General Aviation Accidents

First Responder Safety

Disclaimer

This presentation is an overview of hazards first responders may encounter when responding to a General Aviation (GA) accident. Obviously, all aircraft types and situations cannot be addressed, but this presentation will provide overview information most responders may not have considered.

While this presentation can be viewed as a standalone item, I strongly recommend you seek out a qualified instructor or commercial pilot who can use this presentation, along with personal observations, to provide a more thorough briefing. Also, Airplane Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) 800/872-2672 can put you in touch with a pilot, in your community.

Where does the typical GA accident occur?

• The majority happen near airports, because that is where the concentration is greater

• Generally they happen in good weather, because more people fly when the weather is good

• Mid-air collisions are surprisingly rare – big sky theory

• Pilot error (causal or contributory) constitutes the bulk of accident findings

KJYO Leesburg VA Visual Flight Rules (VFR) Traffic Pattern

Washington D.C. FSRA

Leesburg Maneuvering Area

KJYO Leesburg VA Visual Flight Rules (VFR) Traffic Pattern

Traffic Landing Runway 17

Traffic Landing Runway 35

KJYO Leesburg VA Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) ILS/GPS

Approach Corridor Runway 17

KJYO Leesburg VA Summary of Approach/Missed Approach Instrument Patterns

KJYO Leesburg VA Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) Approaches

Hazards

• Fuel/Fire– GA aircraft (average) between 50 & 100+ gallons of fuel– Carried internally and/or in the wings– Pressurized Oxygen

• Electrical– 12/28 volts (sometimes multiple batteries)– Future electric engines (very high voltage batteries)

• Pyrotechnic/Explosives – Ballistic Recovery Parachutes (BRS)– Air Bags (primarily within the seat belts)

Fuel/Fire

• Secure fuel flow to engine compartment– First: Pull throttle control (Black) & mixture control

(Red) levers to off position (all the way out/all the way down)

Typical Single Engine Cessna

More Throttle & Mixture Controls

Single Engine Diamond Aircraft

Squeeze Spring Lock

Single Engine Piper

More Throttle & Mixture Controls

Twin Engine Piper Aircraft

Single/Twin FADEC Aircraft have noMixture Levers (Red)

Fuel Cut-Off

• Second: Secure the Fuel Valve– Note some valves require pushing/lifting the lever

or retention pins, before it can be rotatedCessna

Fuel Cut-Off

Piper Aircraft

Fuel Cut-OffDiamond Aircraft

Single Engine

Twin Engine

First: Lift Silver Lock Pin

Rotate Ear Stops

Then Pull Down C/O

Additional Fire HazardPressurized Oxygen

• Pressurized oxygen bottles are not common on small GA aircraft, but it is a possibility.

• The oxygen containers are normally accented with the industry standard green and can be of the small portable bottles or internal system variety.

• Pressurized vessels & oxygen are obvious hazards to first responders.

Secure Electrical System(reduces chance of fire)

• Aircraft electrical power is controlled through the Master Switch (toggle), but it has no control over ignition.

• The ignition switch (unlike that in automobiles) does not control electrical power. Basically, it is a grounding switch for the engine magneto. If the engine is running it will (if undamaged) turn it off, but if the previous steps, removing the fuel supply, were applied, the engine should not be running.

Secure Electrical SystemSingle Engine Cessna

Master Power Switch (Red)

Secure Electrical System

Single Engine Piper

Master Power Switch (Red)

Secure Electrical System

Twin Engine Piper

Master Power Switches (Red)

Secure Electrical System

Diamond Aircraft Twin/Single

Master P

ower Switch (Red)

Pyrotechnic/ExplosivesAirbags

• Not all aircraft have airbags

• Aircraft airbags are within the seatbelts, not physical structures

• Lap & Shoulder Straps

Pyrotechnic/ExplosivesParachutes

• Currently limited to some newer single-engine, aircraft and Hang gliders.

• See FAA Presentation: www.faa.gov/airports/airport_safety/.../accident_safety_scene_brs.ppt

Pyrotechnic/ExplosivesParachutes

• The 55+ pound parachute pack is deployed by a rocket motor The rocket motor is ignited by pulling an activation handle in the cockpit. They then accelerate to over 100 mph in the first tenth of a second after ignition. While the total firing period is only one second, someone in the path of an escaping rocket could be seriously injured or killed. These are powerful rockets (about 1½-2 inches diameter and 8-10 inches long) that work very efficiently.

