night transit from Reykjavik, Iceland, to Florida via St. John's, Newfoundland, in a Britten-Norman Islander.
Sometime after departing Iceland, she noticed that the right alternator had failed, but she elected to continue to St. John's.
About 160 mi. from destination, still over the cold grey North Atlantic, she had a complete electrical failure, leaving her without light, radios or navigation aids. However, she was not without resources: using a portable global positioning system and a flashlight, she was able to continue to St. John's, where, with the aid of a portable radio, she re-established communications.
The weather was 300 ft. overcast with 2 mi. visibility and, without electrical power, she was unable to fly an instrument approach. Undaunted, air traffic control provided the pilot with vectors for a successful emergency surveillance approach.
As the aircraft touched down, one engine quit. The pilot shut down the other engine after the landing roll.
After the aircraft was towed to the ramp, she called the tower controller to thank her for her assistance during the approach.
That's keeping cool and using all of your resources.
Maintenance found that the right generator had failed owing to an electrical fault, the left generator was hanging by one bolt, and the battery was completely drained.
Originally Published: ASL 4/1997
Original Article: Total Electrical Failure...Using Your Resources
Electrical Fire
Overcome by electrical fire.
The Beech Baron pilot was on a single-pilot courier run between Winnipeg, Manitoba, and Thunder Bay, Ontario. He had made two stops and was inbound to Thunder Bay when he advised air traffic control that he had "a minor electrical problem with smoke in the cockpit."
Three minutes later, he announced that he was experiencing increasing smoke in the cockpit. Radar contact was then lost as the aircraft descended below the radar horizon.
The aircraft, found the next afternoon by a search and rescue (SAR) aircraft, had been destroyed and the pilot killed on impact.
Although the Transportation Safety Board investigation has not yet been completed, it seems likely that the pilot was overcome by the electrical smoke, fumes and/or fire and lost control of the aircraft. The fact that he continued to communicate and his transponder continued to function until radar contact was lost would seem to indicate that he did not carry out the appropriate check for an electrical fire.
Most aircraft checklists are fairly generic when it comes to electrical smoke or fire:
- Immediately turn OFF the battery and generators to eliminate the source. Even in instrument conditions, you can still fly the aircraft using the remaining air-driven instruments, as in the following story about one pilot's total electrical failure at night over the cold grey North Atlantic. One big difference between the two occurrences was the availability of portable communications. If he had had he another means of communication, the Baron pilot might not have been so hesitant to turn off all electrics.
- Go on oxygen and don a smoke mask if you have one.
- Turn OFF all electrical switches. With the source eliminated, the smoke should disappear or the fire go out.
- Essential electrics can then be brought back on-line one item at a time, while ensuring that the smoke does not re-appear. The key word is "essential." If you don't absolutely need it, don't turn it ON.
Electrical smoke or fire is not a minor problem; it is just as critical an emergency as an engine failure on takeoff is.
Originally Published: ASL 4/1997
Original Article: Electrical Fire
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