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
)