News Highlights

Syracuse, NY — In the high-stakes environment of a cockpit, the difference between life and death is often measured in seconds and feet. Following the NTSB's final report on the 2023 Lake Placid accident that claimed the lives of AOPA's Richard McSpadden and Russ Francis, aviation safety experts are taking a look at a recurring killer: the “Impossible Turn.”

The report detailed a “perfect storm”: a partial power loss, an aircraft operated outside its forward center of gravity (CG), and high density altitude. However, Frank Kunnumpurath, President of Holy Micro! LLC, argues that the tragedy highlights a deeper issue—the dangerous gap between a pilot's “perceived” altitude and their “true” AGL (Above Ground Level) altitude.

The “Climb-Out Scorecard”

Why Takeoff Data is Critical

While many height-advisory systems, such as the Garmin GHA-15, provide audible callouts during the landing phase (typically from 300 feet down to 1 foot), they remain silent during the most critical phase of this accident: the takeoff and initial climb.

“The industry has focused heavily on landing, but the ‘Impossible Turn’ is a takeoff problem,” says Kunnumpurath. “If you don’t have audible AGL data on the way up, you're flying on guesswork during the highest-workload minute of the flight.” Julian Johnson, who flies a Bristell out of Ocala, FL, has made these announcements a core part of his safety protocol. “I always pay attention to the AGL announcements on takeoff for exactly these reasons,” Johnson says. “It provides a baseline of performance that you simply can't get from a standard, lagging altimeter.”

The SkyVoice Alert 500 is unique in providing a real-time, audible “climb-out scorecard.”

Two Seconds to Change the Outcome

If the Lake Placid Cessna had been equipped with this takeoff audio, the pilot's decision-making process might have been fundamentally altered in two ways:

1. Immediate Performance Warning

On a day with high density altitude, a pilot might hear “100” and “200” much later than usual. “If a pilot normally hears ‘200’ and ‘300’ by the time the runway ends or crosses the fence, but on a hot day they only hear ‘100’ as the runway ends, they have immediate, audible proof of underperformance,” Mr. Kunnumpurath explained. This provides a “climb-out scorecard” long before an engine falters.

2. The “No-Go” Discipline

Safety experts agree that 500 feet AGL is the minimum altitude required to attempt a return to the airport. If an engine falters and the last announcement heard was “400,” the pilot no longer has to rely on a “gut feeling.” The data tells them they haven’t reached the safety floor, providing the discipline to land straight ahead—a choice the NTSB suggests likely would have been survivable in this case.

Redefining Accuracy: Normalized Absolute AoA

Beyond altitude, the Lake Placid report highlighted an “aggressive use of flight controls” that led to an aerodynamic stall. To prevent this, Holy Micro! has pioneered a Pressure Ratio-based Absolute AoA system that provides a level of sensitivity previously reserved for military and transport-category aircraft.

The Hidden Penalty of Forward CG

The NTSB noted the aircraft was operating with a forward Center of Gravity (CG). In aviation physics, a forward CG requires increased “tail-down force” to maintain level flight. This extra downward force effectively makes the airplane heavier, forcing the wings to fly at a higher Angle of Attack to maintain lift, which in turn creates massive induced drag.

“Our Absolute AoA system would have identified this immediately,” says Kunnumpurath. “Because it measures the pressure ratio with 1-Pascal resolution, the pilot would have seen a higher-than-normal AoA required just to maintain a standard climb. It’s an early-warning signal that the wing is already working too hard before the emergency even begins.”

“Dred Roberts, who flies a Mooney M20 out of Fredericksburg, VA, notes that the speed of the system is what sets it apart. ‘I love the quick response of the Absolute AoA,’ Roberts says. ‘Loss of lift during turns is captured almost instantly. In a high-stress maneuver, you need that immediate feedback to know exactly where your margin of safety is.”

 “Dred Roberts, who flies a Mooney M20 out of Fredericksburg, VA, notes that the speed of the system is what sets it apart. ‘I love the quick response of the Absolute AoA,’ Roberts says.”

Comparison: Stall Warning vs. Absolute Precision

This sensitivity is vital because an aircraft moving at 200 knots produces only about 1 PSI of pressure. A system that can resolve 1 Pascal (where 6,900 Pascals = 1 PSI) can detect the slightest change in wing loading long before the pilot feels it in the yoke. In the Lake Placid turn-back, this system would have provided an immediate, high-fidelity warning as the bank angle increased, giving the pilot the feedback needed to unload the wing and maintain control.

A “Self-Aware” Cockpit

Both Johnson and Roberts agree: having the SkyVoice Alert 500 and/or Absolute AoA on board could have fundamentally changed the outcome of the Lake Placid accident. With over 800 installations worldwide, Holy Micro! is focused on “self-aware” safety. By combining real-time AGL takeoff and landing height announcements with pressure-ratio-based AoA, the company aims to replace “pilot instinct” with “pilot precision.”

“In flying, we need every help we can get to stack the odds in our favor,” says Kunnumpurath. “By providing the hard physics in real-time, we give pilots the tools to override dangerous instincts and stay alive.”

For additional details and to purchase visit www.holymicro.com ,  info@holymicro.com or call 315-362-9820.

Acknowledgment: The original press release was published on Aviation Digest. You can view the full release here (Page No: 11 & 12).