Do the right thing

Such situations, however, are statistically rare. Poor decision making is the root cause of many—if not most—aviation accidents. Year after year, the NTSB attributes approximately 75 percent of all aircraft accidents to pilot error, with a very large number the direct result of poor decisions.

If you pay attention to the things that are most likely to cause trouble (weather, maneuvering flight, crosswinds, for example), and then handle them in a timely fashion, you’re unlikely to become a statistic. Be aware of how you take risks in other parts of your life and consider how that may manifest in an aviation setting. Do you constantly run late? Do you leave the oven on when you leave the house? Do you wait to refill your car until the low fuel light is on? On the ground, these could be minor issues. But in the air, running late might mean starting a flight later than planned and needing to land in the dark, forgetfulness might lead to skipping a critical part of the preflight if you don’t use your checklist, or you might push it too much with fuel aloft. Here are some tips to help set yourself up for good decisions:

• Sit down and seriously consider your personal minimums. Remember the times in the air that you were uneasy, or times you “got away” with something, then create minimums accordingly.
• Leave yourself an “out” before the flight to avoid external (or self-imposed) pressure to go.
• Don’t assume the flight will be perfect. Maintain an active mental and physical lookout for things that may have gone wrong.
• When things do go wrong, act quickly and conservatively (and within your skill level and the capabilities of the aircraft) to remedy the situation.
• Know your immediate (aviate, navigate, communicate) and large-scale priorities (survive unharmed).

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New from ASI

‘There I Was’ Tunnel flying and a water rescue

Episode 41: ASI interviewed Red Bull Air Race competitor Dario Costa, who debriefs his 44-second flight inside two Turkish highway tunnels, and the painstaking planning and preparation that got him safely through.

Episode 42: ASI talks to pilots Lynn McNorton and Genesah Duffy, who had a chance encounter in Tampa Bay just south of Peter O. Knight Airport. After experiencing engine trouble in his Mooney M20M, McNorton was forced to ditch the airplane in the bay just short of Runway 4. Duffy was nearby in an Icon A5 and was able to land in the water to render assistance.

airsafetyinstitute.org/thereiwas