Practicing For Emergencies (Without Going Broke)

One of the sad realities of general aviation becomes apparent upon reading a score or so NTSB accident reports: While true in-flight emergencies are rare, pilots who do not fly for a living have a less-than-stellar record of success when they stare one in the face. It is a blunt corollary to the simple fact that anything a human doesnt practice regularly doesnt get done well the next time its needed. Thats why pilots who take recurrent training every six months tend to have far, far fewer accidents than pilots who only grudgingly take a flight review every 24. No matter how we try to sweep the mess under the rug, skills atrophy fast and anything we dont practice regularly we, sadly, screw up. Those who study human behavior have long been telling us this stuff, they just use bigger words. We know it. We know perfectly well that if we are faced with an emergency when we go flying tomorrow that how we handle it has already been determined. If weve thought about that particular emergency (or one very similar) and how we will deal with it, the odds of handling it correctly are astronomically higher than if we havent given it any thought. If weve actually rehearsed dealing with the emergency in the last six months, the odds that well deal with it correctly go way, way up. Being human, we do well what we do often. We do landings all the time. We dont do fires in flight nearly as frequently.

Key Takeaways:

• General aviation pilots often struggle with in-flight emergencies due to a lack of regular practice, as skills atrophy quickly, and many are reluctant to invest in formal recurrent training.
• A cost-effective way to significantly improve emergency preparedness is to create a comprehensive list of potential in-flight problems, referencing the Pilot Operating Handbook and personal experience.
• Pilots should then actively visualize and physically rehearse the appropriate procedures for each emergency, including specific control movements and expected aircraft responses, even in a quiet, private setting like an easy chair, to build instinctual reactions.
• This mental and physical self-practice enhances muscle memory and decision-making, drastically increasing the chances of successfully handling a real emergency and avoiding unfortunate outcomes.

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