By Howard Deevers
If you have been flying for more than two weeks, you have already heard the expression that most aviation accidents are caused by “PILOT ERROR.” If you already have your Private Pilots Certificate, you have probably read an NTSB report about an aviation accident, that concluded that the cause of the accident was “Pilot Error.” Yes, we are human, and humans do make mistakes every day. Some of our mistakes are minor, such as failing to read back the runway assignment when cleared to take off or land. You are still on the ground or in the traffic pattern, and those mistakes (pilot error) can be corrected quickly and easily.
Here are examples of some other MISTAKES, or PILOT ERRORS, that can turn out far worse:
Thinking that you are better than you are. Sure, you may have that pilot certificate, with instrument rating, and maybe even a Commercial Pilot certificate, and “xxx” number of hours in your logbook. Those ratings and hours may make you think that you are a better pilot than you really are. Even the most experienced pilots still make mistakes. Setting personal limits is one way to avoid Pilot Error.
Failure to get weather briefings. I know that there are many ways to get weather information in these modern days. For me, the best weather briefing comes from Flight Service – 1-800-WXBRIEF. I remember hearing from several sources, while I was a student pilot, that weather is a major cause of accidents. We might blame the weather, but failure to know in advance what to expect is our responsibility. When I call FSS I usually get a briefer that really goes beyond what I saw in my studies before calling. I have changed my route plans many times, and in some cases cancelled the plan for that day entirely, after getting a good weather briefing.
Running out of fuel on a flight. There are 52 fuel related accidents per year in this country. That is one per week! Long cross-country flights require careful fuel planning, knowing exactly how much fuel you have, and how far you can go on that fuel. Weather being a factor, because head winds can cause you to take longer than expected to make that next fuel stop. Often a closer fuel stop will be the best option. Even if you make a successful off airport landing, running out of fuel is just too embarrassing!
Thinking that your airplane is better than it is. All airplanes, or aircraft, must obey the laws of physics to fly. Why do we have stall/spin accidents in the patterns at airports? Because the pilot tried to do something that is not possible, and the airplane simply followed the rules of physics. It has no choice. The airplane cannot make decisions for us; it can only react to the inputs it gets from the pilot. One of the most valuable new items you can put in your panel is an Angle of Attack indicator (AOA). Many new planes come with that already installed.
There are too many ways to make a mistake – pilot error – to list them all here. One of the worst mistakes pilots make is not understanding the risks. There are risks as soon as we walk out of our homes and start driving to the airport. I see them every day on my way to the airport when cars pass me at high speeds, or just barely make it through a traffic signal. We have all seen the results of those actions. In aviation, we want to avoid that. Constant training is one of the best ways we can avoid making a mistake, or pilot error.
The FAA WINGS program is one of the best ways to train and keep current. There are numerous free courses on FAASafety.gov. Take some of those courses, fly with an instructor for the flight portion, and earn your next phase of the WINGS. Your ARIZONA PILOTS ASSOCION also provides free safety seminars in Arizona. Check the website for a location and date near you. And “Don't forget to bring your wingman!”