Let's talk about keeping our skies safe and secure - SACAA
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SKYwatch
SAFETY BRIEF FIRST EDITION | MARCH 2021
EDITORIAL NOTE BY THE DIRECTOR OF CIVIL AVIATION
Let’s talk about keeping our skies safe
and secure
Dear Aviators, marching orders to reduce accidents in this sector by a
whole 50% over the next five years.
I am delighted to introduce the first edition of the General
Aviation publication to you. This is one of many initiatives Having witnessed a spike of accidents in January 2021
under the General Aviation Safety Strategy that we where 14 accidents were recorded, including 8 fatalities, the
launched in 2020, that is meant to augment and reinforce implementation of the GASS is not only a step in the right
all the work done by the different focus groups towards direction, but it is also timely. These accidents are still being
improving general aviation safety by reducing the number investigated by the Accident and Incident Investigations
of accidents in this sector. department and the reports should point us to causal
factors as soon as they are published. The current trend in
The team has settled on the name “Skywatch”, which I aircraft accidents requires our collective efforts to stop it in
find appropriate as we further strengthen the collaboration its tracks; we need to avoid such unnecessary tragedies at
between the Regulator and the industry as watchdogs for all costs.
aviation safety and security, particularly in the General
Aviation sector. South Africa has enjoyed an accident-free We must therefore focus our energies towards implementing
commercial airline sector for over thirty years. However, the safety strategies that are geared towards making the
we have also regrettably watched as our fellow aviators goal of reducing aircraft accidents a reality. The SACAA is
perish annually in the GA sector. What this tells us is that committed to working with our stakeholders to identify risks,
we must do more to prevent catastrophic accidents. It is analyze trends and further develop strategies which are fit
quite reassuring to know that we are not the only ones for purpose.
concerned about the number of accidents in GA, but our
shareholder feels exactly the same. This was reiterated The articles in this publication are examples of issues that will
during a Department of Transport Strategy session held be extensively deliberated by the appropriate Focus Group,
at the beginning of the year, when the Minister gave us as part of delivering on the GASS and implementation plan.
Continued on page 2
The information contained in this document is confidential and may not
Keeping you safe in the sky
be used, published or redistributed without prior written consent.
PAGE 2
Continued from page 1
EDITORIAL NOTE BY THE DIRECTOR OF CIVIL AVIATION
The need to increase awareness of the causal factors These are heroes and heroines worthy of being recognised
leading to accidents in the GA sector has never been and celebrated.
more relevant. As the aviation fraternity, we find ourselves
in an extraordinary environment, where the usual causes As aviators enjoy the freedom of taking to the skies again,
of accidents, such as flight crew errors, aircraft operations and once again find the joy of flight (a welcome relief from the
and mechanical failure, are intertwined with the limitations restrictions that bound us in this period in time), let’s remember
and frustrations of a global pandemic; and even financial that the most enjoyable flight is one that ends in a safe landing.
hardships. These conditions would naturally have an effect
on the safety of recreational and commercial flying, and in I hope that you find food for thought in these articles. Do feel
this edition of Skywatch, such factors are highlighted. free to engage with us on social media, or through emails,
and make your contributions to Skywatch. Aviation Safety
In the same vein, allow me to congratulate and thank all and Security is the result of the collective effort of those
aviation professionals from the different streams of the civil who develop the legislation and those who implement the
aviation value chain; from airports, aerodromes, fire-fighters, legislation. Let us continue talking about how we can keep
air traffic controllers, aircraft maintenance engineers, our skies safe and secure.
avionicians, cartographers etc., who work behind the
scenes, for making civil aviation a success over the years. Until next time.
BEWARE OF THAT
COVID HANGOVER!
Accident surge warrants a closer look!
