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Doomed TBM 900 Pilot Twice Asked for Lower Altitude
The pilot of the TBM 900 that crashed in the sea near Jamaica after straying hundreds of miles off course on Friday twice asked Atlanta Center for clearance to a lower altitude because of an unspecified problem, but the controller handling the flight apparently didn’t comprehend the seriousness of the emergency that was unfolding. Minutes later, without receiving the requested clearance, the pilot stopped responding to ATC queries as the airplane flew on over the Atlantic on its last assigned… (www.flyingmag.com) 更多...Sort type: [Top] [Newest]
THINK THE QUESTION NOW IS, WHY DIDN'T HE (PIC)DECLARE AN EMERGENCY ??? iN MY 44 YEARS OF AVIATING I HAVE HAD TO DECLARE NUMEROUS TIMES, MOSTLY AS A USAF PILOT, I GUESS SOME PILOTS ATTACH A STIGMA TO DECLARING !!! ONE THING IS SURE, YOU WILL GET ATC'S ATTENTION !
If my Auntie had testes, she would be my Uncle. The controller may have been very busy but irrespective, if he had heard the words Emergency or Pan Pan, they would have for sure got his attention and it would have been handled differently.
As a pilot, the last thing you ever need is a clearance to allow you to self preserve and in some instances, fear of disobeying a clearance seems to override physical safety?? That has to lay at the door of the pilot in command. Maybe hypoxia had already taken hold and he missed the warning signs? Certainly no blame on the part of the controller
As a pilot, the last thing you ever need is a clearance to allow you to self preserve and in some instances, fear of disobeying a clearance seems to override physical safety?? That has to lay at the door of the pilot in command. Maybe hypoxia had already taken hold and he missed the warning signs? Certainly no blame on the part of the controller
Bottom line is Nobody wants to die. Truth of the matter is more people die by accident than almost anything. Not like the guy tried killing himself. Things happen when we least expect and they happen sometimes very quickly and sometimes so slowly that by the time we realize a problem exists it's to late to do much if anything about it. Flying an airplane ain't no different than operating any piece of equipment. Shit happens and when it does even the most experienced wind up in the rhubarb!
In Col. Bud Anderson's autobiography, there's a very telling story about the lack of oxygen and a pin hole.
Actually IMHO, there are quite a few educational bits for the young aviator in his book.
Actually IMHO, there are quite a few educational bits for the young aviator in his book.
The pilot knew he had an issue of some sort. I hate to be the Monday morning QB, But it was his responsibility to communicate the problem and it's severity to ATC. How are they supposed to know what's going on if he doesn't tell them? The other side of the coin, at FL 280 he wouldn't have had very long to deal with a serious pressurization issue before becoming incapacitated. None of us know what really happened with this flight, it's tragic.
I may be looking at this wrong but wouldn't the initial request for 18,000 indicate that he was already suffering hypoxia?
My training said declare and descend to 8.000 in any pressurization situation.
My training said declare and descend to 8.000 in any pressurization situation.