NTSB factual: TAWS may have been turned off in Ted Stevens crash
I found this a bit eerie:
I don’t know if ‘eerie’ is the right word. Maybe ‘thought provoking’. The image associated with that quote shows the GPS display. Of course instruments aren’t necessarily destroyed in a crash; but I’d never thought of powering up the GPS, and I didn’t know they saved previous information.
Some family friends that volunteer in rescue efforts live within a couple of miles of that airport and were at the crash site sometime after the fact. They said it wasn’t a matter of “if” a crash like that would happen but, instead, “when.” The terrain and frequent, persistent socked in clouds conspire that make that a very dangerous place to fly. Sounds like if it was available it would have been somewhere between prudent and mandatory to have a TAWS system operational.
We get a few crashes a year down here in SE AK, it’s just part of the lifestyle. The only difference in this one, was the name of one of the deceased.
Aviation in itself is not inherently dangerous. But to an even greater degree than the sea, it is terribly unforgiving of any carelessness, incapacity or neglect.
– Captain A. G. Lamplugh, British Aviation Insurance Group, London. Circa early 1930’s.
In this case, if TAWS was turned off, and in poor weather, it does sound like ‘carelessness’.
I was in SE Alaska last summer. While I am not a pilot, general aviation is a “virtual” hobby of mine. So I do know more than your average Joe when it comes to that sorta stuff.
Just the thought of flying around there got my palms all sweaty. Not to mention the fact everyone kept telling me how the weather I was experiencing was so much better than normal! I’d jump on the Space Shuttle in a heart beat if asked so its not like I am risk adverse. I’d also love flying around those parts if I won the lottery. But I’d also treat it as damn serious life or death stuff because from what I saw while there it most certainly was that.
This generally prompts me to think “Yeah - and that pretty well meets the standard of ‘inherently dangerous’.”
Google “Southeast Alaska Plane Crash” and you get 17 dead in a 3 year period in just the first page of results. Aviation is inherently dangerous.
For a float plane, the TAWS would give off a false warning every time you took off or landed on the water. I can see a scenario pretty clearly where it just didn’t get turned on.
TAWS are not used, or required on the majority of planes flying around here. They are certainly no guarantee of safety.
The investigators will chalk it up to pilot error so everyone has someone to blame.
I just chalk this up to shit happens
Damn clumulo-granite clouds.