Preflight Brief: Safety Wire - The Tiny Detail That Can Save Your Life

Welcome to the Safety Section of the Flying Clubs Newsletter, Club Connector!     

Every month we provide resources for flying club safety officers to keep their clubs informed and safe. We include links to PowerPoint presentations (and smaller PDFs) that we use at our own meetings, so there is always a topic ready for your club’s next safety meeting. Along with the presentations, we also provide links to relevant articles, videos, and other media that you may also find useful. You can find this month’s safety article and the full archive, here: https://youcanfly.aopa.org/flying-clubs/flying-club-newsletter/safety   

So, let’s get on with this month’s safety topic!      

Safety Wire

Background:      

In this month’s safety topic from the FAA, we’re taking a closer look at one of aviation’s most overlooked heroes: safety wire. This simple, twisted strand of metal plays a critical role in keeping aircraft components secure and functioning properly. Yet, when safety wire is missing, misapplied, or ignored, the consequences can be severe, even fatal. Through real-world accident cases, inspection tips, and maintenance best practices, this topic reminds us that attention to detail isn’t just good airmanship, it’s essential for flight safety.

Learning points:     

1. Safety Wire: What It Is and Why It Matters

• Safety wire is a mechanical locking device used to prevent fasteners from loosening due to vibration or operational stress.
• It’s commonly used on bolts, turnbuckles, oil filters, throttle linkages, and other critical components.

2. If There’s a Hole, There Should Be a Wire

• A bolt with a hole is designed for safety wire, if it’s missing, ask why.
• Missing wire may indicate incomplete maintenance or oversight.

3. Preflight Vigilance: What to Look For

• Many safety wire failures are visible during a walkaround.
• Look for:
• Missing wire or cotter pins
• Loose or improperly twisted wire
• Wire installed in the wrong direction (should resist loosening)

4. Lessons from the Airport: Real Accidents

• Cirrus SR-20 (Katy, TX): Missing aileron bolt and safety wire led to loss of roll control.
• Piper PA-22: Throttle cable detached due to missing cotter pin—forced off-airport landing.
• Bonanza: Fatal accident from throttle cable detachment—no cotter pin.
• Glasair: Engine failure due to missing bolt and cotter pin on throttle linkage.
• Nieuport 28: Elevator cable disconnected—no safety wire on turnbuckle.

5. Technique Matters: Do It Right

• Use the “Righty Tighty, Lefty Loosey” rule to ensure wire resists loosening.
• AC 43.13-1B recommends 6–8 twists per inch—sloppy wire jobs are a red flag.
• Compare good vs. bad examples visually during inspections.

6. Beyond Safety Wire: Other Fasteners to Watch

• Castle Nuts: Require cotter pins.
• Lock Nuts: Fiber must engage threads properly.
• Turnbuckles: Must be secured with wire or clips.
• Other Fasteners: AC 43.13-1B outlines acceptable locking methods.

7. Maintenance Test Flights: Proceed with Caution

• Several accidents occurred during post-maintenance flights due to overlooked fasteners.
• Always verify critical connections before flight, especially throttle, control surfaces, and engine components.

8. Safety Management Systems (SMS) in GA

• SMS is coming to General Aviation—scalable for clubs and small operations.
• Core components:
• Safety Policy
• Safety Risk Management
• Safety Assurance
• Safety Promotion

Check out the Safety Management System regarding general aviation safety from AOPA’s Air Safety Institute. https://www.aopa.org/training-and-safety/air-safety-institute/Scalable-Safety-Framework. The FAA is preparing to put a heightened focus on general aviation SMS this year. Currently, airline operations tend to be the focus of SMS.          

Our safety community involves pilots (yes, even student pilots), instructors, maintenance technicians, the FAA, and the Air Safety Institute from AOPA.      

The entire Flying Club team at AOPA are FAAST team members and we are happy to host a safety webinar for your club. The Wings credits that your members will get can be a huge motivator to get members to attend. Also, some insurance companies will lower rates if they are aware that your club is hosting FAAST meetings.        

Other Safety Resources:      

Here is a reminder of just some of the safety resources available to all pilots:      

FAASTeam:      

faasafety.gov      

The FAASTeam website is the portal to a vast array of courses, videos, links, and much more.  Remember that WINGS not only encompasses knowledge activities but also flight activities.  Use the search options to narrow down to say, flight activities for a basic phase of WINGS, and you’ll be able to find a syllabus and often a worksheet for various flight activities.  Use WINGS to keep you proficient and think of the flight activities as a progressive flight review—earnt over 12-months, rather than at the end of 24-months.      

Wait…you don’t do WINGS?      

That’s a big shame—you are missing out on a free pilot proficiency program that will help you enjoy your flying even more, allow you to earn a flight review every 12 months just by flying, and may provide insurance discounts.      

The FAASTeam WINGS pilot proficiency program is the best way for general aviation pilots to ensure they are competent, confident, and safe in their flight operations.   Oh, and being perpetually proficient will save you money in the long run.        

If you are interested in using the FAASTeam WINGS program for your personal flying or with your flying club, create an account on the FAASTeam website, http://www.faasafety.gov, and explore the collection of courses and flight activities.  Also, feel free to contact me (Jason Levine, WINGS Representative), and I’d be pleased to walk you through the program.  More on “WINGS for Clubs” can be found here in Flying Clubs Radio Episode 8 and the May 2020 Question of the Month.        

Other FAA Resources:      

Don’t forget to regularly revisit these FAA safety gems, as new material is frequently added:      

Pilot Minute      

57 Seconds to Safer Flying      

FAA Safety Briefing Magazine      

From the Flight Deck         

AOPA Air Safety Institute:      

https://www.aopa.org/training-and-safety/air-safety-institute      

AOPA’s Air Safety Institute (ASI), which by the way is funded by the AOPA Foundation just like the Flying Clubs Initiative, is packed with exceptional content, including exceptional videos, podcasts, accident analysis, online courses, recorded webinars and more.  Completing ASI activities may also earn WINGS credits.  Of particular interest to flying club safety officers is the updated Safety to Go section.  There, you can download a selection of topics, each coming with PowerPoint slides and speaker’s notes!