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:

• Many general aviation accidents, often labeled as "pilot error," are actually rooted in systemic flaws and omissions within standard flight training methodologies across the nation.
• Key training deficiencies include inadequate stall/spin awareness, incorrect teaching of pitch/power control assignments, and a critical failure to emphasize the elevator's primary role in controlling and sustaining turns.
• These instructional shortcomings directly contribute to dangerous scenarios, such as the high fatality rate observed in 180-degree turnback attempts after engine failures.
• The article advocates for a fundamental reevaluation of flight training to address these ingrained issues and enhance overall aviation safety.

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