There’s no need to go all Type A over this, but piloting an aircraft is among those activities where it’s to our benefit to be something of a control freak. It pays because of all the many bad outcomes that can result from losing control. The variations and possibilities seem infinite, as pilots find new and innovative ways to let physics and aerodynamics take over from them. Stalls—on rotation, turning final and elsewhere—promise particularly harsh results while running off a runway, another common example, hurts less often and less badly.
Regardless of the reasons—distraction, multi-tasking, poor judgment or insufficient training—the punchline is losing control of an aircraft leads many accident-cause categories. The sidebar on the opposite page has the details. Meanwhile, there are some common reasons we might lose control, even when well-trained and exercising sound judgment. Let’s explore—and fix them.
