FAAST Blast — Week of Mar 19, 2018 – Mar 26, 2018
Biweekly FAA Safety Briefing News Update
NTSB Issues New Safety Alert on Weight & Balance Calculations
The NTSB recently issued a new Safety Alert (SA-072) titled “Minding Weight, Maintaining Balance.” The Alert states that between 2008 and 2016, the probable causes of 136 general aviation (GA) accidents were related to pilots improperly conducting preflight performance calculations for weight and balance or not conducting them at all. One-third of these accidents resulted in pilot and/or passenger deaths. Several accident examples described in the Alert show the diverse circumstances under which these types of accidents can happen.
Among the Alert’s recommendations is for pilots to know their aircraft’s limitations and the factors that can affect its performance. It also cautions pilots to conduct weight and balance calculations in accordance with the applicable aircraft flight manuals (AFM) to ensure that your aircraft is loaded within its weight and CG limits. For more details, see the SA-072 here: www.ntsb.gov/safety/safety-alerts/Documents/SA-072.pdf. Also, see the accompanying 4-minute video here: https://youtu.be/sts4PzyIQKg.
Prepare for the Unexpected
The General Aviation Joint Steering Committee (GAJSC) has identified a number of fatal general aviation accidents that occurred following powerplant failure. Mismanagement of light, twin-engine airplanes in single-engine operations was of particular concern. The GAJSC believes that scenario-based training in emergency procedures will be effective in reducing these kinds of mishaps. To learn more, see our #FlySafe fact sheet here: http://bit.ly/2GapDc8.
Flight of the Navigator
As a flying companion, developing your navigation know-how is a win-win situation for everyone. In the end, improving your navigator skills helps you understand more of what’s going on during the flight, with the added benefit of reducing the pilot’s workload. To learn more, read the article “Flight of the Navigator” in the March/April 2018 flying companion-themed issue of FAA Safety Briefing. Download your copy or read online at 1.usa.gov/FAA_ASB. You can also read a mobile-friendly version here: https://adobe.ly/2oX0ASD.
Produced by the FAA Safety Briefing editors, http://www.faa.gov/news/safety_briefing/
Address questions or comments to: SafetyBriefing@faa.gov.
Follow us on Twitter @FAASafetyBrief or https://twitter.com/FAASafetyBrief
