The takeoff and departure flight phase can be one of the more risky among instrument procedures, especially at night in IMC aviation. On one hand, the pilot is abruptly transitioning from a presumably well-lit runway and airport environment to flying on instruments near terrain. On another hand, the airplane may not be up to the task, due to mechanical issues or misconfiguration by the pilot. And there’s also the immediate need to comply with whatever departure procedure is in use and join the en route airspace structure.
These challenges can confront a pilot simultaneously, and to ensure success, he or she needs to have solid instrument skills and a firm understanding of the airplane’s systems, along with Air Traffic Control’s expectations. Much of this can be easier with a multiple-pilot crew; single-pilot IFR departure operations demand almost error-free airmanship. When pilots lack the cockpit skills, systems knowledge, situational awareness or simple checklist discipline, the potential for a bad outcome rises dramatically. When all these factors combine to varying degrees, a good outcome is improbable.
