AOPA'S AIR SAFETY INSTITUTE RELEASES NEW ACCIDENT CASE STUDY
The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association Air Safety Institute (ASI) has released a new episode of its popular Accident Case Study video series.
The latest video in the series, Accident Case Study: High Aspirations, recreates the events that led a normally aspirated Piper PA 32 Cherokee Lance to crash only minutes after takeoff from South Valley Regional Airport, a small nontowered airport just southwest of Salt Lake City, Utah.
“We look at factors that affected the flight, including high-density altitude conditions,” said ASI Senior Vice President Richard McSpadden.
McSpadden continued, “High density altitude’s debilitating effect on airplanes with normally aspirated engines is critical for us to understand—especially when optimum performance is needed during our takeoffs and landings.
“We should also be mindful that published aircraft performance can sometimes be difficult to achieve in actual operational conditions. ASI recommends padding performance numbers by 50 percent,” McSpadden concluded.
Accident Case Studies use FAA air traffic control radio communication transcripts, National Transportation Safety Board documentation, and video animation to recreate the dynamics, and track each accident’s chain of events. The videos share critical lessons to help pilots recognize and avoid similar mistakes.
View the accident case study.
