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Another 'Failure to Clip In' Fatality.

Posted: Tue, May 11 2021, 03:28:38 pm
by David Williamson

Re: Another 'Failure to Clip In' Fatality.

Posted: Wed, May 12 2021, 04:24:50 am
by Plummet
OMG, not again.

Just a reminder here of something simple anyone can ADD to their existing security 'methods', a hook line.

Already discussed here -
viewtopic.php?f=2&t=49274

Updated now with the attached photos - self explanatory I hope. I am not the originator of this idea - it's probably as old as hang gliding. Thomas Finsterwalder had a 'check band' in his 1981 catalog already.

To repeat, this should be just ONE of several clip-in reminders. When the others fail, this one will still be there! No problem to use it in tandem either.

Fly safe -
Don

Re: Another 'Failure to Clip In' Fatality.

Posted: Wed, May 12 2021, 09:51:31 am
by Harry Martin
It boils down to one thing and one thing alone...POOR LAUNCH HABITS!

Lift the glider and feel the leg loops or straps.
Lift the glider so high it hurts the crotch. It should be your launch religion.
Only then will you know you are hooked in.

For a tandem launch, you had better feel YOUR straps to be sure.

Don't rely on gadgets and friends. The gadgets can fail and your friends may not be your friends.
If you are the last to launch and there is no one around, you MUST have FAIL SAFE launch habits.

Here's a question for the HG world...Why no tandem harnesses?
Why is the pilot harness not permanently attached to the passenger harness?
Maybe that would stop pilots and/or passengers from failing to hook in.

I don't know about schools today, but the school I went through decades ago, ALWAYS taught me to lift the glider high before launch. Feel the straps. It takes the slop out of launch. Now, I watch Youtube videos and all I see is sloppy launches. It's your neck. Just stuff to think about.

A solution

Posted: Thu, May 13 2021, 01:06:20 pm
by Round Bird
Also this brilliant backup system - simple, elegant, within eye sight of pilot - https://www.facebook.com/paolo.lega.7/v ... 5071381531

Credit to CH for the find/share.

Re: Another 'Failure to Clip In' Fatality.

Posted: Fri, May 14 2021, 04:49:32 am
by Plummet
Yes Round Bird I saw that post by Paolo Lega. Encouraging to see others using this system. Of course it's essentially the same as I posted above, so unsure as to why you posted 'Solution'.

Having used this hook line for ~15 years I have found that having the attachment point nearer to the pilot (~60 cm) makes the whole thing more visible and practical to use, and the line(s) cannot be confused with the front wires!

The heavy duty stick-on velcro I use to make up mine will stick to sailcloth and aluminum, so ok for any kind of glider.

I repeat, this should be just ONE of your hook-in check systems. It has the great advantage over other systems in that it is PASSIVE - you do not have to remember it. It will be there in front of you until you are hooked in. Crucially it WILL catch a pilot who unhooks to adjust something - a camera for instance.

What Harry says is fine, and is 'one' of my systems, but it isn't enough. I know because I sometimes forget to do it and sadly I'm not the only one. Longtime readers of the Oz Report will have seen the pages of discussion on this subject over the years (57 on one thread!) ... unfortunately leading nowhere.

As I've said before, I think it is time glider manufacturers incorporate something like this into gliders at source. The least they could do is sew a small loop for the elastic in the double surface about 60 cm in front of the suspension point.

BTW, I made up a whole bunch of these hook lines and gave them out around our club. Dead simple to make - think about it.
Don

Re: Another 'Failure to Clip In' Fatality.

Posted: Fri, May 14 2021, 09:53:15 am
by Martin
Quoting Plummet :
Crucially it WILL catch a pilot who unhooks to adjust something - a camera for instance.
First, I respect your (and all) efforts to create a safety system. Anything to keep the pilot on "task" can not harm the process.

No doubt, as crazy as it sounds, eventually you get someone clip into the safety system and fail to clip into the main.... statistically this "WILL" happen. Its what we get for being human. Even the best system, with layers that include obvious sound check points in the process can be defeated. Its not too far reaching to suggest the pilot could clip into safety system, ignore the actual hang loop and move on in the distracted scenerio of messing with a camera (or tie the safety device out of the way during the frustrating interlude caused by the need to unclip and turn on a camera).

I'm not saying I have a solution, just like you I can only offer up observations and suggestions.

The Tandem community owe it to the public to provide the best possible safety standards. When they fail, innocent lives are lost.

