More About Attitude

By Gene Benson

If you have not read my earlier article "It's All About Attitude", please click here to read it now. It will open in a new window. This brief article is a follow-up based on recent events.

On August 27, 2006 at approximately 6:07 AM, a regional jet carrying forty-seven passengers and three crew members crashed in Lexington, KY with catastrophic results. It will be some time before the NTSB releases a probable cause for this accident and I certainly do not want to rush to judgment.

The final report will undoubtedly discuss the fact that the FAA did not follow its own guidelines for staffing the control tower and perhaps some deficiency in making sure that the crew had current taxi information. But, three facts are indisputable.  First, the crew had been cleared to taxi to and takeoff on Runway 22. Second, the crew executed a takeoff on Runway 26. Third, Runway 26 was not nearly long enough for the takeoff to be successful.

Most student and private pilots, along with all instrument pilots, are taught to conduct a heading check prior to beginning the takeoff roll. This is a simple procedure involving a quick look at the heading indicator once the airplane is lined up for takeoff. The heading check serves two purposes. It verifies that the the heading indicator is working properly and that the correct runway is being used. The fact that this was a sophisticated airliner with state-of-the-art navigation equipment and a glass cockpit should not alter the need for conducting the heading check. Instruments can still be in error and, as demonstrated, the wrong runway can be used.

I cannot believe that neither of these professional pilots was ever taught to do a heading check. Neither can I believe that if the check had never been taught, the lack of it would not have caused a failure or at least an admonition on a checkride somewhere along the course of their careers.

So it would appear that we're right back to looking at "attitude". It's simply not good enough for any pilot to talk about being safe. It's also not good enough to follow our safety procedures only when being evaluated. We must do everything the right way and follow every safety procedure every time without exception.

Let's all agree to allow ourselves and our passengers to die old and in bed rather than in a twisted mass of what used to be a flying machine.