Mishaps happen for a number of reasons, but all too often theres a “what were they thinking?” element to an NTSB accident report. In the calm, clear skies of retrospect-or a motionless easy chair-its easy to condemn a bad decision and move on. But its not usually a single bad decision that causes tragedy. Pilots dont take off intentionally choosing to put themselves in a no-win situation; they dont mean to kill themselves, their families and friends. How do pilots come to make blatantly bad decisions? When can a decision made on the ground, perhaps weeks or months before the accident flight, be recognized for its potential contribution to a mishap? How can we catch our own bad choices before its too late? Maybe by examining some particularly egregious examples, we 288
Why It Went Wrong
Mishaps happen for a number of reasons, but all too often theres a "what were they thinking?" element to an NTSB accident report. In the calm, clear skies of retrospect-or a motionless easy chair-its easy to condemn a bad decision and move on. But its not usually a single bad decision that causes tragedy. Pilots dont take off intentionally choosing to put themselves in a no-win situation; they dont mean to kill themselves, their families and friends.
Key Takeaways:
- Fatal aviation mishaps often arise from a "slippery slope" of progressively poor decisions, frequently beginning with economic pressures that lead pilots to defer maintenance and rely on unsafe workarounds.
- Pilot complacency, such as neglecting comprehensive weather briefings, and an inflated view of one's skills, leading to "showing off" or exceeding aircraft limitations, are critical factors in unsafe flying and accidents.
- Even when operating "FAA-legal," pilots who ignore non-mandatory manufacturer recommendations for component replacement, or who accept known deficiencies, can compromise safety and lead to catastrophic system failures.
Key takeaways sponsored by Aviator Pro | Start Your Training ->
See a mistake? Contact us.
