Once More Around The Aircraft Before Departure

by Aviation & Safety Editor Gary Wiblin

Some time ago I wrote in this column of the need for a pre-take-off walk-around. Not a replacement for the pre-flight inspection mind you but, just before entering the cockpit, a final walk around the entire aircraft. This is because, more often than not, pilots and passengers do not enter the aircraft immediately after the pre-flight inspection has been completed. The reason I would like to elaborate on this subject is because there have recently been three incidents that I know of where a pre-flight walk-around would have saved the day. I will describe all three scenarios in order to hammer home the vital need for a pre-take-off walk-around, EVERY time. No matter what!

Remember, in general aviation we do not have a ground crew looking after our best interests just before start-up so the final responsibility rests with the designated pilot in command. It is vital that this be remembered, as, even in private flying, it is often that two pilots fly together. It must be clearly agreed upon exactly who is to be the pilot in command at all times. Let's take a look at the first scenario:

 I was on a trip into central Africa to offload supplies and had taken a company pilot along to share the flying due to flight and duty time constraints. When preparing to depart one particular airfield, we agreed that my relief pilot would fly this leg but we came to no definite agreement as to who was responsible for the pre-flight inspection and this became a shared affair. In this case, this was the mistake. Neither one of us was really certain exactly what had and had not been thoroughly inspected. Shortly after take-off the nose baggage compartment popped open and we had to return for landing. Each of us presumed that the other had inspected the latches. In this case it was not a major problem but rather an irritating inconvenience. A pre-take-off walk-around would have prevented this.

On another occasion a company pilot was offloading passengers at an airfield. He personally removed the baggage from the nose baggage compartment, locked and checked the nose baggage compartment latches, and then proceeded towards the tail of the aircraft where his passengers were saying their goodbyes to each other, and to him. Unbeknown to him, one of the passengers had gone around to the nose baggage compartment in search of his bag and had in fact re-opened it. When he saw the empty compartment he not only closed it again but also actually tried to lock the catches. At a glance it now looked as if the baggage compartment was locked, which is exactly what the pilot expected to see. As he had locked the compartment just seconds before, when he now wanted to board and start-up, he had every reason to expect that it was still locked. His cursory glance at the aircraft before boarding was obviously not enough. As the aircraft began gathering speed for take-off the baggage compartment lid popped up and was restrained by the safety catch. The take-off was aborted.

 The third example was so typical that any of us could be caught out if not careful enough. Once again the pilot was unpacking the nose baggage compartment of a Baron and was putting the removed bags on the ground behind him. After removing the last bag he locked the baggage compartment and turned around to pick up some bags. One of the passengers was also helping and they each picked up a couple of bags and walked to the vehicle, which was parked just meters away. They said their goodbyes and the pilot turned back to the aircraft, ran his eyes over its entire length, was satisfied that everything was locked, and boarded the aircraft, locking the cabin door behind him. He was still busy running through his pre-start checks when the driver of the vehicle yelled from outside that one of the bags was apparently missing. The pilot exited the aircraft to re-check the baggage compartment only to find the offending bag lying right in front of the right-hand propeller. From the point at which he had stood casting a suspicious eye over the aircraft the bag had been out of sight. If he had taxied into it he would have had a damaged propeller and one highly irate passenger.

I have now amended my own rule to be applied somewhat more harshly. I now do a pre-take-off walk-around just before boarding, every single time. Even if I have shut down only briefly for some obscure reason, before once again starting up I will exit the aircraft, do a pre-take-off walk-around, and then re-board the aircraft and start up. I am now convinced that Murphy is always there, waiting for a lapse in concentration. Do yourself a favor and make this your rule too and you will save yourself many embarrassing, and sometimes dangerous, moments.

(Gary Wiblin is a South African pilot and editor of Aviation & Safety, an email publication distributed worldwide -- and a good friend of Aero-News.Net)

FMI: mailto: aviation@aerosat.co.za