night – Aviation News Talk

375 Final NTSB Report on Night Crash that Killed a ND Senator and family + GA News

Max talks about the NTSB’s final report on the fatal crash of a Piper PA-28-140 in Moab, Utah, in October 2023. The crash killed a North Dakota State Senator, his wife, and their two children. The probable cause was spatial disorientation due to somatogravic illusion, leading to controlled flight into terrain.

Despite being an experienced military helicopter pilot with over 2,000 flight hours, the pilot had limited fixed-wing and night-flying experience. The crash occurred on a dark night with no moon, conditions that significantly increase accident risk. ADS-B data shows the aircraft climbed slightly, then turned right while accelerating, ultimately descending into terrain.

Max explains how somatogravic illusion can mislead pilots into believing they are climbing when they are actually level or descending. He discusses night flying risks, noting that while only about 5% of personal flights occur at night, 20% of fatal accidents do. He emphasizes better planning, including avoiding night takeoffs when possible, delaying turns until reaching a safe altitude, and using a disciplined instrument scan to prevent fixation. He also suggests time-saving strategies like using food delivery services to avoid unnecessary delays that push departures into nighttime conditions.

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Final NTSB Report: Moab Utah Night Takeoff Accident

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270 Exploring the Causes of Two Recent Nighttime Accidents + GA News

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Summary
270 Max talks about two recent fatal night accidents that happened in Florida, which should have been avoidable. One occurred in Lantana after a full day of flying after purchasing an aircraft in Kentucky. After what may have been a bounced landing, the aircraft climbed extremely slowly, turned to the downwind, and lost control. The other involved a low time pilot taking off at night from Venice.

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Mentioned on the Show
#157 5 Ways Somatogravic Illusion is Killing Pilots

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216 Learjet Crash update, PIREPS made simple with Virga App + GA News

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Summary
216 Max discusses the San Diego Learjet crash and how Garmin and ForeFlight Visual Approaches could have been used by the pilots for better situation awareness. He also talks with Matt Lane about using the Virga App to enter PIREPS with the Aviation Weather Center. A listener talks about his experience with flash evaporation, which prevented anti-icing fluid from covering his wings.

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Mentioned in the Show
ForeFlight Video: Visual Approaches And Traffic Pattern Altitude
Fly Virga App on iPhone App Store

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Max Trescott’s G3000 and G5000 Glass Cockpit Handbook
Max Trescott’s G1000 & Perspective Glass Cockpit Handbook
Max Trescott’s GPS and WAAS Instrument Flying Handbook

If you love the show and want more, visit my Patreon page to see fun videos, breaking news, and other posts in the Posts section. And if you decide to make a small donation each month, you can get some goodies!

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214 San Diego Learjet Crash – Interview with Rob Mark

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Summary
214 Max talks with Rob Mark about the San Diego Learjet Crash in El Cajon, and early clues that this landing wouldn’t succeed. The air ambulance flight crashed in poor weather, after canceling IFR, as required at night to land on a longer runway. A poorly flown traffic pattern at low altitude sealed their fate. Max and Rob asked pilots to think about when they would have diverted, if they were flying.

N880Z, a Learjet 35A, crashed while landing at night at Gillespie Field in El Cajon, north of San Diego. The crash was where the base intersects the final, which is a classic location for stall/spin accidents. The aircraft flew a traffic pattern that was lower and farther east than usual, and they were headed straight for Rattlesnake Mountain, which was a couple hundred feet higher than the aircraft. The aircraft crashed about 0.1 miles from the base of the mountain on Pepper Drive. There were no survivors.

The air ambulance flight originated from John Wayne Airport, which was a short, 18-minute flight to Gillespie. The weather at the time was at VFR minimums and IFR minimums for circling. The weather was 3 mile visibility with mist and a broken layer of clouds at 2,000 feet and an overcast layer at 2,600 feet.

The two-pilot crew flew the RNAV (GPS) 17 approach, which has LP minimums of 1,360 feet, for a straight in landing to runway 17. However runway 17 is more than a 1,000 feet shorter than runway 27R, and when the aircraft was approximately 3 miles north of the airport, they cancelled IFR and requested to land on runway 27R. Circling to runway 27R is not permitted at night when flying IFR, which is why the crew cancelled IFR, so that there were legally permitted to land on 27R.

The aircraft crossed overhead the airport very low at 725 feet, less than 350 feet above the field elevation of 388 feet. The aircraft then climbed to 950 feet in a left traffic pattern to 27R. The aircraft flew a traffic pattern that was farther north and east than their prior circles to runway 27R. This resulted in them flying directly toward Rattlesnake Mountain.

Mentioned in the Show
Rob Mark’s JetWhine.com blog
Ep. 199 – IFR Circling Approach Hazards & Tips for Flying Them
ICAO: Circling 25 times more risky that straight-in with glideslope
Ep. 114 – Get-There-itis Accidents, Red Flags, and Tips for Avoiding Them
PAVE Personal minimums checklist
FAA’s Personal and Weather Risk Assessment Guide

Max’s Books – Order online or call 800-247-6553 to order.
Max Trescott’s G3000 and G5000 Glass Cockpit Handbook
Max Trescott’s G1000 & Perspective Glass Cockpit Handbook
Max Trescott’s GPS and WAAS Instrument Flying Handbook

If you love the show and want more, visit my Patreon page to see fun videos, breaking news, and other posts in the Posts section. And if you decide to make a small donation each month, you can get some goodies!

