What's new
Van's Air Force

Don't miss anything! Register now for full access to the definitive RV support community.

Aid and comfort

LettersFromFlyoverCountry

Well Known Member
sue_and_gary.jpg


My RV can do many cool things and take me to many enjoyable places. Last evening I learned it can help do something more: provide aid and comfort to people.

This is Sue and Gary. A few years ago, pretty much on this same spot on the Alexandria, MN apron, Sue said goodbye to her brother, her mother, and her sister in law, when they got in a Bonanza for a trip to Colorado. She'd asked her mother not to go; she just had a feeling.

Her brother's plane crashed in a field not far outside the Twin Cities. He had flown into IMC and as he emerged from the 900-foot overcast, the wing fell off, and then the tail.

I wrote about it for my day job and when she found it on Google, she dropped me an email last week asking if she could talk to me about it and learn more about my observations. "The tone was different than what I've read," she said. "And maybe it's because you're a pilot."

She had read the Aero News Network (please note: By NO stretch of the imagination will I ever be a fan of Jim Campbell's work). She thought it made her brother seem stupid and negligent. It's a good reminder of why we have to be careful when discussing accidents. Stick to the facts; avoid the judgments. Resist the social media urge to shame the pilot.

"Where are you located?" I asked in a return email.

"Alexandria," she said.

"I'll fly up to see you. How's Monday?"

So I did. And I had a story to tell her. It was about how easy it is for humans to make the same mistake her brother made, and until you experience GetHomeItis firsthand, you can't begin to understand the power it holds over even the most experienced pilots.

I told her about my trip to Massachusetts last fall, just three days after attending an Air Safety Foundation seminar on weather traps, specifically, GetHomeItis.

Three days later, I made just about every mistake I was warned not to make.

It can happen to anyone. Unexpected weather killed Scott Crossfield, and he had the Right Stuff.

As I spiraled through the clouds on an ill-advised and unnecessary attempt to land last year, I thought about the article I'd written about her brother. That was just about the time when I had the thought that someone was soon going to be writing about me.

I told her about the statistic I learned at the ASF Forum. The life expectancy of a VFR pilot flying into IMC is about 3 minutes.

The color seemed to drain from her face. She had never heard the statistic before. She wants to write a book about the accident, she told me. She heard a voice while taking a shower not long after her brother's plane crashed. It said the name of the book should be, "Three Minutes."

She wanted to hear how planes come apart. I explained that while the plane separated after it had emerged from the clouds, the damage was probably done while her brother was still in IMC. For all I know, I said, they might've suffered tremendous G forces that made them black out. I don't know. Maybe. Maybe not.

We chatted for about an hour, but there's nothing really you can say to make anyone feel better about losing three family members.

Her husband said she was very touched that I flew up. "Your brother is part of a very small fraternity," I said. "And now you are too. And it's what we do."

It rained while we were having our coffee, and she begged me not to launch into bad weather. If something happened to me, she said, she could never forgive herself.

I'd seen the showers on the hour-long flight up, and they were widely scattered, I assured her. And I'm a very careful pilot who knows a lot more know about GetHomeItis.

As they walked me out to the ramp for my flight home, her husband asked if they could say a prayer for me. Though I'm not religious by any stretch, I said, "sure." And so there we stood as darkness fell, her husband asking for a higher power's protection on this and all future flights.

You fly a lot more carefully, I noticed, when someone you've known for two hours holds your hand and wishes you godspeed.

I sent a text message when I got home, to let them know I arrived home just fine, vowing silently to myself never to put my family in a position of wondering what happened to me that time I went flying.
 
Last edited:
This is a bit like the old 180 deg turn after an engine failure. I know 20,000 hr pilots with 4000 hrs of instructing who, upon having it happen to them, tried to turn around themselves. It has happened a 1000 times and continues to happen, just like flight into IMC. We are all human and most humans behave in a similar manner. It takes a lot of self discipline to avoid these situations and we never know until we are there if we will get suckered in. I hope I don't, but I am old enough and humble enough (i.e I've messed up enough times) to admit I don't really know.

This is a heart breaking story.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Great story Bob - you should think about writing more - might be a living in it.... ;-)

I really enjoyed this one!
 
