Staying Alive or the Limitations of the See and Avoid Principle

1. Staying Alive or the Limitations of the See and Avoid Principle CAA Safety Investigation Unit

2. Background • Why I am presenting today • The USA perspective FAA AC90-48C • The Australian perspective BASI/ATSB Research Report • Trends in New Zealand July/August Vector 2009

3. NZ Reported Near Misses

4. NZ Hot Spots • Hamilton 19 • Tauranga 12 • Palmerston North 11 • Ardmore 10 • Christchurch 9 • Paraparaumu 8 • Queenstown 8

5. Mid Air AccidentZK-MBD and ZK-MBL • 9 February 2006 • ZK-MBL Climbing 75kt 750ft/min • ZK-MBD Descending 75kt 600ft/min • “The accident occurred due to the pilots not being able to sight each other as a result of the aircraft’s inherent blind spots and position of the sun”

6. SSR RadarPlot

7. Accident Site

8. ZK-MBD Main Wreckage

9. ZK-MBL Main Wreckage

10. Aircraft Blind Spots

11. Mid Air AccidentZK-ETY and ZK-HGV • 17 February 2008 Paraparaumu • ZK-HGV PPL(H) issue flight test A Cat Examiner 2,674 hours • ZK-ETY Student pilot 25 hours • TAIC Summary Page • TAIC Safety Recommendation 5.1.2

12. ZK-ETY Main Wreckage

13. ZK-ETY Tail Section

14. ZK-ETY Roof Damage

15. ZK-ETYEngine

16. ZK- HGV Placemakers Roof

17. ZK-HGV Main Wreckage

18. What the CAA Rule Says • 91.229 Right-of-way rules (a) Right-of-Way: A pilot of an aircraft – (1) must, when weather conditions permit, regardless of whether the flight is performed under IFR or under VFR, maintain a visual lookout so as to see and avoid other aircraft; and

19. What the Advisory Circulars Say • AC61-3 AC61-5 • Lookout: • Demonstrate an adequate lookout (both on the ground and in the air). • Maintain an adequate level of situational awareness by ensuring compliance with the minimum VMC requirements for VFR flight and building a mental picture of the relative position of traffic, which may potentially affect the flight.

20. What the Flight Test Guides Advise for RPL/PPL/CPL • Assessment Criteria Task: Lookout (critical task) Objective: To determine that the candidate; • Maintains a good lookout both on the ground and in the air for collision avoidance and separation from other aircraft (critical element). • remains in VMC to comply with Visual Flight Rules (critical element). • Maintains situational awareness (critical element)

21. “Lookout” Considerations • FAA AC 90-48C gives eight key points: • Constantly alert within field of vision • Spotting threats • Proper scanning technique • Short regularly spaced eye movements • Peripheral vision most useful • Visual search at night/peripheral • Brightness and contrast • Moving head to search around obstructions

22. Scan Technique

23. Scan Technique

24. “To See” Considerations • Workload • Glass cockpits • Diffusion of responsibility • Cockpit Visibility • Obstructions • Glare • Blind Spots • Visual field narrowing • Threshold for Acuity • Accommodation • Empty field myopia • Alerted V Unalerted • Target characteristics • Lights

25. “And Avoid” Considerations • It should not be assumed that successful action is guaranteed once threat sighted • Time required to recognise threat and take evasive action • Evasive manoeuvre may increase collision risk

26. Time to React

27. The Instructor’s/Flight Examiner’s Perspective • Devote maximum time to collision avoidance • Set an example • Safety pilot • “During any flight test, direct attention to the applicant’s vigilance of other air traffic and an adequate clearance of the area before performing any flight manoeuvre”

28. Conclusion • New Zealand trends • Instructing/assessment of lookout, see, and avoid • Self preservation of instructors and flight examiners • Tools for your toolbox (handouts)