A “C” to Avoid
by Rick Domingo, FAA Flight Standards Service Executive Director
You don’t have to be in aviation at all to know that “CFIT” is the acronym for “controlled flight into terrain.” The fact that it’s a commonplace rather than just another esoteric element in the aviation lexicon unfortunately says a lot about the prevalence of this perennial cause of aviation accidents. It’s not just in GA, either; commercial aviation has had its share of CFIT accidents. The term’s notoriety also bespeaks its terrible toll: at least half of all CFIT accidents result in fatalities.
CFIT is defined as an unintentional collision with terrain (the ground, a mountain, a body of water, or an obstacle) while an aircraft is under positive control. Most often, the pilot or crew is unaware of the looming disaster until it is too late. CFIT most commonly occurs in the approach or landing phase of flight. In a typical year, there are about 40 CFIT accidents.
Seeing and Not Avoiding
So how does such a thing happen? Given this information, you might think that CFIT accidents occur mostly at night, or in instrument meteorological conditions (IMC). Or you might suppose that most arise from the painful pattern of what accident reports describe as “continued VFR flight into IMC.” That is certainly one cause. However, the General Aviation Joint Steering Committee (GAJSC) observed that a clear majority of the CFIT accidents in a typical year occur in daylight, and with visual conditions.
So again, how does CFIT happen? How could anyone continue controlled flight into terrain that you can easily see and avoid?
Situational Awareness
It seems that the most common type of pilot error in CFIT accidents is the pilot’s loss of situational awareness — failing to know at all times what the aircraft’s position is, how that position relates to the altitude of the surface immediately below and ahead, and how both relate to the course being flown. Situational awareness vanishes for a variety of reasons. It could be navigation equipment malfunctions; either known problems that distract the pilot or subtle issues that mislead the pilot into misguiding the aircraft. It could arise from limitations in human performance (e.g., illness, fatigue, stress) or in mechanical performance (e.g., high density altitude, tailwinds on approach).
Today’s aviators have the benefit of many tools to maintain appropriate clearance from the ground. There are electronic warning systems, including GPS databases and terrain awareness warning systems. Technological advances in situational awareness have certainly reduced the number of GA CFIT accidents. However, the GAJSC found that overreliance on automation can be a precursor to many CFIT events. Awareness of automation limitations and pilot proficiency in flying with and without automation are key to safe flight.
The bottom line is clear: Nothing can fully compensate for a pilot’s failure to plan carefully in advance, and to stay aware and alert throughout the flight. To help with that effort and contribute to the CFIT avoidance goal, the magazine team is devoting this issue of FAA Safety Briefing (see articles below) to exploring common causes and various conditions in which CFIT accidents occur. We’ll look at ways to avoid the complacency and misplaced confidence that can contribute to CFIT. Finally, we’ll point to some tips and best practices to help you stay safely in the sky until you make a controlled landing at your intended destination.
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