On Monday evening, NAAREF hosted a safety session in an attempt to prevent any more fatal accidents this season. Currently, five fatal accidents, which is quite high for this point in the season. While the NTSB is still investigating all these accidents, it appears at this point that four of the accidents are Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT) accidents and the other was a stall spin accident. All four CFIT accidents involved a wire strike.
The safety meeting was held at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT to better accommodate those who had to fly during the day. PAASS presenters Randy Hale, Brian Rau and Rod Thomas joined NAAREF president and fellow PAASS presenter Matt Hovdenes in the safety discussion. They were introduced by NAAA CEO Andrew Moore, who explained this was the first-ever safety meeting held during the season and was convened because of the number of fatalities in 2021. The goal was to get ag aviators to have a reset for the season when it comes to safety. A recording of the meeting can be viewed here.
Topics included avoiding wire strikes and other CFIT accidents. Hale specifically called out an attitude mentioned by some that “hitting things is just part of our business.” He rightfully feels this is the wrong attitude to have, and no one should just accept they are going to hit something eventually. Instead, the attitude of every ag pilot should be that they will do everything possible on every job to avoid hitting wires and other obstacles. Thomas pointed out that wire strikes in helicopters can be even more deadly than in airplanes. There are two parts to avoiding obstructions, Rau added: The first is locating the obstruction; the second is remembering it throughout the application.
Distractions and fatigue can increase the risk of accidents. Hovdenes noted that stress this season seems to be particularly high due to difficulty obtaining sufficient fuel, chemicals and good help. These distractions must be put aside while flying so that they don’t interfere with flying safely.
Aggressive flying was also discussed since it possibly relates to the high number of stall spin accidents from 2020 and one apparent fatal stall spin in 2021. Keep the aircraft within the envelope to avoid a stall spin from which you will not be able to recover. It also can affect the quality of the swath. Never hesitate to tell an ag pilot and operator about the extreme safety and application quality issues resulting from aggressive flying.
NAAAREF has sought to bring attention to the high number of fatalities this early in the season in an effort to prevent all future accidents. An emergency Fly Safe message addressing the fatalities and the importance of avoiding wire strikes was released last Monday. The Fly Safe reminded readers that NAAREF has an online education video that covers wires and obstructions. Also last week, NAAREF President Hovdenes sent out an email alerting all ag aviators to the high number of fatalities and the need to prevent accidents. Please take a moment to watch the recording of the safety session and make safety a top priority on every job.
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