Avoiding "GetHomeItis" should be driven home

Bob that was a great post and a vivid reminder to me about "GetHomeItis".
That illness almost did me in years back when I was away from my wife and kids for a week. That flight is a whole other story but I figured God gave a second chance and I have never abused it since.
You are so right. Anyone, and I mean everyone can catch this when you least expect it and it has the ability to cloud the minds of even the most experienced pilots.
A little plaque with that "VFR lifespan into IMC = 3minutes" phrase on VFR pilots panels might be a good idea.
 
Good job

Great of you to take the time, and effort to help her.

Even better of you to share the story. Well done Sir. :)
 
Thanks Bob, this is something everyone should consider very carefully before launching into getHomeItis mode

Cheers
 
Great story Bob.

A Year or so ago we lost a friend at our airport. When she was overdue we initiated a search and found her aircraft a short distance from the the field. I had been talking to her just an hour before.

I was contacted by her sister a few weeks after the incident and asked if I would meet with her and recount what had happened from my perspective. The family wanted to know exactly how things were when I arrived at the scene and weren't interested in a sugar coated version. I'm sure it wasn't easy for her to hear what I had to say, but she assured me her family appreciated hearing the facts.

Aviation is still a mystery to a lot of people and I'm sure the insight you provided was greatly appreciated.

Good on ya for going to meet with them.
 
Bonanza

The V tails are in many ways wonderful airplanes. They are perhaps the least forgiving in this scenario. The early Bonanzas were good for 8G ultimate load. Many Bonanza loss of control accidents involve G forces probably approaching 20G and speeds as high as 400.
Jus one nit to pick. The pilot in almost all cases exceeds the limits of the airplane and BREAKS the wings or tail. they do not fall off.
I have long felt that there are a very small percentage of pilots who just don't take to instrument flying and another small percentage who are almost natural instrument pilots.
The ones who are not naturals just have to be extra cautious in marginal weather.
There is another factor and that is airplanes that are not equipped for IFR, not even a turn and bank or turn coordinator. In those airplanes is imperative to stay clear of clouds but far too many don't.
THE DAY THE MUSIC DIED.
 
Thanks for sharing

Yes - we must remember that as much as we want to be somewhere, there are family and friends who also want us to be around to grow old together. Thanks Bob.
 
Is there more info on this accident somewhere?
You said the wing fell off then the tail
I'm curious what you mean. Im assuming it's a common analogy but I'm unfamiliar. Death spiral?
 
In those airplanes is imperative to stay clear of clouds but far too many don't.

Gethomeitis is blamed but the real question is why do VFR pilots fly into cloud rather than turning back, and in my opinion the aviation community has spent far too little time on investigating and explaining the limitations of the human visual system to pilots.

Just how accurate and far does your depth perception system work, is it far enough to make a 180 turn at 180, 100, or 60 knots before entering that soft edged misty cloud ahead?

How much is the light level reduced with a 5-10-15 thousand ft overcast above you and how does that affect vision?

What about contrast, being in a dark room with no contrast you cannot see anything however contrast can slowly disappear as rain and mist turns everything the same shade of grey as the cloud above.

I believe it is really the limitations of our visual system that gets pilots into cloud and I think that the aviation community needs to spend more time researching that area rather than blaming gethomeitis!

Food for thought, We have been telling pilots about gethomeitis for the last fifty years and intelligent pilots still accidentally fly into cloud, WHY!
Do you know the limitations of your visual system?
 
Always thought

Private flying is a quick way of traveling if you have plenty of time.

Rob
 
Great stuff. The month after 9-11, a friend and I flew up to OSH with an instrument rated pilot in his C-182. The trip was IMC all the way, but of course we got there with no incidents. After a day exploring the nearly deserted airport and the EAA museum, our pilot declared that he was not happy about flying back home in IMC at night. So we grabbed a hotel room and the next day was severe clear for our trip. Lesson learned!
 
Bob, you did good.

I believe it is really the limitations of our visual system that gets pilots into cloud.....

It can certainly happen that way.

However, accidentally flying into a cloud is not in itself fatal; it is the subsequent loss of control. Control of the aircraft by reference to instruments is required by the private pilot Practical Test Standards.

Put another way, all of us were trained and certified in such a way that entry into a cloud should be a non-event.

A long time ago, the senior birdmen at the FBO told me an instrument rated pilot who did not actually fly by reference to instruments every week had nothing more than a license to kill himself.

That may or may not be an exaggeration...but where does it leave the average pilot who does not practice basic instrument skills on a regular basis?

