ISTOCK/NICOLASMCCOMBER
ACCIDENT RECOVERY
By David Jack Kenny
Out of Character Instructor’s in-flight behavior belies his professional reputation.
T
HE SATISFACTION OF HAVING MASTERED something exceptionally difficult rarely com- pares to the pleasure of putting that mastery to
work. Like surgeons or Broadway stars, top-notch pilots—who can be seen as both professionals and per- forming artists—sometimes enjoy the thrill of perfect execution, every detail clicking exactly as intended. But that euphoria is best tempered with appropriate caution. Getting swept up in the moment can lead to a very unpleasant surprise.
The Mission At 12:08 pm local time on Aug. 21, 2018, a Hughes 369FF took off from the Georgetown (Texas) Municipal Airport (KGTU) for Draughon-Miller Central Texas Regional Airport (KTPL) in Temple, Texas. The Part 91 instructional flight was one of a regular series operated under contract with the US Army Security Assistance
Training Management Organization (SATMO) to provide recurrent training in emergency procedures to pilots of the Special Operations Command of the Royal Jordanian Air Force.
Classes of five pilots each rotated through a two-
week program whose nine hours of flight time included orientation to the local training area; simulated engine, hydraulic, and anti-torque failures; and a live-fire marks- manship exercise over a designated firing range. Comparable training isn’t available in Jordan. The Hughes 369FF was a close replica of the MD 530F model flown by the Jordanians in the field. It was configured to place the trainee in the right seat, the one occupied by the command pilot in Jordan. The trainees were described as “very well accomplished,” already qualified as either pilot-in-command or second-in-com- mand. Except for the orientation and live-fire flights, all training was conducted in the environment of the
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