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In your experience what's the most common cause of a crash?


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Posted by Martin Harris on 10/05/2013 09:34:58:

Avtur - you can see it if you log out and view the thread...

OK I've got it now, I have now viewed the thread in 'logged out status' (not logged back in) and see the (flying skills) addition.

The wording in the headings of the 'poll questions' intput has been modified; however the wording in the headings of 'poll results' output does not match the headings on the input ... it looks abbreviated as though the output tool has a text length limitation

 

 

 

Edited By avtur on 10/05/2013 10:07:22

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Posted by chris basson on 10/05/2013 09:59:47:
Plus 1 for pilot error!

Dumb Thumbs, Ground to high etc.

Honest bunch so far aren't we!

One of the best lessons you can learn in aviation is to admit your errors (to yourself at least) and it's extremely useful to share those admissions with as many people as possible.

Having said that, the majority of my crashes have been due to interference.

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with the sticks!

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I like it that the people in this forum are quite honest . Of course I put in pilot error, as if I look at the number of crashes I had I can find may be 3 or 4 where I find other reasons for an excuse.

The big majority is home made (or rather pilot made), with several stalls, several times hitting trees, starting my EDF without helper and so on...

VA, crash department

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I think after this poll has established that pilot error is the main cause of crashes (which it is IMHO) we should have another poll to establish which type of pilot error is most common: loss of orientation, not being on the ball, trying something new, exceeding our own abilities, pre flight or maintenence error all have been mentioned and there must be others. My money is on loss of orientation as the most common, but, for i.c. pilots, not being able to deal with a deadstick, or even not being able to set up an engine properly, must be high on the list as well.

My last major crash was down to me not plugging a servo lead in properly and trying to take off without aileron control. Pilot error, but pre-flight. More recently I lightly stuffed my old Formosa through loss of orientation during some over enthusiastic low level aerobatics and I damaged my Glen's Extra through leaving a spin recovery a bit too low and having the engine splutter instead of roar at just the wrong moment. Both my fault, although I never found out exactly what made the engine cough just then. Once all the mud was cleaned out it's been perfect since.

John.

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High on the list for "other" causes should be bad hand launches.

The worst (most expensive) crash I had was due to a club official deploying the peg system while I was flying, without giving me the peg for my frequency. I bought a 2.4GHz set after that.

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I put "other"

Loking back, most of mine have been due to poor preparation. Usually, rushing to get a flight in either at the start or end of the day or trying to maximise flights during a brief session meant I took off without really thinking about what I was going to do, ended up either somewhere unexpected or in an unfamilar attitude, and things went downhill from there. In other words, lack of thought and no decent flight plan

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Posted by Les Littleton on 09/05/2013 19:43:15:

Gravity !

Ditto. Though it's always been assisted by my lack of ability( pilot error) and, on several occasions, by the blackwire syndrome and once by the top branches of a tree.

 

Edited By Braddock, VC on 10/05/2013 12:16:15

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When I clicked on Pilot Error, I included anything that I could personally have prevented. Including bad prep, bad building, bad launches (by me, the pilot!), etc. etc.

Even the last two I can remember that were caused by lack of radio control were, in the cold light of day, down to me using unsuitable equipment/not doing a range check.

I think (and it's only think) only one has absolutely been down to something I couldn't avoid. I puit that down to interference on 35Meg and no time to recover.

So that leaves 3,765 down to me wink

GG

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I am not too sure what this poll is going to achieve as I think people will agree that most crashes are generally caused by pilot error simply because it is such a 'broad church'. Including such things as disorientation, stall-spin, and mid-air collision to name but three. As far as the other categories are concerned what about servo failure? Fairly common I should think (I have had two). Also ESC failure either because it was a low spec. unbranded ESC in an RTF or because the BEC was overloaded by too many servos. In that instance surely that is pilot error again? Crashing due to flying in 'adverse weather conditions' Is that not pilot error too? No one makes you do it, your decision to fly and risk crashing the model.

