4 encounters

Hello pilots, will-be pilots and aviation enthusiasts – along your flight career, think about flight safety because somewhere in your progression from training to regular daily flights you will encounter situations and occurrences (that could have resulted in an accident) – anyway, an occurrence which really “shook you up”.
During a lifetime career in Aviation, I can think of many such occurrences which came out for the best and taught me very valuable lessons in flying.

But I digress. Did you know that most pilots are in deathly fear of (1) meeting another aircraft in flight head-on under instrument conditions, (2) stalling the airplane on takeoff or worse yet losing an engine on takeoff, (3) climbing in a narrow canyon and realizing that the terrain was rising faster than your airplane could climb, (4) coming in the clear, after flying through low scud on final approach and seeing power lines in front of you at night – WOW!

To continue, I can vouch for the existence of all of the above occurrences – I have experienced these encounters myself – to use an old familiar phrase, it scared the hell out of me!

Number (4) occurred during a flight from FT. Wayne, Indiana to Hamilton Field, California on my way overseas in 1942. On the final approach at night coming in to Abilene, Texas under near-instrument and rough-air conditions, I asked the Copilot to turn on the landing lights – he couldn’t find the switches! By the time that I got the lights turned on a group of power lines appeared directly ahead. I yanked on the control column (we ballooned upward over the wires), then I had to correct the descent after passing the lines in order not to overshoot the short runway given me by the Tower – but I made it okay!

Number (3) I have never encountered as a pilot, but I have investigated many such accidents for the Civil Aeronautics Board and the National Transportation Safety Board where such flights failed, usually in unfamiliar mountainous areas.

Number (2), I have experienced twice, losing an engine (twin-engine) on takeoff. On both occasions I got the airplane back in to the airport. I realized afterwards that it was risky – the old rule is land straight ahead rather than risk a stall and crashing.

Number (1), I’ve experienced this one twice during WWII in the Pacific Theater – both were too close. There were no airways or traffic control.

Later I will tell you about my worst encounter in WWII where I almost ran out of fuel. I made the landing in Finschhafen, New Guinea. I think I hold the record for getting the most hours from C-47 aircraft 800-gal. fuel tanks, during and after recovering from a steep spiral over the New Guinea mountains at night. GOD and I were on friendly terms that night!

--RS