There's an old saying that goes something like this: "There are old pilots. There are bold pilots. But there are no old, bold pilots." Chuck Yaeger aside, there's a lot of truth in that adage.
Every year, the NALL REPORT gives us the lowdown on aviation accidents for the previous year, what caused them, how they ended, the whole nine yards. And every year, the bottom line is the same: too many pilots are acting too bold for their own damn good.
In flying, just as in most walks of life, attitude is everything. The NTSB and others have studied the effects of attitude on safety and have identified several "hazardous attitudes" that they say account for a good many bad decisions that lead to bent metal and broken trees. These attitudes continue to show up year after year as contributing factors in crashes and incidents. The NTSB and FAA think that if enough pilots learn about these Big Bad Attitudes that maybe, just maybe, they'll recognize them as part of their own personalities and can work to offset their harmful effects. We'll see if that works. In the meantime, it never hurts to know what traits these researchers have found can lead to unplanned excursions into terrain, I mean, airplane crashes.
1. Invulnerability. Remember when you were 17 and felt like nothing could touch you? Maybe you drove too fast, or cut school, or did other things you'd rather not think about right now, all with the unspoken belief that you'd get away with it with no consequences. Well, some pilots seem to still feel that way, even when their years total several multiples of 17. The truth is that feeling invulnerable can lead a pilot into taking risks that are unnecessary and unusually dangerous. If you ever start feeling like you're at one with your airplane and nothing can bring you down, think again. Excrement occurs. Even to the best pilots. You're flesh and bone, and anybody who's seen the aftermath of an airplane accident understands just what that means all too clearly.
2. Macho. Think you're tough? Try stopping a 2300lb airplane in 4 inches after it hits an oak tree at 90 knots. You ain't tough. Whenever you start thinking that this flying business is just no match for your superior skills and courage, it's time to put away the Rambo fantasy and realize that you could be just one bad decision away from Uglyville. Pilots need to be confident to be good, but they also need to realize the wisdom in another old aviation adage: "The superior pilot exercises superior judgment BEFORE he/she has to exercise superior skill."
3. Anti-Authority. With the FAA and others seeming to be pushing their way into more and more areas of our flying lives, it's sometimes easy to think in terms of us vs. them. Some pilots take great pride in their ability to circumvent the rules and thumb their nose at the authorities. Not good. While the FAA's unofficial motto, We Ain't Happy 'Til You Ain't Happy, sometimes appears to hold true, the real truth is that rules and authority figures are there because, without them, more people die. That's the bottom line. If you find yourself cutting corners or leaving a little detail off your medical exam form, do us all a favor. Stop. Play it straight. Be cooperative with the FAA guys and, believe it or not, they'll more than likely do the same to you.
4. Impulsivity/Excess Enthusiasm. Flying is one of those activities that demands that we think before we act. Choosing to do something on the spur of the moment often leads to unintended consequences. I knew of a pilot once who decided to go down to chase a herd of Tule elk in the delta near Suisun. He hadn't plan to do it, but he saw the elk and, well, what the heck, down he went. He didn't see the power line until just before he dove under it (he thought), tearing a giant cut in his vertical stabilizer and rudder, striking the ground and destroying the aircraft. He was lucky; he limped away from the scene, but had to walk through marshland for several miles to get out. A moment of thought and planning could have avoided the whole mess. Like the sign says, Thimk!
5. Resignation. Ever think, geez, there's nothing I can do so I might as well give up? If you ever have that thought in an airplane, give yourself a good swift kick in the butt and get your head back in the game, now! Research shows that too many pilots, when faced with an emergency situation, either freeze on the controls or just quit flying the airplane, consigning themselves to the "inevitable." This resignation to the Gods is a needless killer, and any feelings of helplessness must be countered with willful force in the face of a dead engine or broken control cable. Other studies that have found that most accidents can be survived with little or no injury if the airplane impacts the ground UNDER CONTROL. This doesn't mean perfect control, just with the shiny side still facing up at an airspeed that can be de-accelerated at a reasonable rate. There are few situations that are truly hopeless, and if pilots simply keep flying the airplane until it comes to a complete stop, even if it's in the tops of trees or middle of Lake Wherethehell, odds are good they'll be telling the story to their hangar buds in no time.
There are other hazardous attitudes, too. Complacency is a big one. Maybe you fly the same route week in and week out, so don't bother to check the weather. Or maybe you think you're starting with enough gas to get you to CheapLL International for a topoff. If you start feeling that the next flight is a no-brainer piece of cake, stop yourself and ask, have I done everything I would do if this were a long cross country flight to Unknown Regional Airport? If not, slow down.
Another bigee for airplane owners is excessive frugality. Airplanes are no place to cut corners to save money. Flying isn't cheap, never has been, and never will be, despite what the LSA and kitbuilder folks would have us believe. If you can't afford to do it right, buy into a partnership, or join a flying club. This doesn't mean that every time a bug smears your windshield you toss the keys to the A&P and tell him to "do whatever it takes." It does mean, however, that you maintain your aircraft to standards and keep it airworthy. Your family and passengers are depending on you.
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