A new report highlights several key findings for avoiding Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT) for general aviation pilots.
The General Aviation Joint Steering Committee (GAJSC), a public-private partnership focused on improving the safety of the general aviation industry, published a report from its Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT) Working Group in June 2021, with key findings for avoiding these often fatal accidents.
The CFIT Working Group began its work in October 2017, analyzing 67 randomly selected CFIT accidents involving turbine engine-powered aircraft, certified piston-engine powered aircraft, and experimental amateur-built aircraft that occurred between 2008 and 2017.
“The GAJSC uses real-world data to analyze risks and develop mitigation measures in an effort to decrease the number of general aviation accidents each year,” said Mark Larsen, senior manager of safety and flight operations at the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA), which is part of the GAJSC. “The safety enhancements presented in the report could help the industry and government agencies improve safety and minimize the risk of CFIT accidents in the future.”
In-depth analysis and review of these CFIT accidents resulted in several recommendations, or safety enhancements, including:
- Augmented use of visual technology for general aviation, including increased use of Enhanced Vision Systems and Synthetic Vision Systems;
- Pressure to complete a mission: Improving awareness of the need to mitigate mission completion pressure on piloting, including sources and types of pressures, and the impact on decision-making;
- Unintended instrument meteorological conditions (UIMC) escape response: A new group should make recommendations on revisiting how we teach and train the UIMC escape response maneuver to include an initial climb before any heading change, should the data support such a change;
- Approach guidance in night/mountainous Visual Flight Rules (VFR): The FAA, along with pilot organizations, flight instructor refresher course providers, and training providers should conduct an education campaign or develop learning modules educating the instrument-current pilot community on night/mountainous VFR approaches; and
- The FAA should continue its overhaul and develop a plan for continual improvement of the FAA Pilot Proficiency Program WINGS to make it more user-friendly and dynamic.
The GAJSC analyzes aviation safety data to identify emerging issues and develop mitigation strategies that address and prioritize safety issues. Previous efforts focused on Loss of Control (LOC) accidents and System/Component Failure – Powerplant. You can review all reports and safety enhancements here.
The work seems to be making a difference. The goal for 2009 to 2018 was to reduce the fatal accident rate per 100,000 flight hours by 1% every year from Jan. 1, 2009, to Dec. 31, 2018, with no more than one fatal accident per 100,000 flight hours by 2018. This safety improvement goal was realized in 2018 when the fatal accident rate was 0.89 fatal accidents per 100,000 flight hours, according to GAJSC officials.