Ducking Under

A crash occurring during an instrument approach almost always happens because the airplane descends below the published minimum altitude. Its easy for any pilot to say, "Id never do that," and dismiss this brand of controlled flight into terrain (CFIT) as a non-hazard...at least for ourselves. True, evidence suggests that some "ducking under" decision height, decision altitude or the minimum descent altitude is intentional-the pilot knowingly flies "just a little bit lower" to try to find the runway in the murk. But ducking under is not always intentional-a conscientious pilot may be susceptible to ducking under in some circumstances. The question is, how can we avoid the traps?

Key Takeaways:

• Crashes during instrument approaches frequently occur when pilots descend below published minimum altitudes ("ducking under"), a behavior that can be either intentional or unintentional.
• Unintentional "ducking under" is often caused by external pressures (e.g., passenger demands, mission fixation), misidentification of ground features, inadequate pre-flight briefings, or cumulative minor operational errors like altimeter missettings or fatigue.
• To prevent these accidents, pilots must assert command authority, educate passengers on safety decisions, conduct thorough approach briefings, understand visual aids, and strictly adhere to minimums and missed approach procedures with precision.
• While intentional "ducking under" is a persistent cultural challenge, individual pilots and instructors can actively commit to avoiding this dangerous practice and fostering a strong safety-first attitude in aviation.

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