March 2, 2017
The NBAA Safety Committee has launched a new program featuring loss of control inflight (LOC-I) prevention resources for pilots of all experience levels.
The first in a series of planned LOC-I awareness efforts, NBAA’s new resource page includes tools such as informational videos, a visual guide to key LOC-I topics and an extensive, frequently updated list of available online training, regulatory and scholarly resources centers.
LOC-I refers to accidents in which flight crews are unable to maintain control of an aircraft in flight, resulting in an extreme deviation from the intended flight path. Between 2001 and 2011, more than 40 percent of fixed-wing general aviation fatal accidents occurred because pilots lost control of their aircraft.
“Loss of control inflight is by far the largest cause of fatal incidents in business aviation,” said Paul Ransbury, lead of the Safety Committee’s LOC-I Working Group and president of Aviation Performance Solutions. “To combat this threat to our industry, the Safety Committee has taken steps to gather, align and develop resources to provide NBAA’s membership with comprehensive guidance to help reduce the risk of LOC-I.”
Content includes insights on the statistical threat of LOC-I, key definitions of related concepts such as an “airplane upset” and modern industry strategies structured to prevent the hazards of loss of control inflight. As a complement to this foundational information, the Safety Committee has gathered detailed resources ranging from regulatory documents to a list of Upset Prevention and Recovery Training providers across the country.
“As an NBAA Top Safety Focus Area and the deadliest threat faced by pilots around the world, the Safety Committee’s establishment of a specialized LOC-I Working Group is directly aligned with our core purpose and vision,” said David Ryan, chairman of the Safety Committee. “In addition to the current tools and resources, we are embracing the global aviation industry’s LOC-I best practices and presenting them in a turnkey, easy-to-find format.”