198 – Be Careful About In-flight Troubleshooting!

Airplane Owner Maintenance - By Dean Showalter

Chris Saindon, a podcast listener and owner of a Cessna 172G, contacted me with a different, and important perspective that I had completely overlooked.

I recently told of a landing gear light in a Piper Seminole, and how the pilots had done some in-flight troubleshooting when the right gear down light did not illuminate. I’ve often thought in-flight troubleshooting was a great thing, but Chris reminded me that I need to also communicate the danger of in-flight troubleshooting and the potential for pilots to be distracted from flying the airplane. Before we get into the story Chris shared with me in a voice message, I wanted to share a photo of his Cessna 172G:

Nice airplane, Chris!

Now back to the dangers of in-flight troubleshooting…

Years ago, a large passenger jet descended ever-so-slowly and gradually on a dark, moonless night, down to a crash landing in the Everglades where 101 of the 176 passengers and crew were killed.

The cause? A burned out bulb in the nose gear down light, which caused the 3 active crew members to get distracted.

This accident was a huge catalyst for the beginning of CRM (crew resource management) training in the airlines and beyond. If an accident like this could happen to a 29,000 hour captain, it could happen to anyone.

The following video is startling, but totally worth watching… and all of us can learn some valuable lessons from it.

Chris Saindon is uniquely qualified to remind us of the importance of using great caution and wisdom whenever in-flight troubleshooting is required. His experience includes the following:

• Retired US Navy Captain
• Navy P-3 pilot
• Director of aviation safety programs for Navy and Marine aviation
• Airline pilot and airline instructor pilot
• Owner and pilot of a 1966 Cessna 172G

…AND, Chris is logging time toward getting his A&P!

I’d say Chris qualifies as the “Airplane owner of the week!” Congratulations Chris!

Chris, thank you for making us aware that in-flight troubleshooting is something we should approach with careful consideration to make sure we avoid the dangerous distractions that can happen.

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