We’re having a new panel discussion at Migration this year! Instead of holding our usual Safety Stand Down briefing (ably led by our Safety Chairman, Rick Beach), there will be a discussion moderated by COPA Training Chairman, Trip Taylor titled, “Emergency NOW! Tales from the Fox Hole.” The panel will feature three of COPA’s senior pilots who have had to deal with actual engine failures. Hear first-hand what they experienced (and did and didn’t do in the heat of the moment!) so you can be more fully prepared if it happens to you.
This discussion will immediately follow our Annual Meeting. So, stick around! It’s definitely not something you’ll want to miss.
The description provides some updated information on the content of the panel session:
At the COPA M14 Migration, this plenary panel session featured several pilots who had encountered loss of engine power in flight. Hear first-hand what they experienced (and did and didn’t do in the heat of the moment!) so you can be prepared if it happens to you.
The moderator, Trip Taylor, serves as the volunteer COPA Training Chair. The participants included several COPA members who were involved in a variety of events:
Dennis Haber, a Cirrus pilot who lost engine power due to a catastrophic engine failure and diverted to an airport that he could not see until he was immediately above the runway
Ed Waters, a CSIP (Cirrus Standardized Instructor Pilot) who accompanied Dennis on the loss-of-engine-power flight and served as an able Crew Resource Management ally
Harry Skirm, a Cirrus pilot acting as a safety pilot for a formation flight training sortie when that Cirrus aircraft experienced an unexplained loss of engine power such that the airplane could not maintain altitude and the PIC deployed the CAPS airframe parachute
Michael Samp, a pilot passenger in the rear seat of the formation-flight aircraft that lost engine power and deployed CAPS
Giuseppe Caltabiano, a Cirrus and Eclipse pilot who lost engine power during a practice flight for his commercial rating in a retractable gear Cessna 172.
Mahmood Ataee, a Cirrus pilot whose partner in the right seat deployed the CAPS airframe parachute before he could act when the plane hit powerlines on approach into a rural airport at night.
What an interesting and educational panel discussion! Many thanks Rick, COPA and the pilots involved for sharing this.
One question - Harry refers to hundreds of photos being taken of their CAPS deployment and says they are available on here. I couldn’t find them. Does anyone know where they are?
I think I meant to say was there were hundreds of photos taken and provided to the NTSB. They were taken by Greg Akers who is a fantastic photographer. Only a few were posted on the COPA website. I did attach a video of some of the pertinent screen shots. Low Altitude Caps Pull Greg A has the property rights and was kind enough to allow me to post some nice pics.