surrounding desert. The report notes that the site was about 4 nautical miles south of the narrow, relatively flat valley in which US Highway 64/87 threads between moun- tains rising above 7,500 feet to peaks as high as 8,185 feet. The pilot’s experience navigating that route is unknown, but a witness at the des- tination said “it was probably minimal,” as “the few times” he’d previously flown to the ranch had likely been from the Perry Stokes Airport (KTAD) in Trinidad, Colorado.
The Takeaway An enduring mystery of aviation safety is why capable and highly experienced pilots either fail to recognize hazards that seem obvious in retrospect or knowingly choose to ignore them. In November 2007, for example, two Civil Air Patrol commanders with more than 53,000 hours between them took off from North Las Vegas on a dark night and flew their Cessna T182
straight into the side of Potosi Mountain. Complacency arising from long-standing comfort in the aircraft and airspace may have come into play in their loss of situa- tional awareness. The puzzling circumstances of the
Raton accident could lead to the conclusion that a pair of ex-military aviators suc- cumbed to the temptation to relive past glories and perhaps impress their passen- gers with a nap-of-the-earth flight over the desert at night. Nothing disclosed by the NTSB’s investigation, however, suggests that either pilot was disposed toward that kind of recklessness, though they were fly- ing a restricted-category ship outside its certification limits. Is it possible they were trying to follow
the highway through the valley but picked up the wrong road? The accident site was just north of a smaller thoroughfare, and the attempt to maintain ground contact in the dark might have accounted for the deci-
sion to fly so low. Another part of the puzzle is why the
newly installed avionics didn’t help to pre- vent the accident. However, we don’t know whether either pilot was familiar with the capabilities of the electronic displays, or even whether the displays were fully oper- ational. Set up properly, the devices could have provided terrain maps and even a heli- copter terrain awareness and warning sys- tem (HTAWS). We know the helicopter was equipped with the radar altimeter needed to provide HTAWS alerts down to 50 feet, but not whether all the required intercon- nectivities had been completed or whether either pilot knew how to invoke those func- tions. We also know that as you climb, the valleys get wider and the peaks farther apart.
Sadly, the low altitudes that helicopter
pilots love—and that serve them so well in combat, law enforcement, and inspection work—are not always their friends.
Get More & Pay Less for HAI HELI-EXPO 2021
Sleep better when you book with the official hotel provider. Don’t miss a thing, sign up to be notified when housing information becomes available:
onpeak.com/hai2021
Deep Discounts
Buy-in-bulk hotel rates, with savings passed on to you.
Exceptional Service
We’re your advocate before, during and after your stay.
Hotel Rewards Points Get credit for your hotel loyalty program.
Flexible Policies
Make adjustments without penalty in case your plans change.
WINTER 2020 ROTOR 73
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84
