Page 20 - Volume 18 Number 3

From this point on, the pilot did a good job with the situation he had made for himself. From the NTSB:The pilot received radar vectors to GA35 [Cyprus Lake, GA, very near Savannah], which [is] a turf strip 2,700 feet long. He was able to see the airport through breaks in the cloud layer. The pilot maintained a descent rate of approximately 2,500 feet per minute, and approximately 150 feet above ground level, he reduced the descent rate and “adopted a normal landing attitude.” On touchdown, the pilot applied full braking. Due to the wet grass conditions, the airplane slid the remaining length of the runway, traveled down an embankment, and impacted trees. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing leading edge and spar, and the left engine nacelle.Very fortunately, the ATP-rated pilot, alone on the aircraft, was not injured.DebriefingThe pilot of this Beech King Air C90 was extremely lucky. Despite flying in instrument meteorological conditions (1,200 broken, 1,700 overcast, visibility 10 miles), he was able to pick out a grass strip between broken clouds, on what was probably a dreary late summer day. He touched down under control and flew the airplane until he had no way to control it anylonger. He almost certainly was wearing his seat belt and shoulder harness, preventing severe head injuries from rapid deceleration when the King Air hit the trees. If only he’d not distrusted what his fuel system was telling him, and diverted to one of any number of readily available alternates at the first doubt about his fuel state.Despite what’s often kicked about in hangar-flying sessions and pilot’s lounges, airplane fuel gauges are required to be functional for the airplane to be considered airworthy, and must be able to accurately reflect fuel levels in flight. But the issue illustrated by this thankfully-not-tragic crash is larger than this one issue. Attempting to circumvent airplane discrepancies – succumbing to creeping normalcy – can set you up for horrible consequences. A good friend of mine, the late Neil Pobanz, who at one time was a chief of U.S. Army fixed-wing operations including King Airs, Twin Bonanzas and Shorts turboprops, was fond of saying: “Your airplane willtalktoyou,ifyou’lllisten.” T&T•Thomas P. Turner is an ATP/CFII/MEI, holds a Masters Degree in Aviation Safety, and was the 2010 National FAA Safety Team Representative of the Year. Subscribe to Tom’s free FLYING LESSONS Weekly e-newsletter at www.mastery-flight-training.com.18 • TWIN & TURBINEMARCH 2014