Yes, I hear the murmuring out there. I'm not suggesting that non-instrument rated pilots who practice can penetrate the vapors as they please. Rule One still applies...superior judgement reduces the need for superior skills.

I am only suggesting a minor culture change. When two qualified pilots are in a airplane together, maybe one of them should don a hood, even for just a few minutes. There is no guarantee, but just a little recent practice has the potential to be a buddy saver.
 
Last edited:
You did a very good thing

sue_and_gary.jpg


My RV can do many cool things and take me to many enjoyable places. Last evening I learned it can help do something more: provide aid and comfort to people.

This is Sue and Gary. A few years ago, pretty much on this same spot on the Alexandria, MN apron, Sue said goodbye to her brother, her mother, and her sister in law, when they got in a Bonanza for a trip to Colorado. She'd asked her mother not to go; she just had a feeling.

Her brother's plane crashed in a field not far outside the Twin Cities. He had flown into IMC and as he emerged from the 900-foot overcast, the wing fell off, and then the tail.

I wrote about it for my day job and when she found it on Google, she dropped me an email last week asking if she could talk to me about it and learn more about my observations. "The tone was different than what I've read," she said. "And maybe it's because you're a pilot."

She had read the Aero News Network (please note: By NO stretch of the imagination will I ever be a fan of Jim Campbell's work). She thought it made her brother seem stupid and negligent. It's a good reminder of why we have to be careful when discussing accidents. Stick to the facts; avoid the judgments. Resist the social media urge to shame the pilot.

"Where are you located?" I asked in a return email.

"Alexandria," she said.

"I'll fly up to see you. How's Monday?"

So I did. And I had a story to tell her. It was about how easy it is for humans to make the same mistake her brother made, and until you experience GetHomeItis firsthand, you can't begin to understand the power it holds over even the most experienced pilots.

I told her about my trip to Massachusetts last fall, just three days after attending an Air Safety Foundation seminar on weather traps, specifically, GetHomeItis.

Three days later, I made just about every mistake I was warned not to make.

It can happen to anyone. Unexpected weather killed Scott Crossfield, and he had the Right Stuff.

As I spiraled through the clouds on an ill-advised and unnecessary attempt to land last year, I thought about the article I'd written about her brother. That was just about the time when I had the thought that someone was soon going to be writing about me.

I told her about the statistic I learned at the ASF Forum. The life expectancy of a VFR pilot flying into IMC is about 3 minutes.

The color seemed to drain from her face. She had never heard the statistic before. She wants to write a book about the accident, she told me. She heard a voice while taking a shower not long after her brother's plane crashed. It said the name of the book should be, "Three Minutes."

She wanted to hear how planes come apart. I explained that while the plane separated after it had emerged from the clouds, the damage was probably done while her brother was still in IMC. For all I know, I said, they might've suffered tremendous G forces that made them black out. I don't know. Maybe. Maybe not.

We chatted for about an hour, but there's nothing really you can say to make anyone feel better about losing three family members.

Her husband said she was very touched that I flew up. "Your brother is part of a very small fraternity," I said. "And now you are too. And it's what we do."

It rained while we were having our coffee, and she begged me not to launch into bad weather. If something happened to me, she said, she could never forgive herself.

I'd seen the showers on the hour-long flight up, and they were widely scattered, I assured her. And I'm a very careful pilot who knows a lot more know about GetHomeItis.

As they walked me out to the ramp for my flight home, her husband asked if they could say a prayer for me. Though I'm not religious by any stretch, I said, "sure." And so there we stood as darkness fell, her husband asking for a higher power's protection on this and all future flights.

You fly a lot more carefully, I noticed, when someone you've known for two hours holds your hand and wishes you godspeed.

I sent a text message when I got home, to let them know I arrived home just fine, vowing silently to myself never to put my family in a position of wondering what happened to me that time I went flying.

Bob,
It is rare in life when you can realize the impact you have on someone else.
Even brief meetings can have profound outcomes.

Writing about this "full-circle" event is superb.

Way to go.
Daddyman
dues contributed
 
I used to post a plea every year before Christmas for all RVers to give themselves and their families the best Christmas present ever...an instrument rating. Not so you could start flying in IMC, but so you would have the training to get yourself out of IMC if you wandered into it by mistake. It will also make you a better pilot and a safer pilot. We lost a local VFR pilot a number of years ago and his three passengers in a weather related case and instrument training would have prevented the whole mess.

