Flying Life: A challenge to readers

When I turned 16, my parents bought me a brand spanking new Pontiac Firebird convertible. I have no idea what they were thinking. My own kids will drive something tank-like and used that will stop working if they drive more than 50 mph. In my parents’ defense, they did make me drive Dad’s old Jeep for a whole year while that shiny Firebird sat in the driveway. But when I turned 17, after a year of safe driving, they handed me the keys. I didn’t crash the first time. It was more like the ninth or tenth. Driving out of the neighborhood, I reached down to change the radio station while making a turn and ran straight into a metal sign in the middle of the median that said, of all things, “Stay off the median.” I said a few words that can’t be published here, then turned around and drove my severely dented car back to the house, crying all the way.

A similar thing happened to a corporate Cessna Citation pilot at my home airport. He looked down momentarily while exiting the runway and ran off the pavement, getting the left main wheel stuck in the wet, muddy ground. The bad part was that the tail of that jet was still hanging over the runway, so the airport had to close for several hours while the ground crew figured out how to get it out of the mud. I’m guessing those pilots might have said a few bad words too when they realized that a moment’s lapse in attention was going to lead to all sorts of trouble.

Perhaps because of the relatively slow pace on the ground compared to inflight operations, we all get a little complacent.I know these are amusing stories (in hindsight), but the dangers of runway and taxiway incidents are no joke. Just ask the families of the 583 people who died in the Tenerife, Spain, crash of 1977. That one happened on the ground when one airliner missed its turnoff and the pilot of another was confused about his instructions from ATC. Perhaps because of the relatively slow pace on the ground compared to inflight operations, we all get a little complacent. Last year, 1,262 runway incursions were reported. That’s 1,262 times someone made a silly mistake that cost them a whole lot of heartache. Even if that incursion did not result in an accident, there was likely an investigation, hours of unpleasant paperwork, and FAA-mandated remedial training if the pilot was at fault.

The FAA believes this subject is so important that on the certificated flight instructor checkride there are 17 different items to cover about runway incursions. Seventeen. Because I am fond of you, my dear readers, I promise I won’t cover all the items here, maybe only four, if you’ll let me?

1. Heads up. Eyes out. Avoid multitasking. When the airplane is moving, look outside. Do not change frequencies. Do not run a checklist. Do not text your mother. You can do all those things when you stop in the run-up pad or on the ramp.
2. For Pete’s sake, slow down. There’s no reason to taxi at rotation speed. The general guidance here is to taxi at a fast walking pace. This will keep you from sailing past your turn or, heaven forbid, taxiing across the runway hold-short lines by mistake.
3. Situational awareness is key. That means if you get confused, don’t be afraid to ask for help from ATC. If something doesn’t feel right, stop moving. Do not taxi another inch until you know exactly where you are on the airport diagram, especially at night or in low visibility. And please, please, do not take off if you haven’t verified the runway numbers on the pavement in front of you. Some 49 people died when Comair Flight 5191 attempted to depart from the wrong runway instead of the longer one for which the pilots were cleared.
4. Plan taxi routes in advance, but watch out for expectation bias. Also, have airport diagrams available. Stack the deck in your favor even if it feels like you don’t need the extra help.
5. Listen. OK, I know I only said four. But this one is important. Keep nonessential conversation to a minimum and listen to what everyone else is doing on the frequency. Controllers, like pilots, are human. They may clear you to takeoff when they’ve already cleared someone else to land or vice versa.

What if we all committed to doing these simple things and made sure our crewmembers and students and fellow pilots did, too? What if we become the group who sets the standard for safety in our industry? I bet we could bring those numbers way down. We are bound to make mistakes, yes, even in airplanes. But, let’s try really hard to avoid the silly ones.

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