Solo Antics

[ShawnC]

Teen pilot from Indiana survives crash landing on first solo flight
Associated Press
April 9, 2004


FAIRFIELD, Ohio -- Knocked off course by a tail wind and running out of gas, a 17-year-old pilot flying her first solo flight picked out a farm field for a crash landing.

Her single-engine Cessna 152 skipped through the field before hitting a dirt mound and flipping over onto its roof, leaving Bridgett Green, of Scottsburg, Ind., hanging upside down by her seat belt in the cockpit.

Her only injuries were a scrape on her leg and a bump on her head when she released her seat belt.

"She did a really good job. Instead of letting panic set in, she actually landed the plane," said Stanley Oligee, a state trooper who investigated the forced landing on Wednesday night.

Green has flown more than 40 hours on a student pilot's license. She was returning to an airport in Clark County when she ran into trouble.

"I was going back and hit a tail wind. I overcorrected ... and it sent me farther out," she said. "I tried to radio for help and it just happened a man named Ron from our airport in Indianapolis heard me and he tried to help."

Green said she realized that she was going to run out of gas and her engine quit, but the plane was going about 80 mph and the propeller was still going. She picked out the farm field, about 25 miles north of Cincinnati, and circled a few times so people could see her.

"When I saw the field I told him (Ron) I knew what I was doing and I would be OK," she said.

When the plane stopped, Green tried to call a control tower by radio to say she was OK.

"But it didn't work so I grabbed my stuff, took the key out and started walking," Green said.

Green was taken to Fort Hamilton Hospital and released after about 10 minutes, she said.

-------------------------------------------------------
Suddenly my unlogged landings ("He might get mad if he knew that I got that lost.") during my solo flight seem tame.

 

[Jedi_Cheese]

Ummm... Aren't you supposed to stay in the traffic pattern on your first solo flight?

Oh, and tell me what WYBMABIITY means? It is driving me up the wall...

 

[ShawnC]

Ummm... Aren't you supposed to stay in the traffic pattern on your first solo flight?

Generally. Probably was her first solo XC.

Oh, and tell me what WYBMABIITY means? It is driving me up the wall...

Will ya buy me a beer if I tell you?

 

[Lazy8]

Will ya buy me a beer if I tell you?

lol

G

 

[Jedi_Cheese]

Thx for tellin me

 

[wickedpilot]

Teen pilot from Indiana survives crash landing on first solo flight
Associated Press
April 9, 2004


FAIRFIELD, Ohio -- Knocked off course by a tail wind and running out of gas...

"Knocked off" course? C'mon maybe "blown" off course. Do you think a student would be flying solo on a day where the wind could KNOCK around the airplane and be unable to maintain course hdg??

"Running out of GAS!!!" I'm sure her CFI is clinching on to his/her tickets because he/she knows that they're going to be snatched away VERY soon. What ever happened to a supervised solo? You know, having the student make position reports along their route, making a phone call when they land at their destination and giving you (the CFI) actual calculations of EVERYTHING pertinent to the flight (ie, ETE's & ETA's vs Actual times and FUEL REMAINING!! Running out of gas on a first (in this case probably XC) solo is something that should never happen.

Her single-engine Cessna 152 skipped through the field before hitting a dirt mound and flipping over onto its roof, leaving Bridgett Green, of Scottsburg, Ind., hanging upside down by her seat belt in the cockpit.

C'mon Roof? I won't even comment

Her only injuries were a scrape on her leg and a bump on her head when she released her seat belt.

Haha, I can just visualize this...the girl slams the A/C down into the field, prop strikes, flips the A/C over on it's WINGS, and is hanging there. She sits for a minute hanging and thinks "wow, I'm alive"...then proceeds to remove her seat belt (not realizing she's going to fall?) and BAM, nails her head.

posted by ShawnC [/i]
"She did a really good job. Instead of letting panic set in, she actually landed the plane," said Stanley Oligee, a state trooper who investigated the forced landing on Wednesday night. [/QUOTE]

No, a "good job" would have been to
A. make a no-go decision on the flight if the winds were capable of "KNOCKING" a 152 off course or
B. to not let the engine get to the point of quitting due to fuel starvation.

But what do I know, I'm not the media or a police officer.

 

[labbats]

I get the feeling the NTSB report will read quite a bit differently than the newspaper.

 

[Stifler's Mom]

I remember my first solo X-country. I was scared to DEATH!!!!

