Helicopter Flight Information
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Helicopter Flight Information |
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Don't they always call it Pilot Error?Hey it is what it is. There are only two causes of aviation accidents, those that are pilot error, and those that are not. Those that are notThe classification of "those that are not" can be contributed only to mechanical failures which were beyond the control of the pilot. Although these types of accidents are significantly less than Pilot Error accidents, as we found in our study featured under Hazards, they still account for 17 percent of all accidents. The outcome of an accident which resulted from a mechanical issue usually can be further broken down, where pilot actions or technique will most likely be a factor. It is evident that good training, currency, and pilot technique as well as the pilots flying habits are extremely important and will be considered in the investigation. Although I believe that most commercial pilots do about as good as can be expected under the conditions, many private pilots just do not practice the emergency procedures often enough, and as a result the outcome of a given situation is not as good as it might have been. Pilots must always keep in mind that emergencies will not likely occur in the most desirable flight configurations. You will not be over an open field thinking about how you would handle just such a situation. Those that areIf the pilot failed to do something that led to the accident, then it was Pilot Error. "The pilot failed to enter an autorotation following an engine failure caused by carburetor icing..." This actually occurred, and was indeed Pilot Error. He had less than 100 total flight hours, and he failed to apply carburetor heat. Unfortunately, it cost the pilot and his wife their lives while their friends helplessly watched. Another good example of a pilot error accident was a case where a 9-year old girl was killed along with her flight instructor and her father while attempting to set a record. They departed into deteriorating weather in an under-powered and over-grossed aircraft. There was a (very selfish) flight instructor involved in this case, and as a result, there has been a special report and a change in policy and/or regulation as a result. We must face the fact that Pilot Error is indisputably the largest cause of aviation accidents, and we must do what we can to reduce that factor. Pilots with less than 400 hours account for the highest percentage of all Pilot Error accidents. In my accident study, 83 percent were pilot error, and statistics show that more than 84 percent of that 83 percent were pilots with from 30 to 400 hours. Statistics show that as a pilots hours increase, the likely hood of an accident decreases. This is to say that a 100-hour pilot is safer than a 30-hour pilot, a 200-hour pilot is safer than a 100-hour pilot etc. Pilots with less than 30 hours are safer only because there is usually an instructor on board the aircraft. These facts are usually due to two different issues, one is the lack of experience, and the other is overconfidence. Ultimately, both may come down to the lack of experience. If the pilot had more experience he or she might have known that the current conditions might have resulted in an accident and therefore he or she may have avoided the situation. Another major factor is just plain stupidity. It is hard to determine when an accident is caused by stupidity, or the lack of knowledge. Dead people don't talk so we won't know. Even when these pilots survive very few would actually admit that they were foolish in their decisions. I am not saying that pilot error accidents are caused by stupid pilots, I am saying that I have seen some pilots do some real foolish things. Fly Safe!!!!
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