The recent surge in accidents in January 2021
Dual checks
warrants a closer look at the potential impact A trusted and recommended remedy against low levels of
that COVID-19 and the associated economic proficiency is always undergoing dual check flights with
downturn may be having on aviation in general, an instructor. As the regulations might be emphasizing
especially General Aviation (GA). Otherwise proficiency during approaches, landings and take-offs
known as a ‘latent condition’ in terms of air safety and pilots may want to save on costs, the practicing of
management, the pandemic, which has been emergency drills and vital actions could easily be neglected.
having adverse side effects worldwide, may well At the same time, the propensity for emergencies might
be a cause for concern for air safety, though not be higher, due to the longer downtime and periods of
in the conventional sense. inactivity of aircraft. Technical failures are more likely to
be encountered in aircraft that have been stationary for a
A more cautious approach on the part of pilots long time.
and aircraft owners is necessary to safeguard
against potentially lower levels of proficiency Inactive aircraft deteriorate while parked outside or standing
in flying skills and deteriorating standards of in a hangar. Items like oil seals and fuel pump diaphragms
aircraft airworthiness. Though the minimum may harden. Cylinder walls may become pitted. Bearings,
requirements may indeed be met during check camshafts, crankshafts and the like could become
flights, due to the fewer hours flown during the corroded. Oil may form a hardened rim, damaging the
lockdown periods, pilots may not be nearly rings in certain aircraft, especially radial engines. Battery
as sharp as they could be with more frequent chemicals could break down into the original elements. The
practice. This rustiness may result in botched list goes on. Prudency demands special attention during
forced landings, which have always resulted in pre-flight inspections. A visit to a maintenance facility,
more severe outcomes in cases of emergency. though involving extra costs, is highly recommended.
Keeping you safe in the sky
Avoid the uncontrollable spin on PAGE 3
base leg
Control that airspeed during descending turns!
Low-wing aircraft usually have stability in the rolling plane, due to the upswing angle of the wings in the
horizontal plane, known as dihedral. These effects are not always fully understood, potentially giving rise to
a propensity for entering into an inadvertent spin when descending from the base leg onto the final approach
to land in the circuit and allowing the airspeed to bleed off too much. The high amount of drag due to the low
engine power setting and approach flaps being selected, could add to a rapid decay in speed.
9c – DESCENDING TURNS
During descending turns dihedral will
aggravate the difference in the angle
between the relative airflow, or angle of
attack, and the respective wings. If the
spherical path between the wings is
plotted, the outer wing will be at a higher
angle of attack, resulting in more lifting
force than experienced by the wing on
the inside of the turn. The effect would be
countered somewhat by the outside wing
L L
flying faster on a longer radius of turn. ing er win
g
LOSS IN er w f out
larger AoA inn th o
HEIGHT
flight pa
Unequal stalling HORIZONTAL DISTANCE TRAVELLED
Should the wings be stalled, for instance FLYING INTO PAGE
when a rusty or inexperienced pilot does Bank angle 0 deg.
not lower the nose sufficiently to keep Inner wing Outer wing
α
a safe airspeed, the lower wing might
Angle of Attack (level flight)
stall. Once stalled, the aircraft would α1
low
roll towards the lower wing. The higher Level flight
Airf
wing would become “un-stalled” due to tive
the dampening effect caused by the roll
Rela
and have proportionally more lift than Bank angle 15 deg.
the lower stalled wing. This causes
low
“autorotation”, which in turn could result α
Airf
Descending turn
tive
in an aircraft turning upside down with a
Rela
Inner wing Outer wing
low nose position. Being at low height,
such as between base leg and final
approach, may make it impossible to
recover. α2 Angle of Attack (descending turn)
Pilots, especially those who are rusty, are
reminded to watch out for an inadvertent
decay in airspeed when turning from
base leg onto final approach, while flight
instructors would do well to ensure that
their students and protégés do not falter The sketches above show why, if the airspeed is allowed to bleed off too much in a
in this regard and place a renewed focus descending turn, the lower wing could stall and result in an uncommanded rolling
on this aspect during training. movement. At low height, recovering could be impossible.