 

[Jedi_Cheese]

wickedpilot
What ever happened to a supervised solo? You know, having the student make position reports along their route, making a phone call when they land at their destination and giving you (the CFI) actual calculations of EVERYTHING pertinent to the flight (ie, ETE's & ETA's vs Actual times and FUEL REMAINING!! Running out of gas on a first (in this case probably XC) solo is something that should never happen.

You mean you would have your student land and then report from the ground that they have arrived? I never got that treatment. Why the hell don't you just follow them in another C152 and bitch and complain if they get off course? I got the "if you get lost, dial xxx.x on your VOR and follow it to the beacon. If you are low on fuel, the runway is about 30 ft from the beacon" speech and the "look at your watch before you takeoff. If it is after xxx time, park on the ramp, break out the change you have and give our FBO a call from inside their FBO and ask for me (or another CFI)" speech.

wickedpilot
Haha, I can just visualize this...the girl slams the A/C down into the field, prop strikes, flips the A/C over on it's WINGS, and is hanging there. She sits for a minute hanging and thinks "wow, I'm alive"...then proceeds to remove her seat belt (not realizing she's going to fall?) and BAM, nails her head.

High wing aircraft flip over on a crash landing. Normally the wheels break off, a wingtip digs in, and the aircraft flips over. Low wing aircraft don't do that because when the wheels snap off, the wingtips don't dig into the ground and thus it doesn't flip. When you are upside down, you don't exactly have alot of options for getting out of the aircraft other than taking off your seatbelt and smacking your head.

 

[FracCapt]

B. to not let the engine get to the point of quitting due to fuel starvation.

Just to be a pain in the arse, I thought I would point out that this would be a case of fuel exhaustion, not fuel starvation. Fuel exhaustion means there is none left. Fuel starvation means there is fuel left, but is inaccessible in the current situation(maybe due to a fuel selector being on Left when there is plenty of fuel in the Right tank, maybe due to clogged fuel filter, etc).

 

[A Squared]

Re: Re: Solo Antics

Just to be a pain in the arse, I thought I would point out that this would be a case of fuel exhaustion, not fuel starvation. Fuel exhaustion means there is none left. Fuel starvation means there is fuel left, but is inaccessible in the current situation(maybe due to a fuel selector being on Left when there is plenty of fuel in the Right tank, maybe due to clogged fuel filter, etc).

Just to prove I can be a bigger pain in the arse than you:

While fuel starvation is not necessarily fuel exhaustion, fuel exhaustion is ipso facto, fuel starvation. (note: I get extra pedantry points for using latin)

 

[sqwkvfr]

I'm not knocking this girl, but this...........

"..... I grabbed my stuff, took the key out and started walking," Green said.

....made me chuckle....it's a good thing she grabbed that key!!

 

[JB74]

....made me chuckle....it's a good thing she grabbed that key!!

She didn't want anyone to steal it

 

[generaltso]

That's what just what we need more of in aviation... empty kitchens.

 

[FN FAL]

Since you got a good aviation related "when chicks screw up" thread going on, I might as well post this one to go along...

U.S. Air Marshal Forgets Gun in Restroom




CLEVELAND (AP) -- A federal air marshal accidentally left her gun in a restroom at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport, an airport spokeswoman said Friday.

A passenger found the semiautomatic handgun Thursday and notified an airport employee. The employee then told airport police, who secured the weapon, said the spokeswoman, Pat Smith.

"They later found it belonged to a federal air marshal who apparently was using the restroom and put it up on the shelf while she was washing her hands and forgot about it," Smith said.

Dave Adams, a spokesman for the federal Air Marshal Service, said the marshal, whose name was not released, probably would be suspended.

"The air marshal realized within five minutes that she had lost her weapon, went back to the police department and it was subsequently returned to her," Adams said. "Obviously, we are very concerned about the situation.

There were no delays or other disruptions at the airport.

Copyright 2004 Associated Press. All rights reserved.

 

[AxisVDP]

Green has flown more than 40 hours on a student pilot's license.

What the hell? It took her 40 hours to solo?

 

[wickedpilot]

You mean you would have your student land and then report from the ground that they have arrived? I never got that treatment.

Yes, I do. It is the responsibility of the CFI "to provide guidance and restraint with respect to the solo operations of their students. This is by far the most important flight instructor responsibility because the instructor is the only person in a position to make the determination that a student is ready for solo operations." The reason that statement is in quotes is b/c it comes directly from the Aviation Instructors Handbook, not to mention, it's pretty common knowledge.

