NTSB Safety Alert SA-039 - Mastering Mountain Flying

Mastering Mountain Flying

Training is essential for mountain flying safety

The problem

 Pilots with limited or no training in mountain flying can be surprised about the ir

aircraft’s different performance at high density altitude, often leading to serious or

fatal accidents.

 Wind and other weather phenomen a interacting with mountainous terrain often lead

unsuspecting pilots into situations that are beyond their capabilitie s.

 Should a crash occur, a pilot who survives the crash but does not have emergency or

survival gear immediately accessible may not survive the harsh environment until

rescuers are able to reach the location.

Related accidents

The NTSB has investigated num erous accidents in which limited or no training resulted in

accidents in mountainous terrain.

 A pilot and two passengers of a Piper Cherokee 235 were fatally injured when trying

to follow an interstate highway over a high mountain pass. Employees of the fixed

base operator (FBO) at the departure airport reported that the pilot had asked about

routes across the mountains. Based on the conditions at the time of the accident, the

airplane's climb rate would have been reduced by more than 90 percent. It is l ikely

that, as the pilot attempted to cross over the mountainous terrain near the pass, he

raised the airplane's nose to the point that he exceeded the airplane's critical angle of

attack. With the airplane's decreased performance, this led to an aerodynam ic stall

and loss of control. ( CEN14FA328 )

 A private pilot and three passengers of a Mooney M20E were fatally injured during

takeoff in gusty wind conditions from an airport located at an elevation of 8,380 feet.

The pilot had no prior experience flying out of the accident airport and limited

experience flying in mountainous terrain. Witnesses reported that the pilot seemed

confident about his ability to fly th e airplane and he was not concerned with the wind

conditions. As the airplane departed, the reported wind was 33 knots, gusting to

47 knots. Later review of weather data showed mountain wave activity in the area.

After the airplane lifted from the runway, it crabbed into the wind, and then rose and

fell repeatedly as its wings rocked, before coming to rest inverted. ( CEN13FA183 )

SA-039 March 2015 , reviewed December 2015  The pilot and two passengers of a Cessna U206G were fatally injured and two

passengers sustained serious injuries when the airplane collided with mountainous

terrain. The pilot was transporting the passengers to a remote back country airstrip.

As the airplane proceeded on the flight, ridgetops on both sides of the valley became

obscured with an overcast cloud layer at 7,000 feet, and ragged clouds with mist

were probably present beneath the overcast. Local pilots reported that in these types

of weather conditions, numerous drainages can be similar in appearance. Radar data

showed that the airplane was well short of the position reported by the pilot. Because

of this, the pilot misidentified the drainage he intended to reach and instead turned

into a drainage that ended in a box canyon. After impact, all communication, survival,

and foul -weather gear aboard the airplane were destroyed in a postimpact fire.

Although the pilot’s logbook indicated that the pilot had 2,723 hours total flight time, it

showed minimal back country or mountain flying experience. ( SEA04GA192 )

What can pilots and flight instructors do?

Through training, pilots can develop skills and techniques that will allow them to safely fly in

mountainous terrain. When planning flights in mountainous terrain, pilots and flight

instructors should do the following to enhance safety:

 Flight instructors should encourage their students to attend a quality mountain flying

course before attempting flight in mountainous terrain or at high density altitudes.

 Pilots should consult with local flight instructors before planning a flight into

mountainous terrain. Even experienced mountain pilots may not be familiar with local

conditions and procedures for safe operations.

 Pilots should be aware that weather interacting with mountainous terrain can cause

dangerous wind, severe tur bulence, and other conditions that may be unsafe for

aircraft, especially light GA aircraft.

 Pilots should consider specialized emergency and survival equipment (such as

personal locator beacons in addition to a 406 emergency locator transmitter) before

flying in mountainous terrain, and develop a plan for immediate access to the

equipment in the event of a postaccident fire.

 FBO staff should be alert for customers who appear to be planning flight into

mountainous terrain who could benefit from mo untain flying instruction.

Interested in more information?

The reports for the accidents referenced in this safety alert are accessible by NTSB accident

number from the Aviation Accident Database and Synopses web page at

http://www.ntsb.gov/_layouts/ntsb.aviation/index.aspx . Each accident’s public docket is

accessible from the NTSB’s Docket Management System web page at

http://dms.ntsb.gov/pubdms/ .

For an overview of mountain flying and techniques, the F ederal Aviation Administration

(FAA) published Tips on Mountain Flying (FAA -P-8740 -60). Additionally, the May/June 2012

SA-039 March 2015 , reviewed December 2015 issue of FAASafety Briefing contains an article, Rocky Mountain High: The Zen of Mountain

Flying that d iscusses both the beauty and dangers of mountain flying. The publications can

be accessed from www.faa.gov .

Additionally, the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association ( AOPA ) Air Safety Foundation

provides a Mountain Flying safety advisor that highlights important considerations for

mountain flying, A Pilot’s Guide to Mountain Flying that discusses weather factors and

mountain flying techniques, and the ASF - Mountain Flying resources web page that lists

preferred routes over mountainous terrain in addition to other resources . AOPA also offers a

Mountain Flying online course. T hese resources can be accessed from www.aopa.org .

The Colorado Pilots Association provides mountain flying resources to assist pilots when

flying in Colorado. These include moun tain pass locations and names, certified flight

instructors, and available training. These can be accessed from http://coloradopilots.org/ .

This NTSB safety alert and others can be accessed from the NTSB’s Safety Alerts web

page at http://www.ntsb.gov/safety/safety -alerts/Pages/default.aspx or searched from the

NTSB home page at http://www.ntsb.gov/Pages/default.aspx .