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somewhere. I crawled out of my seat (yup, single pilot) and began unstrapping the cargo behind me.
I think I invented Tetris that night but somehow managed access to another side pocket. Now, what was it that I was looking for? My time of useful consciousness was rapidly running out. It was a “there by the grace of God” moment that I found a cannula. If I had attempted to immediately return to the cockpit, I would not be relating this story. In- stead, something pushed me to plug it in right there. After I took a few breaths, the lights came back on, and I was able to move back in my seat. Now fully coherent, I had some explaining to do with ATC. They were as grateful to have me back as I was to be back.
What I Learned
• Theonlyanswerforhypoxiaisanimmediatedescent. Once you have regained a clear head, you can fig- ure out what went wrong. I was lucky, very lucky, that I survived.
• Use the PRICE checklist (as taught by April Gafford of JATO Aviation). I do this check on the hour and half hour.
P = Check the Pressure gauge to determine how much oxygen you have
R = Regulator. Check the proper setting for how much oxygen flow you are getting. There are different scales for oxysaver cannulas.
I= Indexfinger,checkpulseox
C = Run the entire length of the Cannula check- ing for leaks, kinks and secure connections.
E = Emergency plan – what are you going to do if you are not getting oxygen
• If you ever have the chance to participate in an alti- tude chamber course, please take advantage of the opportunity. It is important to learn your initial symp- toms of hypoxia.
Summary
Unfortunately, there are a few more stories I could relate – mostly when I was a young, bold pilot. What has allowed me to become an old, not so bold pilot was that I’ve learned from these mistakes and taken them to heart. It is unlikely that you will ever experience the same emergencies, so focus on the “what I learned” portion. I’ve spent the last 20 years of my instruction trying to teach clients how not to kill themselves. It’s great to fly that perfect approach or grease a landing, but it’s how you take on risk management and deal with abnormal situations and what you learn from it all that allows you to become an old, not so bold pilot.
Bill Frank is a longtime flight instructor with nearly 50 years of flight experience. He is the 2020 recipient of the COPA Safety and Education Foundation Lifetime Achievement award and the 2022 Safety Award from Cirrus Aircraft. He holds several type ratings and turboprop experience with Pilatus PC-12 NG, TBM 900 series and EPIC aircraft.
1st Source Pending From Rachel
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June 2022 / TWIN & TURBINE • 7