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157 5 Ways Somatogravic Illusion is Killing Pilots + GA News

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Summary
157 Max talks about 5 ways somatogravic illusion continues to kill pilots, including private, instrument, commercial airline, and even glider pilots. It’s particular dangerous when taking off at night over a poorly lit surface, when doing instrument takeoffs in zero zero visibility and when an instrument pilot begins the missed approach. There’s evidence it also affects glider pilots after cable breaks.

News Stories

Mentioned in the Show
Garmin Virtual OSH online videos
Photos of Plane Crashed into Tower
Ron Carmichael Obituary
Sporty’s Virtual Airshow online
Cessna 310 crash at Palo Alto, CA
Derek Piggott’s paper on low G sensitivity in glider pilots
NASA: Human Vestibular System and the Utricle
FAA brochure: Spatial disorientation

Videos
YouTube video version of this podcast on Somatogravic Illusion

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83 Flying to Antarctica, Wind Shear, & Identifying the Missed Approach Point + General Aviation News

[podcast src=”https://html5-player.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/7472579/height/90/theme/custom/thumbnail/no/direction/forward/render-playlist/no/custom-color/88AA3C/” height=”90″ width=”100%” placement=”top” theme=”custom”]83 Flying to Antarctica, Wind Shear, & Identifying the Missed Approach Point + GA News

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Antarctica
Max interviews John Bone about his upcoming flight to Antarctica. Last year, Bone circumnavigated the earth in a westward direction in his Cirrus SR22. This year, he plans to fly his plane and land in Antarctica. Max experiences wind shear on a night flight. And a listener asks for tips on setting up a G1000 to make it more obvious when you reach the missed approach point.

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Using 911 to Get Better Cell Service from the Air
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Mentioned in the Show
Antarctica – Jone Bone’s web site
Antarctica – Earthrounders.com
Gangland Wire podcast – Martin J. McNally interview
Spidertracks Spider 6 tracker
Garmin inReach Explorer+, Handheld Satellite Communicator
Iridium GO! Satellite voice and text with Aviation Antenna

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59 Summary of Recent Private Pilot NorCal Fatal Accidents including Long Trips, Weather, Night & Loss of Control + GA News

[podcast src=”https://html5-player.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/6545445/height/90/theme/custom/autoplay/no/autonext/no/thumbnail/yes/preload/no/no_addthis/no/direction/forward/render-playlist/no/custom-color/09aef7/” height=”90″ width=”100%” placement=”top” theme=”custom”]59 Summary of Recent Private Pilot NorCal Fatal Accidents,Trips,Wx,Night

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Max gives a summary of recent fatal accidents in Northern California, and how they are similar and different from accidents in the rest of the U.S. Many result from Long Trips, Weather, Night & Loss of Control. A listener shares his experience with GPS jamming while in flight. Another listener asks about how to deal with airsickness he experienced on a first flight lesson.

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Mentioned in the Show
AOPA Flight School Survey
WiFi connection blocking Cellular data in flight?
Trevor’s Live Sectional Map

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57 Best Headlamps for Night Flying, New FAA Guidance for Non-Towered Airport Operations + GA News

[podcast src=”https://html5-player.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/6484910/height/90/theme/custom/autoplay/no/autonext/no/thumbnail/yes/preload/no/no_addthis/no/direction/forward/render-playlist/no/custom-color/09aef7/” height=”90″ width=”100%” placement=”top” theme=”custom”]Your Cirrus Specialist. Call me if you’re thinking of buying a new Cirrus SR20 or SR22. Call 1-650-967-2500 for Cirrus purchase and training assistance.

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Listeners recommended ten headlamps for night flying and Max purchased and evaluated six of them to see how well they worked in the cockpit. The FAA has a new Advisory Circular on Non-Towered Airport Operations, and Max talks about what’s new in it. A listener passes along an idea for identifying the runway orientation at unfamiliar airports. Another listener asks when is the best time of year to fly a Cessna172 from New York City across the country, and what routes should he take.

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Mentioned in the Show
New FAA AC 90-66B on Non-Towered Airport Operations.
Cirrus Pilot Proficiency Program.
Detailed Instruction – Live Sectional Wall Map.
Video of Black Diamond Spot headlamp – varying red brightness

News Stories

40 Aviation Safety: Cirrus and low flying Cessna 172 Accidents, Air Canada Incident, ForeFlight and more + GA News

[podcast src=”https://html5-player.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/5916742/height/90/theme/custom/autoplay/no/autonext/no/thumbnail/yes/preload/no/no_addthis/no/direction/forward/render-playlist/no/custom-color/09aef7/” height=”90″ width=”100%” placement=”top” theme=”custom”]Your Cirrus Specialist. Call me if you’re thinking of buying a new Cirrus SR20 or SR22. Call 1-650-967-2500 for Cirrus purchase and training assistance.

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Max talks about three recent accidents where aircraft got in trouble while flying too close to the ground. One was Cessna 172 flying low over the Mississippi river, and another was a Cirrus SR22 that hit power lines while flying an approach at night to the Lancaster, TX airport. In that incident, the passenger pulled the parachute when the plane hit the first set of line, and the parachute snagged a second set of power lines, holding the aircraft three feet above the ground.

He also talks about Night Flying Safety and in detail about black hole approaches, how they create an illusion which causes pilots to fly a curved path into the ground, and the importance of using a visual or electronic glide slope when flying over dark areas on approach to land at night.

Listener Jeff from Massachusetts recommended this episode of the Omega Tau podcast on radar, transponders, and ADS-B.

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