Tips for Terrain Avoidance

Let’s face it. Some kinds of accidents are just more baffling than others. Many — maybe all — of us are tempted to spout the usual “I-would-never-do-that!” mantra when we hear about pilot-in­duced mishaps. In the privacy of our own thoughts, though, we can sorta kinda understand how stuff happens when pilots press their luck a little too far with, say, fuel. But it’s a lot harder to understand controlled flight into ter­rain (CFIT) accidents, because the idea of flying an aircraft that is under your control into terrain is unfathomable. Even so, it keeps happening, possibly because we don’t know enough to rec­ognize the danger signs soon enough to stay out of the trees. 

To that end, both the FAA and the aviation community have developed a number of resources to help fill any gaps in your knowledge of common CFIT causes and how to avoid them. 

See the AC 

One readily available resource is the FAA’s Advisory Circular (AC) 61-134, General Aviation Controlled Flight into Terrain Awareness. Don’t let the 2003 issuance date lead you into thinking it’s out of date — sadly, things haven’t changed enough to merit its with­drawal. This particular AC identifies some of the risks associated with general aviation (GA) CFIT accidents, and provides recommendations and strategies to combat the scourge of CFIT in GA. 

Here’s a preview. The AC looks at GA CFIT in terms of three broad categories. One focuses on VFR pilots without an instrument rating who operate in marginal VFR weather conditions (MVFR), visual mete­orological conditions (VMC), and what is known as “scud running” in instrument meteorological conditions (IMC). The second category looks at GA IFR operations in IMC conditions on an IFR flight. The third category addresses low-flying aircraft operating in VMC. A common thread is the idea that the pilot is always responsi­ble for ensuring that he or she is well trained, qualified for the intended flight, in compliance with all regula­tory requirements for the flight, and has the self-discipline to follow safety procedures that can minimize CFIT type accidents. 

The AC also has a list of safety recommendations keyed to the types of operation described above, some of which apply directly to pilots and oth­ers that are broader cultural changes that we as a community still need to make. Being a fan of checklists, I especially like the way the AC includes a copy of the Flight Safety Foundation’s (FSF) CFIT risk-assessment safety tool. 

While some of its material is directed to corporate or crewed oper­ations, the basic concepts are both scalable and applicable to individual GA pilots. Part I, CFIT Risk Assess­ment, is about calculating the level of CFIT risk for each flight, sector, or leg. Part II looks at CFIT Risk-Re­duction Factors, Company Culture, Flight Standards, Hazard Awareness and Training, and Aircraft Equipment Factors. In Part III: Your CFIT Risk, you combine the totals and determine your CFIT Risk Score. 

Take Ten (or Just Nine …) 

There is no shortage of YouTube videos on a variety of aviation safety topics, including CFIT avoidance. The FAA’s 2016 offering, “CFIT — What More Can We Do?” — takes just under nine minutes to watch. Once you are in YouTube’s CFIT search neighborhood, you’re likely to find plenty of others to watch as well. Set in Alaska, the FAA video features some fabulous scenery — the kind best viewed from a safe altitude. Check it out and do your part to make CFIT accidents a relic. (FAA Safety Briefing – NovDec 2020)