CONTROLLED FLIGHT INTO TERRAIN : MIS HANDLED ABNORMAL /EMERGENCY
An abnormal is any event in flight that is not considered normal, and that could cause a pilot to be distracted by it, or if not properly corrected, that could cause an accident.
Mis-prioritizing and giving the abnormal more attention than aircraft control is often the result. If you are flying with two people up front, consider immediately declaring who is going to fly and who is going to deal with the problem.
Sample problems include such things as GPS waypoint modification, attending to a system that is not normal, attending to a passenger that is needing attention, etc.
Use a briefing such as; “You fly the plane, I am going to work on resetting the waypoints on this flight plan. You have ATC, you have the aircraft, etc.”
An inflight emergency is of more serious nature and can still cause the distraction as mentioned above concerning abnormal. Depending on the severity of the abnormal, the situation may require that you turn the aircraft immediately towards an airport or suitable terrain.
Declare an emergency if in contact with ATC. ATC will often ask if you want to declare an emergency. They cannot formally do this for you and this is their way of prompting you to do that.
If landing at an airport with emergency services, ask for all men and equipment. This is a phrase that will alert the controller that you desire emergency services be scrambled to the field immediately. It sometimes takes 4 to 5 minutes to get emergency fire and rescue equipment loaded and enroute to the waiting area on the field. Start this immediately.
There are three types of emergencies which will dictate the type of urgency that you should use.
1. LAND as soon as practicable: You may want to continue on and land as soon as it is convenient for you, because your emergency is not time critical.
2. LAND as soon as possible: Find the nearest airport with a runway and turn immediately that direction. Plan to land regardless of how inconvenient that location may be. The reasons for “land as soon as possible” include at minimum - any problem with fuel supply, airflow to the engine, combustion/ignition, smoke in the cabin, unresponsive flight controls, or unknown vibration.
3. LAND immediately: You will be landing on something directly in front of you, or very near. It will likely not be an airport . The reasons for land immediately include, at a minimum; engine fire, cabin fire, fuselage fire, or uncontrolled smoke in the cockpit.
SOLUTION:
Consider incorporating this in your next AQP AFR preflight briefing and discussion with your CFI. Talk about what emergencies are likely scenarios for your aircraft and your typical flying mission. Consider a flight where your CFI manufactures a sample simulated abnormal or emergency during your flight and debrief how you did. Did you turn towards an airport? Did you lose heading or altitude during the process of dealing with the abnormal?
There are numerous safe options for surprise abnormalities that can add real time effects. Be aware of how distractions can cause loss of aircraft control. Generally, pilots are afraid to declare an emergency in flight and ask for equipment. This authority granted to you is always available, but you have to ask for it!
SAMPLE REPORT:
The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be: The pilot's loss of directional control and his failure to abort the takeoff, which resulted in a runway excursion and collision with terrain. NTSB Accident Number CEN18FA193.