Accident Causal Factors

Introduction:

  • Sadly, we as pilots keep killing ourselves for similar, avoidable reasons
  • The perceptions are numerous but most accidents occur in VFR conditions, below 8,000' AGL and within 30 miles of an airport
  • Additionally, a very large percentage of those accidents involve "General Aviation" activities
  • The top 10 accident cause factors remain relatively stable and point out the need for continued refresher training to establish a higher level of flight proficiency for all pilots
    • It is recommended to monitor approach or tower frequencies if not under flight following
  • Pilots must look at this list and learn from others
  • Instructors must reference this list to highlight these "common errors"

Accident Cause Factors:

Inadequate Pre-Flight Preparation and/or Planning:

  • Every flight is different, regardless of how many times it or flights like it are performed
  • As such, pilots must treat each flight as its own and continuously apply a solid pre-flight
  • Ensure you complete your NAVLOGs, file your flight plan, create a fuel plan, and check (and monitor) weather
  • The more time you spend on the ground thinking about what "what-ifs," the better prepared you will be to make a decision in the air

Failure to Obtain and/or Maintain Flying Speed:

  • As part of preflight, always check the expected performance of your aircraft for the day
    • For example, weather, DA
  • Once you've determined your aircraft can perform, ensure that it does and maintain a healthy scan to monitor performance
  • Scan your instruments
  • Know yours and the aircraft's limitations

Failure to Maintain Directional Control:

  • Any expected flight maneuver should be chair flown and briefed to your passengers prior to flight
  • Thinking through how your actions effect flight surface performance and aircraft controllability will keep you within the margin of safety
  • Additionally, maintain appropriate flying speeds to give your control surfaces the authority they need to perform as expected
  • Remember, equipment can fail so maintain a scan to cross-check
  • Maintain proper operation of flight controls

Improper Level Off:

  • Spatial disorientation can effect anyone, at any time, regardless of flight time
  • Rapid level offs with reduced visibility can contribute largely to these illusions
  • Build habits of always calling out your altitudes as you descend or climb so you're always monitoring the aircraft's position relative to what you need
  • Ensure you know your clearance! Always read back altitudes as per the FARs
  • Ensure if you're using equipment such as autopilot that you input the information correctly into the system
  • Remember there is a big difference between AGL and MSL when you operate in higher altitudes, know what altitude you're reading off your maps!

Failure to See and Avoid Objects or Obstructions:

  • Maintain your scan
  • In class G airspace, under visual flight rules, you have less than 15 seconds to see and avoid another aircraft once presented, assuming a head-on flight path
  • A thorough study of terrain features in the area as part of preflight is essential to flight with reduced visibility
  • Controlled Flight into Terrain, or CFIT ("see-fit") is a critical component of accident causal factors demanding detailed terrain and obstacle awareness
    • CFIT is avoidable, with at least half occuring in fair weather conditions, citing situational awareness breakdowns as a leading cause
    • As many as 17% of aviation accidents are the result of CFIT
  • Maintain your set minimum safe altitude (MSA)
  • Review the maximum elevation figures (MEF) on sectional charts
    • MEFs are determined by rounding the highest known elevation in the quadrangle, including terrain and obstructions (trees, towers, antennas, etc.) up to the next 100 foot level
    • These altitudes are then adjusted upward between 100 to 300 feet
  • Do not over-rely on automation
  • Review illusions in flight
  • Follow the NTSB's Controlled Flight Into Terrain in Visual Conditions Safety Alert recommendations
  • Pay attention for other traffic at all times, but especially when the risk for midair is statistically higher:
    • Within five nautical miles of an airport;
    • In daylight visual flight rules conditions, and;
    • At or below 3,000 feet above ground level
  • Additional tips include verifying ATC calls are accurate, turning on lights, and questioning any conflict or confusion

Mismanagement of Fuel:

  • Pilots must diligently calculate their fuel requirements before every flight, planning for reasonable contingencies while still on the ground
  • Pilots must understand their fuel system
  • Fuel calculations must be calculated as part of preflight prior to each flight
  • Factors such as winds and routes will always have some sort of effect different from all other flights
  • Always fly with a reserve and don't count on that fuel when deciding your total range
  • Monitor fuel burn (this can hint to a bigger problem)
  • Know your systems to ensure you are not isolating otherwise useful fuel
  • Consider planning a fuel stop mid-way if fuel planning is tight, to avoid the tempatation to push through
  • If budget-minded, look for where fuel is cheap and plan well inside when fuel is required - don't push beyond comfort or planning to save a buck
  • Call ahead of any fuel stop to be sure they'll be opened with enough margin for course changes or ATC delays to make it in time
  • The AOPA provides a chart which show the dramatic effect of fuel mismanagement

Improper In-Flight Decisions or Planning:

  • Aeronautical Decision-Making is a process of recognizing a situation, making a decision and acting upon it
  • Additionally, use crew resource management
  • Many have made the decisions you are faced with and so learn from them by talking with pilots, reading articles, and looking at NTSB crash statistics

  • Inadvertant Flight into IMC:

    • Failure to maintain visual meteorological conditions when not rated/current or the airplane is not equipped for instrument meteorological conditions is often the result of improper in-flight decisions or planning
      • Pilots may become overconfident with the tools available to them, not fully understanding what they are depicting
      • Pilots may experience a "sunk cost bias" whereby the decision to continue into a deteriorating situation outweighs losing the time and effort already put into the flight
      • Pilots may also become distracted or complacent, failing to notice the deteriorating situation for what it is
      • Pilots may in other cases believe they have the skills despite the ratings, currency, and equipment
        • This may be the result of get-home-itis or get-there-itis hazardous attitudes

Misjudgment of Distance and Speed:

  • Know your limits, don't show off

Selection of Unsuitable Terrain:

  • When faced with an emergency fall back on your training and preflight prepation
  • Avoid landing in dark spots at night, farmers fields, or rocky terrain
  • Remember your ditching procedures

Improper Operations of Flight Controls:

  • Proper flight instruction will give you the foundation you need to fly
  • Flight however, is a perishable skill and should be treated as such
  • While a biannual flight review is only required every two years, make it a point to fly with an instructor more often so as to sharpen your skills
  • If you have the time and money available, work on your next certificate or rating to keep yourself challenged

Causal Factors:

  • Be alert at all times, especially when the weather is good
    • Most pilots pay attention to business when they are operating in full IFR weather conditions, but strangely, air collisions almost invariably have occurred under ideal weather conditions
    • Unlimited visibility appears to encourage a sense of security which is not at all justified
    • Considerable information of value may be obtained by listening to advisories being issued in the terminal area, even though controller workload may prevent a pilot from obtaining individual service
  • If you think another aircraft is too close to you, give way instead of waiting for the other pilot to respect the right-of-way to which you may be entitled
    • It is a lot safer to pursue the right-of-way angle after you have completed your flight

Conclusion:


References: