Why is this forum obsessed with posting accidents ?

[Gforce]

I have only been a member of this fine forum for a short time but I pretty shocked that its almost seems like each time I log on there is another post of a prang.. they happen.. we all know.. but I don't get this with Motorbike forms ( which lets admit is FAR more dangerous ) or other racing forums.

 

Like any pilot I understand that its about looking and learning WHAT WENT WRONG and trying to learn and prevent it but I for one find it annoying.... Can i suggest a dedicated part of the forum for this purpose please ? That way, if you like reading them.. you still can but its not in ya face each time.

 

 

[facthunter]

I am not sure that it IS OBSESSED. Flying has incidents/accidents that things can be learned from. That way we learn by the mistakes of others. Flying is unique in this. It goes back to it's origins, where designs advanced by trial and error. There is still a bit of that around. Nev

 

 

[FlyingVizsla]

Hi GF,

 

You can exclude some forums from appearing in your "What's New" listing. Go to your name at the top RH of the screen, click, under that is "Exclude from What's New" then exclude the Accidents & Incidents forum.

 

Sue

 

 

[dazza 38]

Exactly what Nev has said above. Lessons are learnt from analysing previous accidents . Well sometimes they are not learnt and peeps keep killing themselves. Example- VFR pilots flying in IMC .

 

 

[geoffreywh]

There is just such a place, its called the "Incidents and accidents" Forum, don't read it if it upsets you. I, for one, read all I can about incidents and accidents in the hope I might learn something and save myself some grief...Even to the point of getting annoyed at the pilots last night in "Air Crash Investigations" I only have 200 hours but feel I could have done better than some of those blokes.....One had 17000 hours but appears he wasn't all that

 

 

[dazza 38]

I think that pilots should read as much as they can when it comes to accidents. Not to be morbid, but to hopefully come away educated . One of the best out comes is when a pilot gets themselves into a marginal /risky event and they can go into their memory bank and pull out numerous stories that they have read that had a very similar scenario to the one that they are currently in but had ended up in tears. Makes them think twice. Well I hope it does.

 

 

[FlyingVizsla]

We're not obsessed by prangs, but we want to know:

 

a) is it someone we know

 

b) do we know the plane

 

c) is what went wrong something I can learn from

 

d) is there something I should be checking on my aircraft?

 

This is partly because our organisations are not disclosing the causes (or what we can learn) like they used to. It is also to quell rumour before it gets out of hand and to show trends in types or behaviours that can then be included in training or maintenance checks and hangar talk.

 

It gives us a chance to assure someone that they did the right thing. A bit hard when you are lying in bed with your pride and joy bent up in a paddock and your best mate off work, running it through your head over & over again.... Chance to wish a fellow pilot "Get Well Soon", We're all thinking of you, offer some help. When he tells you the thing-a-me suddenly gave way, you take extra care checking yours, potentially saving yourself the same fright.

 

Prangs are like weddings and deaths ... they seem to come in clusters.

 

Sue

 

 

[rgmwa]

Safety is a major focus in aviation which I guess is why accidents and incidents tend to get reported and analysed, and not only in this particular forum. There are far too many such occurrences, so it's sensible to find out what went wrong and hopefully learn something that might prevent a repeat performance, and stop the authorities from stepping in and clipping the wings of recreational fliers. Perhaps the motorbike and racing forums should be doing the same.

 

rgmwa

 

 

[greybeard]

I can see the merit in trying to learn from incidents and disseminating the knowledge to hopefully prevent any repeat.

 

This isn't the place to do it though. After you've waded through the extremely high signal to noise ratio on any reported incident due to the armchair experts making post after post with no knowledge and no way of having knowledge of the incident. It's predominately speculation and a waste of electrons.

 

 

[damkia]

The reality is that incidents have not been adequately covered or even investigated by RA-Aus, or reported to a level that would be considered even modestly adequate in their magazine.