I use our RV-8A for VFR only since we have 52 fourteeners in Colorado.
 
Gethomeitis is blamed but the real question is why do VFR pilots fly into cloud rather than turning back, and in my opinion the aviation community has spent far too little time on investigating and explaining the limitations of the human visual system to pilots.

Just how accurate and far does your depth perception system work, is it far enough to make a 180 turn at 180, 100, or 60 knots before entering that soft edged misty cloud ahead?

How much is the light level reduced with a 5-10-15 thousand ft overcast above you and how does that affect vision?

What about contrast, being in a dark room with no contrast you cannot see anything however contrast can slowly disappear as rain and mist turns everything the same shade of grey as the cloud above.

I believe it is really the limitations of our visual system that gets pilots into cloud and I think that the aviation community needs to spend more time researching that area rather than blaming gethomeitis!

Food for thought, We have been telling pilots about gethomeitis for the last fifty years and intelligent pilots still accidentally fly into cloud, WHY!
Do you know the limitations of your visual system?
About 20 years ago I was flying a 206 over El Dorado, KS on a hot summer day. I am VFR rated but had the opportunity many times to fly right seat in IMC with IFR rated pilots. I wasn't aware that behind me on this particular day there was a thunderstorm rapidly building (it happens all the time in Kansas!). The clouds very quickly filled in around my airplane and I was in IMC. Fortunately, I was able to get on the instruments and descend to a level below the clouds and, thankfully, not into any of the high radio towers that can be found in the area. In this case I didn't fly into the clouds - they flew into me.
 
Great and touching story. Thanks for sharing. I'm getting more and more convinced an IFR ticket or at least training (LSA) is a great idea.

Thanks everyone.

Bob
 
The Private ground school

I have instructed hundreds of college private pilot ground schools and on my second or third night I cover the Dr. or Lawyer who MUST make it back to work and forgets what you covered. Always leave yourself an out.
Thanks for your article.
 
I was talking to Doug yesterday about getting an instrument ticket and I've thought about it but my plane isn't equipped for instrument flight, it doesn't have a VOR receiver and without being able to use my own plane, the cost is prohibitive, especially with the pending cost I'm looking at for the ADS-B mandate.

There's another aspect of this that I talked to these fine people about and while it's easy to say once you stray into IMC, you'll never do it again, because you've learned, I'm not entirely sure that's true.

In fact, there's some anecdotal evidence in my cubicle here that once you run scud and play fast and loose with the weather, your standards for flying in weather that might lure you into IMC actually go down, not up. YMMV.

If an instrument ticket isn't an option then at the very least the ASF's course on VFR pilots getting trapped is worth it. When I've found myself in the soup a couple of times -- including a couple of months ago -- a nice turn out was easily accomplished by employing everything at my disposal, including an autopilot. The process was as much about focusing and eliminating distractions as anything else.

So... here. It's not an instrument ticket, for sure. But it's not like you'll be a dumber pilot having reviewed the presentation.
 
When I've found myself in the soup a couple of times -- including a couple of months ago -- a nice turn out was easily accomplished by employing everything at my disposal, including an autopilot.


Since I got my RV, complete with autopilot with altitude hold, I have primarily thought of Mr. Trutrak as a nice convenience for cross countries or times when you need to play with a chart, write down a frequency, or otherwise need your hands for a bit and would prefer to stay right side up. I have since seen the wisdom of those would point out that a good AP is a very nice insurance policy for accidental (and I stress accidental) forays into the crud, allowing both maintenance of controlled flight and safely turning around to get out. It will never replace real instrument training, and I am pleased to tell you I have never had to call on my digital copilot to get out of trouble, and hope I never do, but I am glad that my Digiflight is glowing there at the bottom of my panel, and test it out every couple of flights to make sure it is ready if I should ever need it.


Thanks for this piece, Bob; as always it reflects your sterling qualities as both a writer and a human being.
 
Thanks Bob

Andi and I are always a fan of your work in print, and on the airwaves. This story is another reason why.
 
Last edited:
just think...

And just think, you almost sold your airplane before it was finished. And then with your inner ear issues. You stuck with it, and here is a nice reward - the value you bring to other people's lives,

Best,
 
Well done as always Bob. Thanks for sharing and hopefully causing us all to contemplate our motivations and human frailties.

Gerry Peterson
Merritt Island, FL
 
Back
Top