New C206 crash near Wilpena Pound

[poteroo]

206......approached to land in windy conditions.....aircraft drifted across the runway........pilot hit gas.....hit wind sock.......then had an accident.Not so keen on the 206 after hearing about those little elevators

Pure speculation, but it was more likely a case of not enough aileron input. My training never prepared me for the real world of gusty crosswinds - because the flying schools kept students grounded because it was too risky. So, I made some unbelievably bad landings in a 172 - how it never went over on its' wingtip I don't know. I actually learnt how to use up to full aileron deflection only on my first job as a CPL! And that was due to a helpful Hazeltons' aggie who was flying with us. So, I have a rather sceptical view of the training industry's success in crosswind training.

 

Since then, I've been privy to many, many students and pilot BFR's - and I see the same weaknesses in their skills that once detracted from my own performance. Of all the skills we review - crosswind handling skills are definitely those which are worst performed.

 

It begs the question as to why? IMHO, it traces back to the instructors' instructor, and back to their instructor, and back to the next generation of instructors again. The real limits of aileron and rudder are rarely explored. Most pilots can't say they have ever reached full into wind aileron, and whether they had sufficient rudder command to hold the aircraft straight. Which is the limiting control? What can you do to improve the effect of either control? There's a psychological reluctlance to really lower a wing , which is furthered via the passengers' alarm at the practice. So, it's not something that you practise with a load of your best friends - better to fill the aircraft with fuel and several unfeeling bags of sand, gravel,or even grain. But, lower it you must, or you cannot sideslip the aircraft into wind. If your slip force fails to equal the sideways force of the wind - you'll be displaced across the strip.

 

High wing aircraft are much more likely to be upset by crosswinds. Many have limits of as low as 12 kts, and many flying schools place their own limits - usually lower again. But the principles remain the same. Watch a Fokker 50 or Dash 8 in a 15-20 kt x/w and you'll see a decidedly wing down flare, followed by touchdown on the upwind wheel. Passengers mightn't feel comfy with it - but it's necessary to avoid cross strip displacement.

 

happy days,

 

 

[turboplanner]

My elevator comment related to a later discussion about the difficulty of getting the nose up on flare without weight down the back.

 

I can give you a few reasons for what you see on BFRs

 

Quite a lot of students boast about getting through in the minimum number of hours. Some might have exceptional natural skills, but most did all their training in calm conditions with some of those pushing the instructor to keep the costs down.

 

Some, like myself trained on major city airfields where the duty runway was always into wind, and any training shortcoming only showed up on country strips, or at your BFRs.

 

Some, again like myself who were trained on cross strips were landing on big wide runways, and we probably drifted sideways a lot, but it wasn't noticeable until we tried to land on narrow country stips.

 

 

[dunlopdangler]

The 182RG, 210 and 206 can all bite with forward C of G when you let them get too slow, they will drop the nose and catch the inexperienced.. the little mishap that is subject to this thread is the failure of the pilot to correctly handle the aircraft and let the aircraft take him/her to the scene of an accident.. and agree 100% with Poteroo's comment above..