From the Director of Army Safety
Know the limits of your aircraft

      Having been in this job just a few short months, I can already see the truth in the old adage that “There are no new accidents.”  Accident investigations continue to reveal recurring problems—such as power management. The account of Black Hawk crashes in this issue of Flightfax shows that it’s critical for aviators to clearly understand how power-limited aircraft will perform during all phases of assigned missions.

      Understanding and applying available aircraft power throughout the mission is critical, and I do not know if we are doing a good job of either. The Army continues to deploy and operate in demanding environments; unfortunately, most of us who are deploying are accustomed to operating from installations located near sea level.  When we arrive in a high altitude environment, such as Bosnia; a hot desert environment like Kuwait; or a hot, high environment such as Fort Irwin, we find ourselves operating in vastly different conditions.

      It is crucial to know and fully understand the limits of your aircraft. Commanders must understand how power performance affects their aircraft and how it will affect the mission. Sending an aircraft out on a mission knowing it will not be able to hover out-of-ground effect until it burns off fuel because the demand for hover power exceeds the