This US crash, and the bizzare lawsuit where one family member is suing another one, suggests this might be so – at least in some types of aircraft whose pilots might treat them a bit too generically.
Only skimmed the article but in my opinion, light aircraft checklists are far too complicated. For the large part I think things can safely be learned as flows, while having a written checklist available for reference if you have a real brain fart moment and also for emergencies.
I always remember while I was doing my PPL, using the club provided C172 checklist which was at least 10 double sided pages long (A5) and then having an instructor who also worked for an airline show us the day to day (not emergency/abnormal/QRH) checklist that he used in the airbus. One double sided laminated A5 page. Much better idea I think.
As to the checklists, it depends, what they are used for. We recently made new sets of checklists for flight training and they have to be a bit more versatile than an experienced pilot would need. This is because the students have to learn the necessary procedures. Plus, our checklist is written in English and German for them to learn the vocabulary. Our students are supposed to have an own copy of the checklist for “chair flying” at home. However, we teach to actually use them on the ground, while in the air you have to memorise them and understand what to do. Flying is complex enough without losing oneself in endless lists, better to fly the plane. Here is the checklist of our C172b, my wife made (actually, this is the Version 0.01 or something. There are a few typos corrected in the actual check list we use, but I haven’t got that one on my laptop right now.) She added performance data from the manual, as she had plenty of space. They are printed in colour DIN A5 and work pretty well.
Then, for personal flying and advanced students, there is this checklist at the copilots sun visor.
As to the accident, I don’t think it was a problem with checklists, but with airmenship and concentration on what he was actually doing. Not, that I haven’t made my mistakes of forgot something in a hurry, but apparently he forgot the checks, didn’t check airspeed building / acceleration of the plane, take off distance, climb performance or the pitch angle. He missed so many possible safety nets … aviation is very unforgiving to carelessness and neglect.
Cheers,
mh thank you for sharing the checklist which I have downloaded.
A fastback 172 is a cool ’plane – is the tin parachute of your avatar also yours?
Checklists make good habits in training – in practice I like a flow method with a good pre take off safety brief.
The article might add that visually checking flap status is a vital pre take off action, in part to confirm you do not have an asymmetric condition, in part to avoid the scenario of the accident, or run off the runway in the case of a commercial type.
Some GA types have had incidents of asymmetric flaps on deployment, although not the 172 that I recall.
Yes they are too complicated. In SEP I do it as a ritual I know by heart, I started that way with gliders and it works.
On a Citation I use an abbreviated checklist for many flights, everything that you need to be sure it doesn’t bite you will fit on one side of an A5 card in big writing.
I would use a check list on an unfamiliar complex type
Renting in the USA, I’ve always found a laminated sheet in the aircraft, with a sensible set of checks and emergency procedures. In the UK i am expected to own checklists for the Pa28/38 and C150/152/172 I occasionally hire. The Piper ones are in the car, but the C150 list from 1965 is 12 pages (small) and the C152 list is 11 pages – about A5. The DGAC approved Jodel DR1050 checklist is sensibly short – but our Group has a several-page checklist available – modelled on the Flying School Piper/Cessna ones. I do a carefull preflight, carefull run-up, and do all checks from memory on the Jodel. Personally, I don’t change tanks for run-up and T/O – I’ve established there’s enough fuel in the Jodel system with the fuel off to do the run-up and probably enough to get to speed, maybe airbourne, before the engine dies. I’d rather have a fuel problem show at altitude on changing tanks.
I think most are too complicated. I have developed my own checklist for each aircraft I have owned. It’s always one sheet, laminated, typically normal procedures on front, and emergency on the back.
I advocate using airline style ‘flow-checks’ and then follow it up with my checklist which only includes only safety critical items, items that would be expensive to fix, or embarrassing items.
Examples:
Critical – e.g fuel valve on, mixture set, etc
Expensive – e.g. gear UP/DOWN, cowl flaps not set could cause a hot running engine and possibly (but unlikely) damage
Embarrassing – pilot cover removed, baggage door closed, etc.
My checklist, for example, doesn’t include transponder to ALT for takeoff. It’s covered in my ‘before lining up flow’ and if I forgot it, that wouldn’t fit any of the above criteria, it would simply mean ATC asking me to turn it on.
I also think some of the manufacturer checklists are way too dated. E.g.: why not check your flight controls are free-and-correct before starting up so you can listen and feel for issues before the noise and vibration can mask them after engine start.
I can upload my PA28 checklist if anyone wants to see it? I have to figure out first how to upload a file!?
-Jason
Yes, PILOT cover must always be removed ;-)))
I have to figure out first how to upload a file!?
We don’t have that facility here currently.
For images, this is easy to solve using free picture hosting services such as imgur.com.
For miscellaneous files, you can use Dropbox and post the URL here. There are many other file sharing sites. Or you can email it to me (address in my profile) and I will upload it, give you the URL, and then you can post the URL. The last option is possibly the best if you want something to be accessible over a long time, because the free sites tend to delete uploads after a while.