Keeping you safe in the sky
UNBURDENING THE SOLO STUDENT PAGE 4
Airspace
challenge
Multifaceted traffic in the same airspace has always On July 7, 2015, a pilot on a ‘personal flight’ in a Cessna
been challenging to pilots and air traffic controllers alike. 172, both crew members and two passengers aboard a
Paying more attention to the plight of solo students in Sabreliner business jet died in a mid-air collision near
the circuit and making the necessary allowances for Brown Field Municipal Airport in San Diego.
their lack of proficiency and experience could be vital
for maintaining safety. Currently all airspace users might On August 16, 2015, an instructor and student, practising
do well to ask: How fair is it to stake the lives of all on to fly on instruments, were killed when a US Air Force
fledgling aviators? F-16 fighter jet under Instrument Flight Rules (IFR),
collided with the Cessna 150 over Moncks Corner in
Isolated events in the South African airspace have South Carolina. The F-16 pilot managed to eject. Among
emphasised the vital need to avoid unduly burdening the the causal factors later cited was the ‘…failure on the
student with the task of maintaining sufficient separation part of ATC to provide an appropriate resolution to avoid
from other aircraft, though the challenge extends beyond the collision, the lack of flight-following services and
all borders. inappropriate response time in which to act assertively’.
A sole light aircraft could jeopardise the safety of even a In the South African airspace we have had the example
passenger-laden airliner, as was evident on September of the South African Air Force Merlin SA-226, which
25, 1978, when a privately-operated Cessna 172 collided with a civilian Piper PA-31-310 Navajo on
collided in mid-air in Visual Meteorological Conditions the early evening of July 14, 1982, one nautical mile
(VMC) with a Pacific Southwest Airlines Boeing 727 over northwest of the town of Erasmia.
San Diego in California. All 135 aboard the airliner as
well as the two occupants of the smaller aircraft died, as All 13 aboard both aircraft perished, despite the
well as eight persons on the ground in some of the 22 prior warnings of an impending disaster by a national
homes destroyed. commission of enquiry. No fewer than nine airports in the
area had been contributing to congestion and controlling
In more recent history, two mid-air collisions had difficulties in the area. Vitally needed reforms would be
occurred within weeks of the other, also in the USA. made only after the tragedy had occurred.
To improve safety holistically it may be necessary to rethink the viability of relying on students, who are
still learning at this stage, to carry too much of the burden of looking out for and maintaining separation
from other aircraft. It may be worthwhile approaching a circuit in which a solo student is flying as an “active
solo circuit”.
Lastly, flight instructors would do well to be far more aware of not only the environmental conditions and
factors like the student’s proficiency and mental preparedness before sending a student on a solo flight,
but considerations like traffic congestion and diversity.
Keeping you safe in the sky
Concerns about RPAS PAGE 5
New emergent safety threat?
Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS), also known as Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), or drones, are a cause
for serious concern in relation to air safety. Recently reported in-flight sightings and near collisions with other aircraft
have shown that other than keeping a constant vigil, a pilot might be unable to avoid an in-flight collision. The entire
flying community, including RPAS owners and operators, are therefore asked to co-operate more fully to avoid a possible
accident before it is too late.
Due to the relatively small size of these aircraft, most are very difficult or even impossible to detect by the pilot of a
moving conventional aircraft. Many, if not most RPAS, are unable to be fitted with onboard transponders, rendering the
avionic equipment in other aircraft such as Traffic or Airborne Collision-avoidance Systems (TCAS or ACAS), practically
ineffective in detecting these aircraft when they are in close proximity.
Serious incidents
Pilots and RPAS operators, especially, may benefit from reading three reports, of
Curbing the emergent
the same nature, which can be downloaded from the SACAA website. The serious
incidents involving near-miss reports and a possible in-flight collision with RPAS, safety threat can only be
include: accomplished with the
• Robinson R44 helicopter, ZS-OVV on 08.01.21, JHB CBD. help and participation of all
• Cessna 172, ZS-STX on 27.10.20, in the Rand Airport circuit.
concerned.
• Pilatus PC-12, ZS-TKA on 05.10.19, near Rand Airport.
SACAA would like to acknowledge the efforts and contributions of all the parties involved
towards making this publication a success.
LEADER Neil de Lange 082 884 9303 delangen@caa.co.za
ACC TRENDS Erik du Rand 083 451 2617 durande@caa.co.za
DEVELOP
Key GENERAL AVIATION Pierre Laubscher 082 899 7385 laubscherp@caa.co.za
contacts DEVOLUTION OF POWER Subash Devkaran 083 461 6418 devkarans@caa.co.za
GAARS Johan Lottering 083 451 2674 lotteringj@caa.co.za
SAFETY OUTREACH Pappie Maja 083 451 2627 majap@caa.co.za
Keeping you safe in the sky
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