Page 21 - Volume 16 Number 4

To keep the focus on where it belongs – on safety and survival – establish your standards well in advance of need. Here are some things that will help keep a flight out of harm’s way, if respected.
Avoid Fatigue
Any home-bound flight after a long duty day should be held to no more than three hours and should arrive no later than 10 p.m., body time. Consider raising landing weather minimums for your return trips, perhaps to at least 500 feet of ceiling and three miles of visibility.
Respect The Dark
Landing in mountainous terrain should be avoided during the hours of darkness, and most particularly if weather is a factor. Everything is more difficult at night, so terrain and weather that would be only a minor problem in daylight, or limited nav capability, will tend to raise the stakes of the gamble if the trip ends in the dark.

If an instrument approach is missed, no second attempt should be made unless there’s a clear reason to expect success. Only if the first approach was faulty from an operational reason, or improved weather has been reported by an unbiased human on the surface, should you give it another try. If doing so, treat it as a probable low- approach, with a diversion to the alternate as the expected outcome. The approach will only result in a landing if the runway is solidly in view. Don’t waste fuel on exploratory CFIT risks if the reported weather is below minimums before you begin the approach.
Use Your Resources
Make proper briefings, even if just to yourself, and make callouts at appropriate times, regardless of familiarity. A takeoff should be calculated in advance of the throttle push, with line speeds and V-speeds
written down or displayed. A briefed approach is a safer approach, just so everyone is in concurrence with the procedure. The individual in the right seat should be entirely in the loop, even if he or she is a passenger.
No Marginal Airports
Some airports will meet the requirements of “book” runway length criteria, but are still risky. If forced to use runways that are barely legal, be prepared to divert if a heightened risk is encountered, such as wind, low weather, night or heavy weight. Always increase to the next higher-risk category when consulting performance charts, to gain the safety of a “padded margin”. Be pessimistic when programming the FMS.
Never let the mission drive the operation of the aircraft. Obviously, the trip is being undertaken for a valid reason, but that reason should not require continuing at all costs. Safety must have the final vote. T&T
APRIL 2012
TWIN & TURBINE 19