Approach articles from November 2007

Approach archives from November 2007

The right mind-set.(Admiral's Corner)
November 1, 2007... I've only been at the Naval Safety Center a few months, and the basic concept continually reinforced to me is: Safety must be an integral part of everything we do. Our command's mission is to enhance the warfighting capability of the Navy...

From the Director, Aviation Safety Programs.(The Initial Approach Fix)
November 1, 2007... While at Tailhook '07, I had an opportunity to sit on the Current Technology and Operations Panel, which focused on the tactical environment. Naval aviation, manufacturers, and contractors have done an outstanding job developing equipment,...

Midairs, near-midairs, runway incursions.(The Initial Approach Fix)
November 1, 2007... In this issue, ATCS Fredda Bryan, our air-traffic-control analyst, provides an overview of these topics, including several representative scenarios. The "There I was" stories included in this issue confirm that these situations are occurring...

International Helicopter Safety Symposium.(The Initial Approach Fix)
November 1, 2007... Many of the problems the civil helicopter community face are similar to those in naval aviation. Recently, aviation-safety-directorate members attended the International Helicopter Safety Symposium 2007. Nearly 300 representatives from the...

Bravo Zulu.(The Initial Approach Fix)
November 1, 2007... The following Navy and Marine Corps squadrons submitted aviation 3750 hazard reports using WESS during the third quarter of FY07: These squadrons submitted five or more hazreps: HS-10 VR-40 VT-3 VT-9 VT-21 VT-28 VT-31...

Safety awards.(The Initial Approach Fix)
November 1, 2007... Submissions for CY07 safety awards, including Admiral Flatley, CNO Aviation Safety, and Grampaw Pettibone, are due the first quarter of CY08 IAW OPNAVINST 1650.28A. Contact your controlling custodian safety officers for details.

Midair and near-midair events: in the last eight years, midair collisions have cost the Navy and Marine Corps more than $795 million.
November 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] While The Naval midair collisions are costly to naval aviation, we first need to focus on the many near-midair collisions (NMACs) to prevent situations that lead to actual collisions. The Naval Aviation Safety...

Midair and near-midair scenarios.
November 1, 2007... Our and share Naval Safety Center air-traffic-control analyst reviewed several scenarios from the WESS database. The following edited versions give a synopsis, provide causal factors, and share comments from leadership. The tenets of crew...

TCAS saves the day.
November 1, 2007... TCAS The traffic-alert-and-collision-avoidance system II (TCAS II) is an airborne system that uses active surveillance to alert the pilot to the presence of other nearby aircraft. TCAS interrogates the transponders of other aircraft to...

Wildfires and airspace: if you smell smoke, you're in the wrong spot.
November 1, 2007... Interagency-aircraft fly in support of ground-based units that are fighting wildfires, with the common goal to protect life and property. To facilitate the firefighting effort, temporary flight restrictions (TFRs) are placed on airspace over...

Mishap-free milestones.
November 1, 2007... Mishap-Free Milestones HMLA-369 16 years 8 months 100,000 hours HMH-362 24 years 6 months 70,000 hours

When the blue threat is painted gray.(ORM Corner)
November 1, 2007... Our hazrep summary line said, "Starboard during warfare-summary line said, "Starboard outboard pylon-ejector feet of FA-18C grazed the top of the port wing of FA-18E capabilities-exercise practice." Although the incident only resulted in a...

The phantom TCAS hit.
November 1, 2007... Early August found and you me scheduled for one of my T-1A Jayhawk lowlevel navigation events. In July, the weather had been good in the morning got SIGMETed in the afternoon. Now, when I drove to work in the morning, the clouds already were...

A bright, clear friggin' day.
November 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Lead and wing compare notes. What Happened Lead: The flight was a good deal, day launch, pinky recovery, Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) mission on the first day of the New Year. My section was scheduled for...

Big plane, small sky.
November 1, 2007... Our combat cruise. Prowler squadron was privileged to be the first squadron to simultaneously support two campaigns in separate AORs. This situation challenged our ready room during our winter During the deployment, we conducted split-site...

Simulated emergency, real near-midair.
November 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] To student naval flight officers (SNFOs), instructors always stress good lookout doctrine throughout every evolution to maintain safety of flight. This doctrine is important in the environment where VT-4 conducts its...

Under-run: under-practiced.(Crew Resource Management)
November 1, 2007... With an upcoming deployment, we were in the middle of our field-carrier-landing practice (FCLP). We also were practicing some formation flying. Most of the squadron pilots had not flown formation since the last deployment's fly-in six months...

A not-so-simple day case III.
November 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The scenario began as expected. In one of the oldest Navy traditions, a real "good deal" had fallen to the very bottom of the squadron's totem pole: The junior WSO teamed up with a brand new 0-4 (hinge) pilot for a...

Where's the love?
November 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] We had another great day for flying in the beautiful American Southwest. I was part of a flight of four AH-1Ws flying a cross-country from Sedona, Ariz., to NAS North Island, Calif., where we would spend the night....

How the big sky becomes small.(BLUE THREAT)
November 1, 2007... As a command-and-control (C2) platform, the E-2C Hawkeye is supposed to be the purveyor of situational awareness. With the "big picture" on three displays in the back and two sets of eyes up front in each plane, two Hummers never should meet...

What's on the runway? "I can't believe that just happened." If you've ever been on a microphone, whether aircrew or controller, you've said that phrase.
November 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Runway incursions continue to be the No. 1 reported hazrep (hazard report) for the Navy and Marine Corps--and the situation isn't improving. Solving this problem may not be as easy as 1-2-3, but it can be as simple...

Runway incursion scenarios.
November 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Our from the Safety Center air-traffic-control analyst offers these two runway-incursion scenarios to reinforce the value of crew resource management. These examples are taken WESS data base and are typical scenarios...

The pavement just moved.
November 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Day three in theater, and what better way to break in my fresh new credit card than on an Osan RON (remain overnight). A four-year supply of sneakers and new luggage tags for the kids were on the list. Osan...

What's a bug smasher doing in my MOA?
November 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] As a general-aviation pilot, I fly through MOAs (military-operating areas). When I use my GPS moving-map display, I can fly along As the border of a restricted area. My Mode C sometimes doesn't work, and I tend...

USNTPS.(Bravo Zulu)
November 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Capt. Kevin Krzeminski, an instructor at HMLA/T-303 (the UH-1N and AH-1W fleet-replacement squadron), was the aircraft commander of the Dash-2 aircraft in a flight of two UH-1Ns. They were conducting basic...

HMLA/T-303.(Bravo Zulu)
November 1, 2007... Bill Warlick (a Wyle Labs contractor instructor and a retired Navy commander) and Lt. Travis Inouye (a test-pilot-under-instruction) were flying a handling-qualities syllabus flight in the U-6A Beaver. This aircraft is regarded as one of the...