Pyrotechnic/ExplosivesParachutes

• This is a close up of the BRS 900 rocket motor, common to both Cessna and Cirrus installations. It produces roughly 225 pounds of thrust over a 1.2 second burn time and must be respected. It burns solid propellant derived from military formulations and is very resistant to accidental initiation.

Pyrotechnic/ExplosivesAccident Site

BRS Rocket Motor in Aircraft Debris

Pyrotechnic/ExplosivesActivation Handle (Generic)

Pyrotechnic/Explosives• Rescue personnel should first determine the

existence of a BRS-brand unit. If possible, locate the parachute container, rocket, activation cable (housing) assembly and activation handle. The activation housing, again, joins the firing handle on one end to the rocket motor on the other. Pulling either end away from one another can fire the unit. Normally the handle and the parachute unit will be mounted securely, but as stated above, in an accident, orientation may change. Rescue workers, police officers, and fire fighters should initially exercise extreme care when working around these systems, especially if the airplane is severely broken up or the activation cable appears to be tightly stretched. Examine the parachute container. Alongside the parachute container should be a 2-3 inch diameter black, silver or white tube about 10 inches in length. This is called the launch tube and it contains the rocket motor.

Pyrotechnic/ExplosivesHAS THE ROCKET FIRED?

• If the airframe has experienced significant breakup, there is a very good chance that the rocket motor has been initiated. Telltale signs of this would be the parachute canopy extracted from its container, the rocket motor no longer in the launch tube, a burned appearance on the lanyards joining the rocket motor to the parachute or being unable to locate the rocket motor at all. A rocket motor that has separated from the igniter poses no significant hazard, unless it is exposed to fire. Experience has shown that a rocket motor subjected to high temperatures (fire) will not ignite in a normal manner and launch. Rather, they have been observed to burst in a relatively non-threatening display. After a determination is made that the rocket is live, under no circumstances should rescue personnel place any part of their person in front of the launch tube. Clear a 90 degree area in front of the rocket motor, extending 100 feet out, if possible.

Pyrotechnic/ExplosivesHAS THE ROCKET FIRED?

• THE ROCKET MOTOR IGNITER IS NOT AN ARMED, HAIR-TRIGGER DEVICE. It requires a deliberate pull of about 30-40 pounds to cock and fire the system. Both cocking and firing are accomplished by one pull of the handle. Because of the design, the handle will come free of the handle holder and travel roughly two inches unimpeded. Then, spring compression begins. At that point, the system needs only about 7/16 inch of additional movement to ignite. Under certain circumstances, crash forces may physically separate the rocket from the igniter. This separation alone greatly reduces risks. The igniter contains two shotgun primers and a small amount of black powder/magnesium mix. The output is a loud report and a flash of flame. This could cause minor injury, but it is not particularly dangerous. Should one encounter this scenario, cutting the activating cable is still desirable. NOTE: DO NOT ATTEMPT TO CUT THE ACTIVATION HOUSING WITH AN ORDINARLY BOLT CUTTER OR SIDE CUTTER! They are NOT effective at cutting the cable housing.

Advance Planning

• Obtain (rapid contact) telephone numbers for aviation agencies in your jurisdiction. – Flight Service Station 800-992-7433 (they can help obtain

numbers for applicable agencies below) – Control Tower/Approach Control– ARTCC (Center)– FAA District Office– NTSB District Office– C.A.P.

Advance Planning

• Unless Safety Would Be Compromised:– Maintain site security (until FAA/NTSB releases)• Record weather observations at site• Other observables (fuel smell, bird activity etc.)• Do not move/relocate any aircraft or cargo components• Photograph aircraft pieces, wreckage patterns, impact

points and any gouge marks

To Be Considered• Many pilots carry handheld GPS units. These units should remain in place

(unless fire is a threat and they can safely be retrieved). These units may contain data that can assist the accident investigation team. The data is subject to being overwritten, over time, so it advisable to power off any operating GPS units.