 

The reason this forum is used for reporting incidents is that there is currently no other avenue that has GUARANTEED publishing of the details of incidents, let alone any discussion of the events and a resolution of cause, even if it is not officially sanctioned by the RA-Aus. Any relevant official input from RA-Aus would be welcomed (read: GET OVER YOUR ISSUES WITH THIS SITE...)

 

 

[motzartmerv]

G'day GF. Others have covered it quite well. But you suggested a separate section for prangs. Such as the accidents and incidents thread? Its clearly marked, as are the other "sections". We talk about them so much to try not to end up being talked 'about' in such a section.

 

 

[winsor68]

I guess at the end of the day it is a tradition amongst pilots to read them...

 

 

[Methusala]

I think that almost all discussions about accidents are good. Sometimes points are made that are disagreeable to some. In this case, use your critical talents to ignore them as one does with alot of rubbish found in the media. We have a wide range of experience in this forum group and valuable ideas are shared. I think that to ignore the truth that this is a deadly serious activity would be a mistake. Don

 

 

[Bandit12]

Perhaps the motorbike and racing forums should be doing the same.rgmwa

Most of the bike forums I have been involved in have been very active in regards to accident discussion. I think the discussion would go on just as much if there was a proper reporting and feedback provided to members because it is in human nature to question why things happen.

 

 

[Gforce]

Clearly alot did not read my first post at all ! As I said, " I understand that its about looking and learning WHAT WENT WRONG and trying to learn and prevent it " I read all my crash comics, ILAFT, RAA Incidents etc as I want to drum it into my head not to fall fowl of the same tragic events that often lead up to an accident but my main issue being that it really seems to be a very overly pushed subject on this site vs. other aviation forums.. Reading the above reply's I can see some sensible reply's so I appreciate your input.

 

 

[Admin]

G-Force, it is all about learning from each other to keep ourselves safer which is also one of this particular site's objectives and why the site was started in the first place 10 years ago...as mentioned above you can remove the Accidents forum from your list of "What's New" in your settings if that helps

 

 

[fly_tornado]

This leads my to wonder how effective an RAA crash investigator would really be. Often the crash site and vehicle offer no clues to why someone crashes.

 

No gps, no cockpit recorder, no efis logging. Can make for a difficult investigation into a plane crash.

 

 

[eightyknots]

Clearly alot did not read my first post at all ! As I said, " I understand that its about looking and learning WHAT WENT WRONG and trying to learn and prevent it " I read all my crash comics, ILAFT, RAA Incidents etc as I want to drum it into my head not to fall fowl of the same tragic events that often lead up to an accident but my main issue being that it really seems to be a very overly pushed subject on this site vs. other aviation forums.. Reading the above reply's I can see some sensible reply's so I appreciate your input.

I consider the accidents/incidents part of this site really valuable. I am always learning and, if faced with a similar set of circumstances while aloft, I think I have a better chance of dealing with it.

 

 

[Gforce]

Ok.. I have taken it onboard and can now see your points and I might well start reading them in more detail. Thanks all.

 

 

[fly_tornado]

I wouldn't take too much notice of them, often you have the media incorrectly reporting the details of the accident and speculation based on those errors. Pilot error/loss of control is hard to gain any lessons from.

 

 

[motzartmerv]

I would disagree there FT. Pilot error is the one thing we PILOTS have complete control over. What a strange statement.

 

 

[Gforce]

and Loss of control can so often be put in the "stall spin at circuit high category ! " more often than not...

 

 

[fly_tornado]

I would disagree there FT. Pilot error is the one thing we PILOTS have complete control over. What a strange statement.

unless you have something like GPS and EFIS log, its hard to know what the sequence of events are that led to the mistake.

 

 

[motzartmerv]

Really?? You need a GPS to tell you a pilot was flying after dark? Or in cloud? Or turned back after an engine failure? Or let go of the controls to shut a door? Or ran one tank dry with the other tank full? Or got slow turning base and stalled at an airshow? Or .......

 

 

[Gforce]

I use flight logging software on my UAVs and its AMAZING what info you can see. I think the point with FLS is that is CAN tell a very solid story... not always but often.