Greg is a Platinum CSIP - Cirrus Standardized Instructor Pilot - which means that he is factory trained and regularly audited by Cirrus to … read more
Pilot Deviations at North Las Vegas
Flying into the Las Vegas valley is an awesome experience. Many G.A. pilots choose North Las Vegas airport (KVGT), they have a great time in Vegas, and then fly home. Unfortunately, too large of a subset of these pilots screw up the instrument departure and find themselves in trouble with the FAA.
Below is a reprint of an FAA Safety Team bulletin that was issued today. If you fly IFR at North Las Vegas, read it and understand it. If you don’t understand it, give me a call and I’ll be happy to spend a day with you going to Vegas and showing you the local procedures. Or on a less grand scale, I can consult by phone or show you this procedure in a simulator.
Fly safe,
Greg
AWARENESS ADVISORY – North Town 2 Departure – Fly this Departure Precisely
The North Las Vegas, NV airport has had over 80 pilot deviations over the last two years. All have been on the “North Town 2” Standard Instrument Departure (SID).
The Las Vegas valley has four airports. The Las Vegas McCarran International Airport is one of the busiest airports in the nation. Nellis Air Force base is also one of the busiest military air bases. Add general aviation Henderson Executive and North Las Vegas airports, and you have a very high volume traffic area and little airspace to maneuver: over one million operations per year. It is imperative that the North Town 2 departure be flown, “as published”, to avoid loss of separation from other Las Vegas area airspace users.
There is nothing remarkable about this departure. Most deviations have occurred simply because of inadequate pre-flight planning and briefing. You must be prepared to fly the departure “as published” precisely. If you are going to fly out of the North Las Vegas Airport, under normal circumstances, you can expect ATC to issue this departure “as published”. Radar vectors are not used. All turns are right turns, except the initial slight left turn off runway 30.
A prudent, proficient, well prepared pilot is no accident. In the case of pilot airspace deviations, “what happens in Vegas, doesn’t stay in Vegas”. Don’t gamble with inadequate flight planning! Don’t raise the question: “if this pilot cannot fly a departure precisely, what else can’t he fly”?
Be prepared to fly the entire procedure precisely!
Jury Sides with Cirrus in Cory Lidle Trial
Bravo to the jury that did not allow this lawsuit to prevail. Based on everything I’ve read, this accident had nothing to do with the airplane (it was not defective in any way); rather it had everything to do with pilot error. The manufacturer isn’t responsible. Maybe this is the turning of the tide in lawsuits against airplane manufacturers?
Fly safe,
Greg
Here’s the story from Flying Magazine:
(5/25/11) A New York federal jury on Tuesday found Cirrus Design does not bear any blame for the October 2006 crash of an SR20 that killed New York Yankees pitcher Cory Lidle, 34, and flight instructor Tyler Stanger, 26.
The pair crashed into a high-rise apartment building as they attempted to make a turn in the tight confines of Manhattan’s East River Corridor. The widows of Lidle and Stanger sued Cirrus for $100 million, saying a binding problem with the SR20’s flight controls prevented the men from making the turn. The theory ran counter to the NTSB’s accident findings that pilot error was to blame.
“Our hearts are with the Lidle and Stanger families who are still grieving,” said Bill King, Cirrus vice president. “We’re gratified that the jury reached a decision that confirmed what the National Transportation Safety Board found and what we have always believed: the SR20 did not cause this accident. We very much appreciate the hard work of the jury and the court in this matter.”
A jury of four men and two women took just three hours to enter a verdict after a trial that lasted four weeks. Lawyers for Lidle’s wife Melanie said they planned to appeal the decision.
In a safety review of the accident, the Air Safety Institute reported, “Data indicate most of the turn was actually accomplished at a bank angle of only 40 to 45 degrees. With the maneuver incomplete and New York’s skyscrapers looming large, the pilot likely increased the bank beyond the 61-degree threshold, placing the Cirrus into aerodynamic stall while pulling through the turn.
“The NTSB determined that the accident’s probable cause was the pilots’ inadequate planning, judgment, and airmanship in the performance of a 180-degree turn maneuver inside of a limited turning space.”
The Winds of Spring Are Blowing!
It’s that time of year again – gusty and variable winds every afternoon. Welcome to Spring!
Not much else makes a pilot as nervous as when they see the windsock extended fully and pointed perpendicular to the runway. When is the last time you did pattern work with a direct crosswind of 10 gusting 15 or more? If you are not feeling as proficient as you should be, it’s time to grab your instructor and go look for some crosswind. Tackle it and make it a fun hour or two of recurrent training.
Do you remember this diagram from Private Pilot training? Proper taxi technique is essential in crosswind conditions. Remember to ‘fly the airplane’ until it is tied down!
Brush up on your strategy by reading this great AOPA article on crosswind training. Then, if you’re a Bay Area pilot, give me a call and we’ll go flying.
Cheers! -Greg www.gregwest.com
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