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All mine are pilot error (even if some are due to me mis-handling a side wind etc so the weather played a role in the crash) apart from my recent destruction of a brand new Sbach as3x on the first flight when on the first turn a tree jumped out and headbutted it.

Grrrrrr.....

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Posted by cymaz on 10/05/2013 09:37:00:

The %'s only add up to 99.......who stole the other 1%??

I'm not saying, but divine intervention hasn't been mentioned in the poll. Not wishing to tempt providence, but maybe a few crashes were retribution from an anthropomorphic divinity who has been wronged. How many pilots have, on seeing their pride and joy go chasing moles, hasn't looked up and said, or at least thought "why me ?" It's either that or little green men.

kevinb Waiting for the van to arrive.

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Posted by kevin b on 10/05/2013 18:58:41:
Posted by cymaz on 10/05/2013 09:37:00:

The %'s only add up to 99.......who stole the other 1%??

I'm not saying, but divine intervention hasn't been mentioned in the poll. Not wishing to tempt providence, but maybe a few crashes were retribution from an anthropomorphic divinity who has been wronged. How many pilots WHO, on seeing their pride and joy go chasing moles, hasn't looked up and said, or at least thought "why me ?" It's either that or little green men.

kevinb Waiting for the van to arrive.

Should have been who, not have. Somehow I can't edit the post.

Kevinb Bad grammer is us.

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As with most have put 'other' and dumb thumbs is the usual culprit....which i think is totally different to pilot error/flying kills....its like driving a car for 30 years and never having an accident and then over steering into your own brick wall due to brain freeze....its not error just an erroneous brain moment. I think pilot error/flying skills is totally different. A new pilot flying a low wing warbird and crashing because he or she cant handle the flying characteristics is pilot error/flying skills.....dumb thumbs is just one of those things and has no bearing on your piloting skills....ask any professional if they have suffered it and i can guarantee they will say Yes, so is their skills lacking? Are they bad pilots?

Ok 2 penneth over n done with.

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I put Pilot error as per my earlier post.

As for brain freeze I have to agree on that. Try flying your Whizzza and when instructing a right hand bank it goes left. That one got me. My brain just froze along with my hands. See pilot error for not checking the controls before flying. Something I always do!!!.

MIke

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Lets be honest, everything ultimately comes down to pilot error. Weather, pilot error (no your limits), structural, pilot error (should of checked before flight), eng failure, pilot error (with the odd exception, but you should be avle to dead stick from almost anywhere),C of G pilot error (should of checked before take off), Batt failure, pilot error (check before flight) etc. etc. Pointless poll

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"Pointless poll" That's a bit harsh isn't it? It's good to talk!

What might be worth considering is what do you mean by 'crashing' which is a pretty emotive word and one so beloved of the media when referring to full sized aviation accidents and incidents. For me a crash is a 'bin bag job' or at least something which is going to require a major repair. Some might consider a crash to be an 'unintended arrival' due to any number of reasons. For example, caught by a gust of wind just before touchdown resulting in one of the landing gear legs being ripped off. A crash? Perhaps not but an incident yes, and not to mention really annoying angry. Another example; flying that new manoeuvre you are practising just one mistake too low. You make a recovery but just a millisecond too low/late and end up making an unexpected and rather heavy unplanned landing. Result, a cracked cowl. A crash? Not really, you got away with it that time, the model wasn't wrecked just a minor repair. Pilot error certainly but I think you have to define 'a crash' if you want to use that word in this poll. Or maybe it is just me being pedantic.

Edited By Piers Bowlan on 11/05/2013 06:36:28

Edited By Piers Bowlan on 11/05/2013 06:42:39

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I voted other, as the main cause of my crashes is testing some daft thing that never really had much hope of flying anyway!face 4

When it comes to my "proper planes" it's always my fault. Cheif cause is dis orientation. normally due to flying late evening and trying to get one more flight in before dark. Nearly equal to that is some sort systems failure- flying the battery flat, launching with the the ailerons back to front etc, generally being in a too much of a hurry to get that flight in...(although I did have one crash due to a loose reciever crystal)

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