It's surprising that you being a private pilot would think it's "not cool" for your Instructor to have you call him/her after landing on one of your XC solo's.

When you are upside down, you don't exactly have alot of options for getting out of the aircraft other than taking off your seatbelt and smacking your head.

How about bracing yourself with your arms?

 

[Jedi_Cheese]

wickedpilot
Yes, I do. It is the responsibility of the CFI "to provide guidance and restraint with respect to the solo operations of their students. This is by far the most important flight instructor responsibility because the instructor is the only person in a position to make the determination that a student is ready for solo operations." The reason that statement is in quotes is b/c it comes directly from the Aviation Instructors Handbook, not to mention, it's pretty common knowledge.

It's surprising that you being a private pilot would think it's "not cool" for your Instructor to have you call him/her after landing on one of your XC solo's.

I would not have my student call me at every airport they flew into because it is a waste of time and you needlessly risk the student doing something stupid (wandering around an unfamiliar airport looking for a parking spot). They should know what they are doing by the time you sign them off and any limits should be pre-set before they touch the keys. They should know what they are doing by this point (if not, why are they going solo?).

If there are any concerns about the flight, it shouldn't be taken. If there are items that are unlikely but possible, you should make it clear what to do under those circumstances. Any student solo flight should have a through plan and run like clockwork, or as close to clockwork as they can get it (which had better be pretty close).

wickedpilot
How about bracing yourself with your arms?

Ever done a one handed handstand while in a sitting position? You have an awkward position to start with (sitting down) and you need 1 hand to hit the buckle...

 

[ShawnC]

What the hell? It took her 40 hours to solo?

Don't know the particular situation but like I mentioned before I would guess it was most likely during her first solo XC (it's pretty hard to run out of fuel and get lost on your first solo).

But I have seen students at Riddle that don't solo until 40 hours.

Anyways I was on the group with Jedi. Other than first solo XC, my CFI only really cared about approving my flight plan and nav. log, and to give the standard how to get home and don't hesitate to ask for help speech. Other than that he felt that I could fend for myself.

I wonder who's going to get pegged for it? I am pretty sure it would be the CFI.

 

[Typhoon1244]

What the hell? It took her 40 hours to solo?

My dad didn't solo me until about thirty-five hours. I was ready a lot sooner, but he wasn't...seeing as how I am his oldest son and first student!

I remember making my first cross-country...Knoxville to Crossville, Tennessee. I felt like Lindbergh crossing the Atlantic. Even thought about packing a survival kit.

Now I look down at the same area from three-three-oh, and I think, "well, hell...it was just from there to there! What was I so worried about?"

 

[Jedi_Cheese]

I have the distinction of my second solo X-C being signed off by a CFI that I had never flown with. I was going to have that happen on my 3rd X-C but the temp was 2C under the minimum allowed student solo temperatures and thus I never went.

ShawnC
I wonder who's going to get pegged for it? I am pretty sure it would be the CFI.

I don't have any experience (and have never read about any cases) but wouldn't the student get the lions share of the blame (if the CFI did his CYA correctly)? She was the PIC after all.

But if the CFI and the stage 3 CFI signed off on it and they can show that proper fuel management, lost procedures and navigation was taught and/or reviewed, I would suspect that they would have a good chance to get off on anything truely damaging.

Typhoon1244
Even thought about packing a survival kit.

You didn't? My CFI made me pack a small one (pretty much a lighter plus the cold weather clothes). I even got taught how to turn the ELT on and remove it from the aircraft

 

[Jmmccutc]

wickedpilot, i agree with you on the XC procedures that you explained...that's all SOP at my flight school...

 

[wickedpilot]

I don't have any experience ...

Yep, that pretty much sums it up.

Jmmccut, I'm glad you see my point. I'm sure you're a CFI as well or Comm. Pilot.

_Cheese, you'll understand someday.

 

[alvin]

Where was this story originally published I couldn't find it.

If she circled a field in Fairfield several times, she had to be in gliding distance of Butler County (Hamilton) Airport???

 

[ShawnC]

It's an AP story out of Fairfield, OH according to the byline.

But I found it in the Indystar, from Fark.com, because she's from that state.

http://www.indystar.com/articles/6/136480-1936-102.html