Page 28 - Nov23T

Failure to Mitigate
In August 2022, a Cessna 340 on a long straight-in approach in visual conditions collided with a Cessna 152 in the traffic pattern at Watsonville, California. Preliminary information is the 340 pilot radi- oed on CTAF that he was about 10 miles out on a long straight-in. The instructor or student in the 152 acknowledged and eventually reported the 340 in sight, appar- ently far enough out that those on board the 152 felt it was safe to turn base to land ahead of the twin. As the 152 entered final approach, the 340, which initial data shows had as much as a 180-knot ground speed at that point, caught up with and collided with the trainer, with sadly predictable results.
We don’t yet fully know what transpired in this tragic event, and we may never know many of the details. But the 152 pilots may have assumed, when they sighted the 340 on a long straight-in, that the twin had slowed to a normal final approach speed. That could have contributed to a decision to turn in front of the 340. Once the C152 was on base, presumably with the traffic still in sight, its crew might have noted its high speed and bro- ken off per the right-of-way rules in 91.113 concerning a collision threat from the right. Had the 340 pilot sighted the 152, it should have bro- ken off its approach and yielded the pattern to the 152 per 91.113’s rules for overtaking an aircraft. Unfortunately, several safeguards failed to prevent this collision.
Safe to Land
CJP, the Cessna Citation Jet Pilots owner’s group, has responded to a high number of runway excursions in the type by creating its award-winning Safe to Land Initiative. Key to Safe to Land training is a focus on stabilized approach criteria and monitoring for the need for an early go-around before the airplane touches down long with too much energy to stop on the remaining runway. Safe to Land was created to “address shortcomings in the traditional stabilized ap- proach criteria [which] have failed to curtail these accidents.” CJP notes that “those traditional criteria result in a go-around only 3% of the time” when a go-around should be performed. The initiative breaks the paradigm by adding a yellow zone, a period of time beyond the traditional 1,000 and 500 ft. stable approach gates, where [there is] time to “fix it,” while committing to a...point beyond which [the pilot will] commit to go around” (opposite page).
CJP generously makes it safety information available to the public at www.citationjetpilots.com. See if you might adapt the Safe to Land initiative to the type of aircraft you fly.
Glidepath guidance
If the runway is served by an approach with vertical guidance, program it in and use it. Look on the approach chart for a notation that the electronic glideslope or glide path does not coincide with a visual glide path. This usually means there are hard-to-see trees or wires below the missed approach altitude and the airport. When there’s a discrepancy between visual and electronic glide path guidance, go with the visual.
If you have neither electronic nor visual glide path information, on your visual straight-in, descend to traffic pattern altitude (obstacles permit- ting) and fly until the point you’re just outside where you would have turned final if you had flown a full traffic pattern. From there, fly a con- stant angle descent toward the touch- down point. Actually, your aim point should be a runway stripe or so before
your intended touchdown point (200 feet on an IFR-marked runway, one stripe and the space between stripes), allowing for a little extra distance you’ll cover while flaring.
Control glide path angle while flying in the slot, and you can be safe, accurate and stable on a long, straight-in approach. But what other considerations apply?
Tower-controlled airports
Straight-ins are normal practice at tower-controlled airports. Since the tower is sequencing airplanes for use of the runway, much of the collision risk is removed. Tower is not tech- nically providing separation of air- planes in the air, only on the runway, so continue to aggressively scan for traffic f lying straight-in to a towered field. It’s wise to keep the runway, empty taxiways, and crossing run- ways under a close eye since runway incursions are a constant hazard.
26 • TWIN & TURBINE / November 2023