When a pilot loses control of an aircraft in flight, the results can be catastrophic. Preventing loss of control in flight in general aviation is on the 2015 Most Wanted List of safety improvements for the National Transportation Safety Board. The NTSB recently released the agenda for its upcoming general aviation safety forum, to be held on October 14 in Washington D.C. The forum is titled, Humans and Hardware: Preventing General Aviation In Flight Loss of Control. The NTSB is specifically requesting that pilots and others in the aviation community submit questions related to in flight loss of control for consideration at the forum.
Four panels have been arranged to cover GA topics. The panels will cover industry and government perspectives and actions; human performance and medical issues; pilot training solutions; and equipment and technology solutions. Each panel discussion will be free and open to the public and the entire event is available live by webcast.
According to the NTSB in flight loss of control was responsible for more than 40 percent of fatal general aviation accidents between 2001 and 2011. The frequency of these accidents led the NTSB to recommend more rigorous training for pilots, designed to help them identify and avoid common causes of stalls and to handle stalls properly when they do occur. Training would cover topics from managing distractions to using flight risk assessment tools in flight. The NTSB has placed a premium on the participation of GA pilots to ensure that the areas of greatest need are addressed. According to the chair of the event, “Understanding questions that pilots have will be critical to the forum’s success.”
Source: National Transportation Safety Board Office of Public Affairs, “NTSB Releases Agenda, Call for Questions, for General Aviation Safety Forum,” 24 September 2015