Controlled Flight into Terrain (CFIT) still remains high on
the list of types of accidents. CFIT by
definition occurs when an airworthy aircraft is flown, under the control of a
qualified pilot, into terrain (water or obstacles) with inadequate awareness on
the part of the pilot of the impending collision.
There are many ways to prevent CFIT accidents especially
with new advancements in technology, but instructing to prevent these
occurrences has often been overlooked. In order to teach about CFIT, we need to
review the basic factors that lead to a CFIT situation. The first key factor is that the pilot had
inadequate awareness of the impending doom.
Reviewing the events that lead to this lack of awareness and a risk
mitigation strategy can be incorporated into most training programs at both the
student and commercial levels.
More than half of the CFIT accidents occur in reduced
visibility or IMC conditions. Most
training programs at all levels include discussion on avoiding IMC conditions. Training should always include review and
practice on the procedures after encountering IMC. The focus must be on the maintaining a
discipline to follow procedures. In all
levels of training, the discipline comes from repeated practice using actual
scenarios. The scenarios can be
developed from actual accident reports or from normal flights that suddenly
encounter reduced visibility. Many CFIT
accident reports have shown that pilots continued to fly into unsafe conditions
while trying to get below the weather rather than follow procedures. Whatever scenarios are used, they should be
repeated until the student or pilot in training reacts automatically with
standard procedures. Scenarios should be
briefed, flown and then debriefed to confirm the recognition of the risk and
mitigation.
Another major contributor to the loss of awareness in flight
is distraction. Distraction can have
many sources and is often unrecognized by the pilot until it is a crisis. A clear method to avoid distraction is to
identify possible distracters. One issue
that has proven to be a problem is the unfamiliarity with technology in the
aircraft. Optional equipment for radar,
terrain awareness and ADS-B can be very helpful in avoiding unsafe situations;
however the pilot must be comfortable using the equipment. There have been many accidents where the
technology was installed but either not used or used incorrectly. Distraction resulted from the pilot trying to
identify what he/she was seeing on the screens and trying to relate it to the
circumstances outside of the aircraft. In
order to mitigate this risk, the focus should be on training in the use of the
equipment utilizing scenarios that build confidence in its use. This is the same basic principle as learning
to trust your instruments when flying IFR.
Training in the advanced technology using actual scenarios builds a
comfort level that allows the pilot to recognize, understand and trust what the
equipment is saying. Recognition of the
situation allows the pilot to make the conscious decision to maintain
disciplined procedures.
Distraction can also come from mechanical failures. In primary training we teach the basic skills
for recovering from loss of power or malfunctions of components. We normally train these events over and over
until the student is “programmed” to react appropriately to the situation. Sometimes in advanced training when flying
more complex aircraft, the training lacks the “programming” of the pilot. Complex aircraft don’t always offer the ability to safely
practice malfunction scenarios without significant risk to the airframe. In complex aircraft, touchdown autorotations
or tail rotor failures are not demonstrated in a training scenario. Without practice in abnormal and emergency
procedures, pilots may hesitate when faced with an actual emergency. Confusion and distraction often occurs from
the pilot trying to remember and respond with the correct actions. So
once again, training should include actual scenarios with aircraft specific
procedures.
Human Factors can play a major role in distraction leading
to CFIT. Personal distractions such as
stress, fatigue, illness or boredom can have serious consequences. Then there is distraction from personal
devices like cell phones and tablets.
Personal technology devices have been proven to be fatal distractions in
all types of transportation accidents.
Training to prevent human factor and personal distractions can be as
simple as building a foundation for professional discipline. Training sessions can focus on the ability
to recognize a loss of situational awareness and reinforce checklists and
procedures.
Simulators are very effective tools for presenting scenarios
that cover many distractions in actual environments with little risk to persons
or aircraft. The key is to build
scenarios that fit the situations and practice until the pilot is skilled and
confident. Simulators are being used to
train the hard skills needed to perfect flying technique and the soft skills
necessary to avoid distractions.
Scenarios designed for simulator training are often a bit more complex
than those in aircraft training because the physical risk factor has been
removed.
Training to reduce distractions increases the overall
awareness of pilot to situations that could result in a CFIT event. In some regions, regulatory agencies require
annual training in CFIT prevention.
There are a number of reference documents available for review by
instructors and pilots. The FAA has an
Advisory Circular (AC 61-134) that outlines Controlled Flight into terrain
Awareness. The Flight Safety Foundation
has a CFIT Checklist risk assessment tool.
HAI has incorporated a “Land and Live” campaign that encourages pilots
to simply land if conditions are not safe to continue the flight.
Controlled Flight into Terrain can be avoided with regular
training activities that build the foundation and remind us of the requirement
to stay vigilant. If we practice, CFIT
can become extinct.
