While what exactly went wrong during pilot Glenn Smith's deadly flight this weekend at the Quad City Air Show is still a mystery, air show officials said the plane was checked over for safety before it took off. Smith was flying one of three planes, L-39 Albatros Jets, in formation as part of the Hopper flight team's demonstration. The planes did a maneuver called a split break, but Smith was unable to pull out of the 45 degree bank and crashed right into an alf alpha field.
The accident came as a shock to show organizers, who said safety is a number one priority. They said before a plane can fly, it not only undergoes numerous checks by both a mechanic and the pilot, but it also must have current "Air Worthiness Certificate." That means the aircraft has been checked over by an FAA licensed mechanic within the last 6 months to a year.
"From the motor to the flight surfaces, from the body to the radios to even like the seat adjuster, everything gets inspected and repaired," Director of Ground Operations Dave Schumacher said.
Schumacher said no stone is left unturned when it comes to making sure the planes are ready to fly.
"Before every flight they've got a complete check list to go through."
Schumacher said not only do mechanics make sure things are running smooth, but the pilots also double check everything before each and every take off.
"They actually look in the gas tank, they don't just believe the gauge, they physically look."
If anything is out of place the planes do not go up.
"Something as small as the mic button might stick or the seat adjuster doesn't adjust, it gets grounded," Schumacher said.
However, with all the safety checks the ultimate power keeping a plane in the air is the pilot, so they get mentally prepared as well.
"One little slip can be the difference between life and death," said First Lt. Robert Barlow, United States Air Force.
"There's no kidding, certain things we do, if you don't do it right now, there's a chance you can't safely recover the aircraft."
He said that's where years of training and skill come in.
"Being pilot is all about paying attention to detail, knowing your craft and being able to do it," Barlow said.
Air show officials said they also have a safety briefing before each and every show, to make sure every one know what is going on. They said they talk about everything from the weather conditions, which were not a factor in the crash, to timing of the routines.
