Texting While Flying

Ian J said:
I have two company-provided texting devices in my helicopter.
Click to expand...
Many aircraft have "texting devices", however if we want to keep only apples in the bowl:
Would you use these devices to discuss dinner plans when flying a patient while critically low on fuel?
OR are they used to communicate flight data and/or safety of flight information?
 
dustoff17 said:
Many aircraft have "texting devices", however if we want to keep only apples in the bowl:
Would you use these devices to discuss dinner plans when flying a patient while critically low on fuel?
OR are they used to communicate flight data and/or safety of flight information?
Click to expand...

The second one, obviously.
 
Whew!
I think in this crash, the texting was a small, yet important part of the attitude of the pilot. Sad situation........
 
Last text was 11 minutes before the crash. He was well aware of his fuel situation but trying to stretch it and engaging in CYA. Cant see a texting link. The head not in the game problem existed long, long before paved runways existed.

One board member dissented along those lines but was shot down by another member stating 'We see this as a problem that is emerging, and on that basis, let's try to get ahead of it.'

Does that mean that wanting to get ahead of emerging issues is valid reasoning for assigning cause?

Stinks in Denmark if you ask me.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD
 
He ran out of gas with full awareness of the situation. He had known since taking off on the repositioning leg that he may not have adequate fuel for both legs, and painted himself into a two-scenario corner: 1) I've got enough fuel to make the airport and everything will be OK; or 2) The engine will quit in cruise flight, I've never performed an autorotation in cruise in this make/model, and a successful outcome is a crapshoot on which I'm willing to bet my life and the lives of three others.

Texting? Again - no texts sent or received in last 11 minutes of flight preceding the crash, and I'll bet that nothing entered his mind during that period except for how low the fuel quantity indicators looked, and how the engine sounded.

We've all taken fuel down below comfort levels, and we've focused on TSD & fuel burn to the exclusion of everything else.
 
tomokc said:
He ran out of gas with full awareness of the situation. He had known since taking off on the repositioning leg that he may not have adequate fuel for both legs, and painted himself into a two-scenario corner: 1) I've got enough fuel to make the airport and everything will be OK; or 2) The engine will quit in cruise flight, I've never performed an autorotation in cruise in this make/model, and a successful outcome is a crapshoot on which I'm willing to bet my life and the lives of three others.
Click to expand...
I don't think full awareness is an accurate statement. unless you're stating this was some sort of suicide mission.....
tomokc said:
Texting? Again - no texts sent or received in last 11 minutes of flight preceding the crash, and I'll bet that nothing entered his mind during that period except for how low the fuel quantity indicators looked, and how the engine sounded.
We've all taken fuel down below comfort levels, and we've focused on TSD & fuel burn to the exclusion of everything else.
Click to expand...
and, of course, dinner with a friend.
But then again, that's the point of this thread, isn't it?
 
I can see a broader contributing factor regarding personal distractions, and we can speculate all we want amongst ourselves.

But for the NTSB to use such flimsy conjecture and openly stated, political motivations (this is an emerging issue, let's try to get ahead of it) to attribute text messaging as the #1 cause of a four fatality, commercial accident is reckless to the point of negligence IMO.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD
 
Good thread. As far as I can see it's another case of "pin the tail on the pilot" rather than addressing how a pilot might be convinced not to fly until he's out gas...
 
Boris Badenov said:
Good thread. As far as I can see it's another case of "pin the tail on the pilot" rather than addressing how a pilot might be convinced not to fly until he's out gas...
Click to expand...

Every crash must be pinned on the pilot because in a very real sense, "the buck stops here." We are vested in finding the errors that our colleagues make in order to make sure that we don't make the same ones ourselves.

My buddy Ben is dead because he screwed up. He made a lot of errors, but the final critical one that cost him his life dealt with basic airmanship. I don't like admitting that, but I want to learn from his accident. I NEED to learn from his accident so I don't window my wife and leave my daughter without a father. As such, playing a good game of "pin the tail on the pilot" is an excellent exercise, and if I ride one in, I expect you guys to detail exactly how and why I paid for my mistakes with my life, and possibly the lives of my passengers.
 
Uhm OK, I admire your tough as leather plati...er attitude, but as pointed out above, the guy's texting, while obviously pretty dumb, also was pretty obviously NOT the #1 factor in the crash...
 
Boris Badenov said:
Uhm OK, I admire your tough as leather plati...er attitude, but as pointed out above, the guy's texting, while obviously pretty dumb, also was pretty obviously NOT the #1 factor in the crash...
Click to expand...

You do understand the NTSB lists one probable cause (which wasn't texting) and then the contributing factors, which texting was number 1, right? You DID read that in the probable cause statement, right??
 
Contributing or probable, they don't have the evidence as an objective, investigating body to assert that texting was a cause of this accident.

They do, however, readily admit to having an agenda, and I am seeing the results of that agenda across multiple news outlets today in the form of headlines stating that texting was a/the cause of a fatal crash.

I almost get the feeling that some of the board members have just been waiting for any sort of opportunity to make a statement with a splash about personal digital devices in the cockpit and figured that this was their best shot.

The guy screwed up. No denying that. But using this accident and the deaths of three innocent people to make a calculated statement (imo) just doesn't sit very well with me.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD
 
pressclick said:
Contributing or probable, they don't have the evidence as an objective, investigating body to assert that texting was a cause of this accident.
Click to expand...

Yes they do.

They do, however, readily admit to having an agenda, and I am seeing the results of that agenda across multiple news outlets today in the form of headlines stating that texting was a/the cause of a fatal crash.

I almost get the feeling that some of the board members have just been waiting for any sort of opportunity to make a statement with a splash about personal digital devices in the cockpit and figured that this was their best shot.

The guy screwed up. No denying that. But using this accident and the deaths of three innocent people to make a calculated statement (imo) just doesn't sit very well with me.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD
Click to expand...

You do understand that this wasn't the first deadly accident where the pilot was texting beforehand, right?
 
Capt. Chaos said:
Its the only time I have to make posts on the inter web.

But we definitely use it for company communication and wx updates. Even had a FAA enroute an had the webcams up on the phone.. he though that was a damm fine use of technology.
Click to expand...

A 206 I use to fly had no HF radio, while scud running the only way to get Wx updates was with my cellphone calling or texting a fellow pilot at destination, we had reporting points and I would just call the tower to tell them my position...wish I had one of those bluetooth headsets
 
cezzna said:
I'm still waiting for the 'no phone' movement. Eventually being 'that guy' with his head constantly glued to phone will be branded a loser by popular culture. Believe it or not, the cellphone will be as dorky as the Rubik's cube someday.
Click to expand...

last year I actually spent about 3 months without a cell phone, I just had moved back to Brazil and wasn`t planning on staying, prepaid was the only option and I was not up to be ripped off by those prices they have down there...Unfortunately I went back to using it as people started getting pissed from not being able to reach me. I have never used 3G or 4G on my phone, I have it too...I dunno I don`t see the reason of wasting more time on facebook then I already do on my laptop.
 
Seggy said:
Yes they do.

You do understand that this wasn't the first deadly accident where the pilot was texting beforehand, right?
Click to expand...

They do? And how does former texting related accidents concern my post?

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD
 
pressclick said:
They do?
Click to expand...

Yes the NTSB exists to find the probable cause of accidents, which they did here.

And how does former texting related accidents concern my post?

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD
Click to expand...

The ball was rolling long before this accident to ban cell phones in the cockpit, which isn't a bad idea.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top