On Feb. 12, 2009, 50 people lost their lives as Colgan Air Flight 3407 crashed while on an instrument approach into Buffalo Niagara International Airport. As is the case with many accidents, several causes contributed to the crash, including icing conditions and fatigue. However, what may have saved the lives of the people on board that airplane and on the ground can be summed up in three simple words: “unload for control.”
Getting Upset in a Bizjet
Key Takeaways:
- Many fatal aviation accidents, including Colgan Air Flight 3407, result from pilots losing control or stalling due to incorrect responses, often pulling back instead of reducing the angle of attack.
- Upset Prevention and Recovery Training (UPRT) is a critical solution to prevent these accidents by teaching pilots proper techniques for handling unexpected aircraft attitudes.
- Flight Research in Mojave, CA, offers specialized UPRT using actual business jets (Sabreliner 60) and advanced trainer jets (Aermacchi MB-326 Impala) to provide realistic, hands-on experience.
- A core principle taught in UPRT is "unload for control" (UTAP), which involves reducing G-load by pushing forward on the yoke to quickly recover from stalls and extreme upset attitudes.
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