Safe Landings - August 2011

What would you have done?

In this installment of Safe Landings, both of the reports involve incidents that occurred before, during, or immediately after takeoff. In “the first half of the story,” you will find report excerpts describing the situation up to the decision point. There are no “options” presented as in some of our recent “interactive” issues. It is up to the reader to determine all the possible courses of action and make a decision (preferably within the time frame suggested by the report). 

The selected ASRS reports may not give all the information you want and you may not be experienced in the type of aircraft involved, but each incident should give you a chance to exercise your aviation decision-making skills. In “the rest of the story,” you will find the actions actually taken by reporters to resolve each situation. Publication of a report does not constitute ASRS endorsement of the reporter’s action and the decisions presented may not necessarily represent the best course of action. Our intent is to stimulate thought, discussion and training related to the type of incidents that were reported.

The First Half of the Story

Situation #1: Flat Out Right…or Wrong (Experimental Aircraft Pilot’s Report)

■ [After landing], I realized that I had a flat left main tire. However, due to the strong winds, I was able to apply right aileron, lift the left main and taxi to the FBO on the right main and tail wheel. I…applied “Fix-a-Flat” to the tire [but it] failed to stop the leak. Because the aircraft uses “unusual” wheels, obtaining a replacement tire from the FBO was not an option. Ordering a replacement would have taken a week or so. My options were to fly the airplane home or leave the airplane at the FBO and get a replacement tire. 

I began seriously considering flying the airplane home. My thought process was as follows: This is a tail wheel aircraft well known for its ability to takeoff and land at very slow airspeeds in very short distances. With a touch of flap and lightly loaded, it can lift off at approximately 20 knots. I had 20 knots of wind directly on my nose. I would be airborne with a ground speed of less than 5 knots. Takeoff would not be a problem, even with the flat. My home airport was reporting winds of over 25 knots down the runway so landing would also be a slow ground-speed event…. Having already landed with the flat, I knew that landing and ground handling was not an issue. I elected to fly the airplane home. 

I…was cleared to taxi…. Ground asked me if I was aware that I had a flat left main tire…. I said…I was OK with departing if he was OK with letting me go. Upon contacting Tower, I was told, “Enter the runway at your own risk.” I asked if I was cleared for takeoff. Tower said, “No takeoff clearance will be granted. Enter the runway at your own risk.” I said, “I don’t want to enter the runway if someone else is on final. Am I cleared?” Tower said, “No traffic is observed in the area. Enter the runway at your own risk.”

Situation #2: Low and Slow (Light Sport Aircraft Pilot’s Report)

■ I was to ferry a light sport airplane to its new owner. Since the departure conditions were gusty and the crosswind component was near the maximum demonstrated for the airplane, I considered my choices carefully—whether to leave at all, which runway to use, etc. 

Among the considerations was the takeoff flap [setting]. The manufacturer recommends either no flap, or 15 degrees. For a while, I was “on the fence.” No flap would minimize my initial drift while I was low, but 15 degrees (first “notch”) would have me climbing faster…. At one point I decided that my previous decision to use no flap was not the best choice. I moved the flap selection lever to select 15 degrees…more than the 15 I had already put in, and forgotten…. I failed to verify the setting by looking. Had I done so, I would have seen that the selection lever was pointing at 30 degrees. 

At takeoff, the airplane was climbing very poorly. I found myself drifting off center-line, low and slow over flat airport property in a matter of seconds.

The Rest of the Story - 
The Reporters’ Actions

Situation #1: Flat Out Right…or Wrong

■ I asked the controller straight out, “Are you going to issue me a takeoff clearance?” He replied, “No.” I was not about to cross the hold-short line without a clearance. “Enter the runway at your own risk” was not a clearance in my mind. So I decided that this flight was now over. 

In the end, I am glad that the Tower Controller did not clear me onto the runway and I am also glad that I elected not to cross the hold-short line without a clearance. Ultimately, not taking off and putting the airplane back in the hangar was the right decision. There is just no sense in increasing risk and, while I was sure that both the airplane and I could handle the situation, there is no question that the risk of taking off and landing with a flat tire is higher than without a flat tire.

Situation #2: Low and Slow

■ I realized the error immediately and elected to land on the flat ground, into the wind, rather than attempt to remove any flaps while I was low and relatively slow. The landing itself was normal and no damage resulted. I advised Tower that all was well and I prepared for another departure attempt. 

A friend, who was seeing me off, sent me a text message pointing out that I didn’t have to leave. I had a chance to reconsider. Incredibly, the thought of postponing hadn’t even crossed my mind. That message loosened up whatever mental cog was stuck. A decision to leave the next day seemed obvious, especially when I thought about how this would read in an NTSB report (Pilot attempted to take off; landed off runway after aborting; crashed on second attempt!) That no damage or injury was sustained is largely a matter of luck. 

Nobody would be the least inconvenienced or concerned if this flight took place a day later. What was I thinking? Factors: false urgency; “get-there-itis;” failure to fully appreciate just how vulnerable low-power, low-wing-loading aircraft are to strong crosswinds; failure to look and confirm settings; getting mentally stuck in a groove (i.e. not considering postponing the departure, even with “in my face” evidence of the unsuitability of the prevailing conditions).