Avoiding Loss of Control Accidents

[djpacro]

Originally published in FAA Safety Briefing, March/April 2012

 

According to a recent accident data set prepared by the General Aviation Joint Steering Committee (GAJSC), loss of control - in-flight was the dominant cause of fatal GA accidents over the last decade. When we talk about loss of control, we are referring to accidents resulting from situations in which the pilot should have either maintained or regained control of the aircraft, but did not. Loss of control is divided into two types: loss of control - ground (LOC-G) and loss of control - in-flight (LOC-I).

 

Forty percent of the fatal accidents from 2001 to 2010 were categorized as LOC-I, outpacing the number two fatal accident category, controlled flight into terrain (CFIT), by a three-to-one margin. LOC-I events were further subdivided into 12 phases of flight. As shown in Figure 1[bS1], most fatal LOC-I accidents happened during the maneuvering phase, occurring about 1.4 times as often as accidents during the approach and en route phases, and 26 times more frequently than accidents during both emergency landing phases combined. Read more ...

 

From earlier reading of ATSB data it seems to me that the situation in Australia is very similar to that in the USA so this article is quite relevant.

 

There aren't too many new ways of having an accident - people generally keep repeating the same ones.

 

It also seems to me that we spend way too much time over-analysing and discussing the last accident rather than trying to prevent the next one.

 

 

[djpacro]

And an EAA Webinar on February 19:

 

https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/614429978

 

(FAA Wings credit): Loss of control (LOC) is by far the top occurrence category of fatal accidents in general aviation, with the greatest number of those accidents triggered during the maneuvering phase. Join subject matter expert and 2006 National Flight Instructor of the Year Rich Stowell in an encore presentation of his FAA webinar as he discusses where and when LOC is most likely to occur, the typical chain of events that lead to accidents, and the critical importance of angle of attack awareness in preventing LOC.

 

All webinars begin at 12 p.m. AEDT unless otherwise noted. To find out more about upcoming EAA Webinars and to register, visit the http://www.eaa.org/webinars/

 

Miss a webinar? All webinars are recorded and loaded onto the http://www.eaavideo.org/channel.aspx?ch=ch_webinars page within 24 hours.

 

[fixed the links at 11:25 pm]

 

 

[facthunter]

Co-incidence that Prof. AVIUS ran this subject in the latest RAAus Mag. Having had to do recovery from unusual attitudes under the hood and on limited panel as well.(Doesn't happen today ) I would HATE to miss out on the benefits of doing it at all and that is what is happening to most pilots. This WILL make you a safer and more confident pilot. Nev