The Problem With Flight Training

For a long time now, loss-of-control accidents in general aviation have been driven by relatively few but recurring causes pointing to fundamental problems in pilot training. These problems seem national in scope. The NTSBs findings in two recent crashes illustrate the point. One was the fatal stall/spin of an American Champion Decathlon in Oroville, Calif., in October 2005; the other the much-reported crash of a Cirrus SR20 into a Manhattan apartment building in October 2006. In both accidents-the Decathlon involving a high-time ATP, the Cirrus an 88-hour major league baseball player new to aviation-there were common threads. Both reveal systemic errors and omissions in our standard flight training. Methodology, in my estimation. These two accidents vividly show that our training is deficient in teaching stall/spin awareness, cockpit resource management and risk analysis. Why cant we figure this out?

Key Takeaways:

• General aviation loss-of-control accidents are primarily caused by fundamental, systemic flaws in pilot training, often misattributed to "pilot error."
• Current flight training is deficient in critical areas such as stall/spin awareness, cockpit resource management, risk analysis, and teaching correct aerodynamic principles for controlling aircraft during maneuvers like turns.
• Common instructional errors include incorrectly assigning control functions (e.g., "pitch controls altitude, power controls speed") and failing to emphasize the elevator's crucial role in controlling turns, leading to dangerous misconceptions.
• The practice of teaching and attempting 180-degree turnbacks following engine failure is highlighted as extremely dangerous and leads to a high fatality rate, urging aviation educators to reconsider its promotion.

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