I think its time we as a community admit that, "There are tandem pilots in our community that are not qualified to safely perform the task of tandem flight". Many are driven by ego, some simply lack the professional standards needed. Some have the very best of intentions but are simply not capable of performing the complex task of tandem flight. I'm sure we all know a tandem pilot that has demonstrated more luck than skill when having a close call? (BTW, I mean no disrespect to the many tandem pilots in the community that are offering up a safe tandem experience. To those pilots, please reach out to the rest of the community and mentor as best as you can ....).

In 2012, I investigated a similar tandem accident. I provided a report to the RCMP and local Coroner that included within the findings, "distraction" was likely key to the pilot not connecting the passenger to the wing. The proverbial, "how could anyone miss such a critical step"?

http://towforce.blogspot.com/2014/04/an ... lider.html

I had many recommendations, one was the idea that Tandem Pilots need to incorporate an additional crew member in the process. A ground support person to assist and observe the process. If the use of remote camera is so critical to the purpose of the flight, then the crew would handle the process. "Crew" would monitor and assist in the task. I compare this thinking to that of the commercial airline industry, A pilot of a commercial jet does not often kick out his own wheel chocks, belt in all the passengers, close all the doors.. he/she has an entire crew of people to assist in the process. Of course.... in the end, anything goes wrong... the pilot gets the blame!

Another item from my recommendations, "include the passenger in the process". Passengers should not be treated as a "sack of meat". They should be a student or a co-pilot. They should be included in the process, including the preflight check list. Much of the Tandem community use the passenger as source of commerce to pay for the business, or use the tandem to massage their ego's and thrill the "girls" or impress their friends.

The reality is, we will repeat these incidents, we will repeat our disbelief that something so obvious will be overlooked, we will repeat our recommendations and solutions.

I suggest, we are nothing more than a obscure back water of form of aviation for thrill seekers with most in the sport not capable of grasping the need for professionalism to improve safety for the passengers we want to "take for a ride". (Again... no offence to the "Pro's" that do it right!)

Martin

(PS... I doubt any of us participating in this little "back water" forum will have any effect on anything going on in the real world ;-) )

Re: Another 'Failure to Clip In' Fatality.

Posted: Fri, May 14 2021, 09:56:18 am
by Martin
Speaking of the obvious... check this out... a variation of "Failure to clip in" (and thanks to the very brave sole that posted this)

phpBB [video]


Look how long it takes for the obvious to surface. We are all human.

Martin

Re: Another 'Failure to Clip In' Fatality.

Posted: Fri, May 14 2021, 11:46:39 am
by Plummet
Thanks for your learned comments Martin, and I read your good recommendations in your blog. Yes, you could call this a 'Visual Control Tag'.

Maybe I should have said 'Crucially it SHOULD catch a pilot who unhooks to adjust something'.
No doubt, as crazy as it sounds, eventually you get someone clip into the safety system and fail to clip into the main.... statistically this "WILL" happen.
I should also have stated the obvious in that the hook line is the LAST thing you hook into - after hooking into the hang strap. However, us idiots are evolving better & better every year so yes, anything is possible! Anyway it certainly reduces the risk and should be just ONE of several checks for hook-in. Think slices of Swiss cheese - the holes in each slice must not line up.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swiss_cheese_model
I made up a whole bunch of these hook lines and gave them out around our club. Dead simple to make - think about it.
How about thinking of doing this where you fly regularly?

Don
PS. I hope people can see the attached images on my first post. With this new format they didn't show up for me by default.

Re: Another 'Failure to Clip In' Fatality.

Posted: Fri, May 14 2021, 06:57:23 pm
by Scare!
PS. I hope people can see the attached images on my first post. With this new format they didn't show up for me by default.
I see 'em, don't you?

Re: Another 'Failure to Clip In' Fatality.

Posted: Fri, May 14 2021, 07:01:33 pm
by Harry Martin
Martin wrote: Fri, May 14 2021, 09:56:18 am Speaking of the obvious... check this out... a variation of "Failure to clip in" (and thanks to the very brave sole that posted this)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ouTJ4pW ... ohnSimpson

Look how long it takes for the obvious to surface. We are all human.

Martin
Thanks for that. Yes, we are all human, and prone to mistakes.

Some of these devices are new to me as I have never seen them before.
I stopped using my hook-in alarm a couple years ago and I may go back to using it.