Left of Center Line

In attending college, I get to take quite a few interesting classes.  One such elective class, Methods of Criminal Investigation, included a presentation of an accident scene where a plane had crashed and killed all aboard.  Sad circumstances indeed, but the class focused on what caused the horrible images we were looking at.

The circumstances surrounding the crash included a shortage of fuel an a feeble attempt to stretch the last few gallons to reach an airport.  My professor started talking about the speed of the airplane, the angle of approach and the condition of the plane, but I had already made up my mind about the cause of the crash; it all boiled down to a lack of flight planning and a fear of making hard decisions.

I feel for the family that lost their lives and for the pilot that struggled to make it to the airport.  While I feel sympathy, I can't help but wonder why this particular pilot ignored one of the primary lessons any pilot learns when learning to fly: pre-flight planning.  He had filed no flight plan, had no Nav Sheet in the plane and had neglected to get flight-following during his trip.  By time he'd realized he wasn't going to make it on the fuel he had, he was already in trouble.  I can only guess that he tried to stretch the last few gallons of fuel to reach an airport instead of making a safe, power-on landing in a suitable field.

As he approached the airport, he obviously panicked and reached the ground doing roughly 100 knots instead of the 65-75 he should have been doing for that type of plane.  He lost control and slammed into construction equipment along the airport's perimeter.  Rarely am I truly affected by an accident scene or crime scene I see in that class, but this one really pulled at me.  When you know the whole incident was avoidable and that you could have saved their lives had you been involved, it  plucks a heart string or two.

In the end, we study these accidents in hopes that we'll learn from them.  What I take away, and what anyone should take away from this, is that all those flights in primary training that your instructor made you plan aren't for nothing.  I also understand better now why my instructor stressed the idea of making a power-on landing in a field with fuel still in the wings rather than trying to stretch it to an airport you probably won't make.  I encourage all pilots to better appreciate and respect such lessons.  Maybe then we can cut down on scenes like that.