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Bad Outcomes, But With Survivors
Despite cooler weather, traffic at Butler Memorial airport remained light last week. Repairs were completed on the automated fuel dispenser, evidenced by a 32-gallon fill-up for a visiting Cessna. Open 24 hours day, Butler is one of the few refueling spots available so conveniently in the area.
From the local fleet, Randy Miller flew the Cessna Skyhawk, dodging thunderstorms, Jerel Koehn took the company Cessna 172 out, and on Thursday student pilot Samantha Bruns and I made landing circuits in the Skyhawk, despite fog just to the north. The BCS AirTractor sprayplane took a few loads over the local farm fields.
This coming Saturday being the last one of the month, it’s time for the Fliars Club to once again assemble for a breakfast fly-out. If able, Fliars should fall into ranks on the Butler ramp at 0730 hours, at which point a decision will be made as to a suitable destination.
A new Harvard Medical School study published in JAMA Internal Medicine reveals an increase in radiation-related cancer death probability among airline aircrew members. In a study conducted from 2020 to 2024, 503 occupations were compared, and of the most-likely ranking, highest were flight attendants, found to have a 50% higher rate of death from radiation-related cancer than the general population, with pilots at 39% higher. Cancer deaths overall were comparable with the general population. The long-suspected reason is the increased exposure to cosmic radiation at high altitude, above the screening effect of the atmosphere. The rate of death from such cancer was about 7% for aircrew individuals, versus about 5% for the general population. Further study is needed, of course.
Probably the most publicized accident last week was the barely-midair collision at the Carlise, PA airport between a hovering Bell 407 police helicopter and a landing Cessna 150, that was perhaps making a go-around. Video shows the Cessna diverting off the runway and hitting the tail of the chopper, sending debris flying. The two occupants of the Bell 407 survived the drop to the ground, the pilot of the Cessna perished in the crash. One could speculate on the chance of wake turbulence spreading out from the rotor wash, but we’ll have to await the NTSB’s findings.
To continue the week’s morbidity report, a Beech King Air 200 turboprop made a forced landing on a road near Prince George, British Columbia last Thursday, with eight people aboard surviving the landing. Unfortunately, a person in a vehicle was killed from a collision with the aircraft. Here in the wide-open countryside, I always teach to head for a field rather than a narrow congested roadway, but during an emergency you have to choose the least objectionable option.
A potential mishap was averted in France recently, as the French air force reported that one of its Rafale fighter planes flew near a civilian Global 6000 business jet that was emitting a different contrail as it cruised at 40,000 feet. The pilot reported a smell of jet fuel in his cockpit, and the bizjet was evidently leaking fuel. As a precaution, the Miami, Florida-bound jet diverted to Paris, according to the report. Could have been serious over the Atlantic.
We asked in last week’s column about what type of airplane was the first to land at the South Pole. Our local Air Force veteran Susi Serna knew that it was a Navy DC-3, landing on skis back on October 31, 1956. During her career, Susi actually flew to the South Pole station in an LC-130 Hercules and a C-17 Globemaster III. For next week’s question, we want to know the name of the guy who developed the whole-airplane emergency parachute, used on several homebuilt airplanes. You can send your answers to kochhaus1@gmail.com.
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