Near Accident
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Near Accident
Just a reminder to fly safe guys. Managed to dig out the ol' Sundowner and get it airborne for a short hop around the patch this morning (about 2 man hours of digging for 1/2 hour of flight...). Coming back in the circuit, the local school's C150 was doing bounce and goes. A couple of important points: this is Canada, it is an uncontrolled field, but is a "mandatory frequency" which means at the minimum radio calls are mandatory entering the 5 n.m. zone, on downwind, on final, and when clearing the runway or leaving the circuit and zone. We arrived in the circuit, making calls at 7 n.m. and 4 n.m. out, then overhead and downwind. The C-150 never made radio calls but we saw it on downwind before we crossed the field so we trailed in behind and called "no. 2, traffic in sight". We weren't sure if he was doing a T&G of or a full stop...an important point as there is no taxiway so full stop requires a backtrack. I extended my downwind, and finally on short final he called to say T&G so I turned in, called base and final, and landed after he completed his T&G.
Whilst tying down the old girl, a friend arrived in his A36 Bonanza and was rapidly gaining on the 150 which was on short final. It was clear to us that the pilot in the Bo never saw the 150: not surprising, the runway and the surrounding land is white as can be, and the C150 was white as well. There were three of us watching and starting a chorus of "oh $hit"s hoping like hell the Bo pilot would see the 150 and go-around. Finally he did but didn't the 150 realize that he was going to get rear-ended and started a go-around at the same time. The two came breathtakingly close to each other on their go-arounds. I would say that they came within a couple of hundred feet of each other.
Fortunately they avoided each other and the both came around and landed safely. But man-oh-man did we get a good scare. The Bonanza had 3 pilots on board (including a former WWII Halifax flight engineer...still active in his 80's, but he was in the back seat). Had they connected, we would have lost three members of our little flying club and the school a student and an instructor.
What really pi$$ed me off is that the 150 appeared to have an instructor on board. There is absolutely NO excuse for the lack of radio calls. I can understand a nervous solo student, but not an instructor. This means the student is already having bad habits ingrained.
Anyway, fly safe over the holidays guys and all the best of the season to all of you.
Beech
Whilst tying down the old girl, a friend arrived in his A36 Bonanza and was rapidly gaining on the 150 which was on short final. It was clear to us that the pilot in the Bo never saw the 150: not surprising, the runway and the surrounding land is white as can be, and the C150 was white as well. There were three of us watching and starting a chorus of "oh $hit"s hoping like hell the Bo pilot would see the 150 and go-around. Finally he did but didn't the 150 realize that he was going to get rear-ended and started a go-around at the same time. The two came breathtakingly close to each other on their go-arounds. I would say that they came within a couple of hundred feet of each other.
Fortunately they avoided each other and the both came around and landed safely. But man-oh-man did we get a good scare. The Bonanza had 3 pilots on board (including a former WWII Halifax flight engineer...still active in his 80's, but he was in the back seat). Had they connected, we would have lost three members of our little flying club and the school a student and an instructor.
What really pi$$ed me off is that the 150 appeared to have an instructor on board. There is absolutely NO excuse for the lack of radio calls. I can understand a nervous solo student, but not an instructor. This means the student is already having bad habits ingrained.
Anyway, fly safe over the holidays guys and all the best of the season to all of you.
Beech
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I'm planning to. Unfortunately the only person at the flight school on Saturday was the instructor and he was still in flight when I had to leave the airport. I know the owner of the school very well (he's an instructor as well but he wasn't working on the day of the incident). I'll have a quiet chat with that he should remind his staff about the vital importance of following proper circuit procedures including radio calls.
I'm pretty sure though that both student and instructor had a brown-shorts episode when the saw the Beech blast by them on the right as both went around. The Cessna did, properly, move right on the go-around and fortunately the faster Beech went to the left as he overtook the Cessna.
I'm pretty sure though that both student and instructor had a brown-shorts episode when the saw the Beech blast by them on the right as both went around. The Cessna did, properly, move right on the go-around and fortunately the faster Beech went to the left as he overtook the Cessna.
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so how would the C150 know he was going to be rear ended? by looking into his rear view mirror?
and you know for sure the A36 Bonanza called entering the zone and when he joined the circuit?
but I agree with your point - even if no-one else was in the circuit, the student should have been on the radio - what better time to make a mistake? and as for the instructor.........sounds like a poor performance.
and you know for sure the A36 Bonanza called entering the zone and when he joined the circuit?
but I agree with your point - even if no-one else was in the circuit, the student should have been on the radio - what better time to make a mistake? and as for the instructor.........sounds like a poor performance.
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so how would the C150 know he was going to be rear ended? by looking into his rear view mirror?
and you know for sure the A36 Bonanza called entering the zone and when he joined the circuit?
but I agree with your point - even if no-one else was in the circuit, the student should have been on the radio - what better time to make a mistake? and as for the instructor.........sounds like a poor performance.
and you know for sure the A36 Bonanza called entering the zone and when he joined the circuit?
but I agree with your point - even if no-one else was in the circuit, the student should have been on the radio - what better time to make a mistake? and as for the instructor.........sounds like a poor performance.
The Bonanza pilot said he never heard a call from the 150 pilot, but made his calls. How the 150 pilot figured he was there I don't know. Perhaps the instructor was getting worried about the Bonanza's position especially when he called final, and finally looked back through the back window and saw the Bonanza gaining on him; from our perspective on the ramp, it appeared both initiated their go-around at almost the same time. The Bonanza said he never saw the Cessna until he made his decision to go around; the 150 was right over the runway, which was 100% snow covered, and the 150 is all-white except for a thin blue and black stripe on the fuselage.
Whatever, everyone walked away. But you're right, a really poor show by the instructor. At first I wasn't certain if there was instructor on board (when I was arriving). I figured it was a solo student, so I elected to give him a wide berth especially since at 80 knots on final/70 knots over the fence, my Sundowner is considerably faster.
