By Robert N. Rossier, EAA 472091
This piece originally ran in Robert’s Stick and Rudder column in the January 2022 issue of EAA Sport Aviation magazine.
The close call came on what was my seventh flight of the day. It was hot and humid. Admittedly, I was operating on autopilot to some extent. I had turned my head to both sides to ensure the area was clear, but, somehow, missed seeing what was there. Just as I was about to crank the starter on the right engine, I caught a glimpse of a human form stepping into the arc of the propeller. Had I not seen the person, or had I hit the starter switch a split second sooner, disaster could easily have struck. My pulse quickened and my spine tingled at the thought of what could have happened with this “near miss.”
Each of us is taught to check the surrounding area and yell “clear” out the window before we start the engine. It’s a simple and routine precaution that helps ensure a serious injury or death is avoided. Generally, pilots and others intimate with airplanes know what it means when the rotating beacon suddenly turns on and a voice yells clear. But those are not the only people who can end up on the ramp. And what do those signs mean to others? What’s up with the flashing beacon? What does clear mean? Clear skies? Clear sailing? For the uninitiated, it could mean just about anything — or nothing at all. Even those intimately involved with airplanes and flying — mechanics, pilots, and flight crews — have been known to walk into the arc of a spinning propeller. The take-home message here is that we need to pay attention to details, not just go through the motions.
If we analyze our actions carefully, we might find we’re going through the motions on several actions we perform on any given flight. However, we’re not looking as carefully or as focused as we should be. Again, thinking of the propeller, we know that nicks in the prop can cause stress risers, ultimately resulting in blade failure. That’s an ugly and highly dangerous scenario in flight. But it isn’t the only measure of propeller condition. Do we check for loose spinner fasteners that could detach in flight and gouge a blade? For constant-speed props, do we check the forward-aft play at the blade tip, which might signal a serious condition? What other details might we overlook in our preflight that could make the difference between a good flight and a bad ending?
Another area where we might become complacent and miss important details is in the engine run-up. Some pilots seem to be in a rush when conducting a magneto check, switching to a single mag for what seems like a mere microsecond. Such a short check might not give us a good indication of how well that engine will run on a single mag. A better tactic is to run on each mag for at least a few seconds while paying close attention to the drop in rpm. If the rpm drops excessively or does not drop at all, we have a mag problem that needs to be addressed.
Although we might pride ourselves on using a checklist, it’s easy to check the boxes for some items without really paying attention to the details. Especially on a VFR day, it’s easy to overlook the flight instruments or give them only a cursory scan. Even on a sunshiny day, we should verify that the turn indicator is working, that the attitude indicator is stable during turns, that the compass swings, that the directional gyro responds to a turn, and so on. Likewise, we might glance at the instruments for indications that systems are not operating properly, but are we really identifying any anomalies that might exist? Is the ammeter reading in the right range? Does the reading change as expected when we add or remove an electrical load? How about the voltage, oil pressure, fuel pressure, vacuum suction, or cylinder head temperature? Omitting a thorough check can put us in jeopardy if flight conditions change or emergencies crop up. The reality is that taking careful account of all indications doesn’t add more than a few seconds to our routine, but it could make all the difference in the world in avoiding a bad situation.
When we look closely, we might also realize that our check of the flight controls is not as rigorous as it might be. For example, some aircraft with electric flaps have switches that can be finicky — either not responding to switch movement or moving too easily into an undesired position. Some flap position indicators can be readily misread, creating yet another opportunity for a mistake. Using the wrong flap setting might not cause an accident in many cases, but there are those times when it makes the difference between success and failure. By making a positive (visual, if possible) check of the flap position just before takeoff, we can readily avoid this kind of mistake.
Other details might not even enter our thought patterns on some occasions. When operating at nontowered airports, it can be easy to overlook proper radio function. Perhaps we tune in an automated surface observing system to get the local weather observation. However, unless we receive a response to a radio transmission we make, we could be taking to the air in radio silence. Even an illuminated transmit light when we push the mic button does not guarantee that we are transmitting so others can hear us. In such scenarios, our best bet is to get a radio check from the FBO or another aircraft to ensure we truly are communicating.
Some actions we take can become automatic — completed without conscious thought. We become lost in the details and forget the real intent of our actions. Landing gear retraction comes to mind. Pilots can become accustomed to simply retracting the landing gear once we’re airborne and a positive climb rate established. But that isn’t always the best tactic. A better approach might be to delay retracting the landing gear until we reach a position (altitude) where the landing gear could be extended if necessary for an emergency landing — either on or off airport. There is not necessarily a simple formula or set altitude above the ground when this condition is met. It depends to some extent on the type of aircraft we’re flying, how quickly the landing gear extends, and the condition of any potential off-field landing site. We need to make a conscious decision regarding landing gear retraction, and take note of what might otherwise be an automatic action.
My near miss with the propeller made me question my actions, assumptions, and situational awareness. I recognized the need to redouble my efforts to maintain a safe operation. I needed to carefully measure the intent of my actions and consider the potential for the unexpected regardless of the phase of operation or prevailing conditions.
As we found out when we each first learned to fly, aviation is a thinking person’s game. It is relatively easy to learn the rote, mechanical motions associated with flying. However, it takes unending attention to detail and judgment to consistently get the job done well and safely. Any time we find ourselves “on autopilot,” it’s time to disengage, reengage, and pay attention to the details. We can’t just go through the motions. We never know when danger is lurking about.
Robert N. Rossier, EAA 472091, has been flying for more than 30 years and has worked as a flight instructor, commercial pilot, chief pilot, and FAA flight check airman.