LETTERS CFIT: how to give pilots the means to avoid it The root cause of controlled flight into terrain (CFIT) needs to be addressed. CFIT becomes a non-issue only if the aviation industry provides the crew with safe height/altitude information at all times. The fact that a safety net system is needed is by itself admitting something is basically wrong. The industry may solve the problem at its roots only when some or all of the following is taken care of: • provide a vertical profile display, including terrain profile; • eliminate non-precision approaches; • stop operating at airports not properly equipped; • apply master minimum equipment list rules to airport equipment; • generate an alert if die barometer set is wrong at transition height/level; • display minimum obstruction clearance altitude, grids and display penetration; • add a terrain and obstacle database to that of the flight management system. The answer must not be die further development of safety net systems, but die prevention of CFIT situations. Present day computing power and display technology could eliminate CFIT by simply providing die pilot widi better information. The responsibility lies with aircraft manufacturers and airlines building and operating aircraft. Eliminate commercial suppliers from the flight safety formulae. It is about time to take CFIT one step further. It can be done and it should be done. It is not acceptable to feel comfortable knowing some alert will sound if disaster is imminent. Will we run out of excuses soon? A P KLEINJAN Haarlem, Netherlands simulators, teaching pilots to fly smoothly, and not to over-react, but with a ground proximity warning system (GPWS) hard warning, instant "knee-jerk" is what is needed. Emergency drill quick reference handbooks give GPWS response as "full power, full up", or initiate a go-around, etc. The former gives no real guidance: what does pull up mean-10°, 20°, 30°? The latter is, I suggest, totally inadequate. Of course, there is no excusing die captain who is too low, in the wrong place, and, no doubt, enhanced GPWS will help prevent diis. When a hard warning does occur, however, moments spent deciding how much/how far to pull up can make, and I am sure have made, die difference between life and deadi. He must respond instantly to die acceptable limits of the performance envelope. As a training captain of many years experience, military and civil, I am a little concerned diat teaching in die area of CFIT is somewhat lacking. I have noticed diat a large number, if not die majority, of CFITs occur within 500-1,000ft Simulator profiles should be (150-300m) of the summit of developed for every type, and be high ground. I do not have part of both conversion and information on the aircraft status recurrent training in all airline immediately prior to impact, but programmes. Surely, on die basis I am willing to bet diat they are of historical statistics, it should nowhere near die limits of have as much priority as die performance of die aircraft. And asymmetric, non-directional yet, surely, in die circumstances, beacon approach to minimums. diey should be. TERENCE KENNY We spend most of our time, in Wilmslow, Cheshire, UK Are supersonic funds worth it? These included "No increase in the level of engine noise can be tolerated...", and "Economic operations at supersonic speed You report {Flight International, 2 5must be practicable over inhabited areas at any time of the February, PI 5) that NASA day or night. Sonic boom could proposes to spend $365 million prevent this...". Soon afterwards, on "a six-year effort to develop widi government support, and ground test a full scale sections of die industry in France, power plant for a Mach 2.4 the UK, the USA and the USSR supersonic airliner". began supersonic projects, By aviation industry standards apparently assuming diat IATA; this is not a vast amount. But by requirements could be met, or die same standards, predictably could be ignored. Both die actual cost will be far more. assumptions were mistaken. The Taxpayers in die USA should excessive noise of a small number question this expenditure. Has NASA forgotten that in 1962 die of Concorde movements has been imposed upon die neighbours of a International Air Transport few airports. Frequent Association (IATA) published Requirements for die Supersonic movements at many airports by a new supersonic fleet would be a Airliner (known as "IATAs Ten different matter. Presumably Commandments for the SST")? NASAs engines are for a supersonic airliner about twice the size and weight of Concorde, requiring far more thrust for take-off. Noise energy levels permitted by modern airport rules are 1-2% of Concorde's output. The new supersonic airliners' sonic boom would be far worse than Concorde's, which prevented operation over land, decimating its proposed route network. IATAs "requirements", and the supersonic specifications published in 1960 by ICAO could usefully be republished, widi an up to date assessment of their implications. Vastly more information is available now than it was almost 40 years ago. RICHARD WIGGS Biggleswade, Bedfordshire, UK The opinions on this page do not necessarily represent those of the editor. Flight International cannot undertake to publish letters without name and address and reserves the right to select or edit letters FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 15 - 21 April 1998 WHAT'S ON Prop '98 Pilot's Review ofProficiency 17-18 April, Atlanta, Georgia, USA Contact: June Spencer, FlightSafetv Tel:+1 (713)644 1521 Fax:+1 (713)6442118 Sun 'nfun 19-2S April, Lakeland, Florida, USA Contact: Seaplane Pilots Association, PO Box 6750, Lakeland, Florida 33807, USA Tel:+1(941)6442431 Fax:+1(941)6449737 IPEC '98 20-21 April, London, UK Contact: Shephard Conferences & Exhibitions, 111 High Street, Burnham, Buckinghamshire SL1 7JS, UK Tel:+44 (1628) 604764 Fax:+44 (1628) 664075 E-mail: [email protected] European Airlines in the New Millennium 20-21 April, Brussels, Belgium Contact: Sonia Brant Tel:+44 (1932) 355244 Fax:+44 (1932) 354576 Thomson Training & Simulation User Group Conference 20-21 April, Brighton, Sussex, UK Contact: TT&SL, Gatwick Road, Crawley, Sussex RH10 2RL, UK Tel:+44(1293) 563862 Fax:+44(1293) 563682 ATS Facility and Safety Management 20-30 April, Singapore Contact: Carol New Tel: +65 5406216; fax: +65 542 9890 RVSM Symposium 21-23 April, Luxembourg Contact: Dietmar Dorr Tel: +3 52 43 60 61204;fex:+3 52 42 2071 E-mail: [email protected] Dangerous Goods 98 21-23 April, Frankfurt, Germany Contact: Lucie Pinsonneault, IATA Montreal, Canada Tel: +1 (514)8446311, ext3452 Fax:+1(514)8444698 Minimising Aircraft Turnaround Ttmes 27-28 April, London, UK Contact: ITR, London, UK Tel:+44 (171) 915 5055 Fax:+44(171)915 5056 Sixth Annual Middle East Aircraft Technology ir Maintenance Conference 28-29 April, Fort Lauderdale, Florida Contact: Aviation Industry Conferences, 31 Palace Street, London SW1E 5HW.UK Tel:+44 (171)9317072 Fax:+44(171)931 7186 Shuttleworth Spring Air Display 3 May, Old Warden Aerodrome, Biggleswade, Bedfordshire Contact: Old Warden Aerodrome Tel:+44(1767)627288 Fax:+44(1767)627745 43
© Copyright 2024