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a. According to FAA information, general aviation CFIT accidents account for
17 percent of all general aviation fatalities. More than half of these CFIT
accidents occurred during IMC. The FAA is working in partnership with industry
to develop an action plan and revise guidance material to reduce the incidence
of CFIT within the GA segment of aviation. However, one of the problems in
reviewing GA CFIT accidents is the lack of data, particularly human factors
data. Since many of the pilots involved in GA CFIT accidents are fatalities
and most GA aircraft are not equipped with data recording systems, the lack
of GA CFIT accident data will continue to remain a problem for investigators.
b. Although many CFIT accidents have some common factors that are applicable
for all types of aircraft, we want to stress the difference between a crewed
aircraft with two pilots in the cockpit and a single-pilot aircraft. In crewed
cockpits, the second pilot may make the difference between a safe flight and
a CFIT accident. Conversely, a second pilot can also be a distraction in
certain circumstances unless the crew has been trained to work well together
and is following good crew resource management (CRM) techniques. As a general
rule of thumb, whether an air carrier type aircraft or a GA aircraft, the crewed
aircraft is generally better equipped with more safety equipment, such as an
autopilot, radar altimeter, or ground proximity warning system (GPWS) onboard,
than a typical single-pilot, small GA aircraft.
c. Because a single-piloted, small GA aircraft is vulnerable to the same CFIT
risks as a crewed aircraft but with only one pilot to perform all of the flight
and decision making duties, that pilot must be better prepared to avoid a CFIT
type accident. In some cases, a GA pilot may be more at risk to certain CFIT
type accidents because the pilot does not have the company management or government
oversight that a corporate or commercial operator may be exposed to. Without
such oversight, such as detailed standard operating procedures and higher
mandatory safety requirements, it is the responsibility of the single-pilot to
ensure he or she is well trained, qualified for the intended flight, meets all
regulatory requirements for the flight, and has the self-discipline to follow
industry recommended safety procedures that can minimize CFIT type accidents.
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