Training Fact Sheet - Controlled Flight Into Terrain: CFIT - How Does It Happen?

Training Fact Sheet – Controlled Flight
into Terrain
Contact: Nick Mayhew
Phone: (321) 567 0386
______________________________________________________________________
CFIT – How Does It Happen?

or adjacent to terrain, increasing the likelihood of
CFIT should a loss of situational awareness
occur. The FAR’s allow helicopters to operate at
lower altitudes and weather minimums than
airplanes. This puts greater responsibility on the
helicopter pilot to ask him or herself “I am
allowed to do this, but should I?” With a good
analysis of risk factors including aircraft
capabilities, operation type, pilot abilities, and
environmental conditions, the correct answer is
often “no”. Setting personal minimums for
weather and cruising altitudes can help pilots to
eliminate external pressures that can skew their
decision making process, and create a margin
for error in case of a lapse in situational
awareness. The act of establishing minimums,
Controlled Flight into Terrain, or CFIT, occurs however, does not prevent accidents by itself.
when an airworthy aircraft under the control of a The true test arises when marginal conditions
pilot is flown unintentionally and without prior threaten an important flight. The pilot must hold
awareness into terrain, water, or an obstacle. strictly to those personal minimums. It will take a
great deal of discipline to maintain a safety
CFIT ranks as the 13th most common of margin, but the decision to do so may save the
helicopter accident types and according to NTSB pilot’s life.
statistics, 60% of all CFIT accidents are fatal.
Despite its frequency, helicopter pilots may find it
difficult to relate to the concept of unknowingly Visibility and Weather
flying their aircraft into the ground. Many in-flight
emergencies can be detected and require a CFIT is often associated with low visibility or
specific course of corrective action. However, night flights in mountainous terrain. These
when CFIT occurs, the pilot usually learns of the conditions do create an extreme hazard of CFIT
emergency the same instant the helicopter because pilots often rely on their eyes to identify
impacts terrain. Therefore it is important for danger. Pilots should approach low visibility or
pilots to understand what conditions and actions dark night operations with extreme caution.
lead to CFIT, so that they can recognize and Flying over unlit areas at night should be avoided
avoid these hazards to prevent the accident. when possible. Otherwise, maintain a higher
altitude than normal when flying at night to
ensure clearance over terrain and obstacles.
Helicopter Operations Thorough planning and weather briefings before
flights can prevent encountering hazardous low
The nature of many helicopter operations visibility conditions, day or night. If flight in low
exposes helicopter pilots to greater risk of CFIT. visibility is necessary due to operational
It is common for helicopters to fly at low altitudes requirements, good situational awareness is
1
critical. A frequent scan of flight instruments aircraft, which statistically are most prone to
used in combination with VFR charts is CFIT accidents. Advances in avionics can prove
necessary to ensure clearance of nearby terrain. helpful, but ultimately it is the PIC who prevents
Additionally, it is crucial that pilots constantly CFIT. Therefore, take CFIT seriously in your
reassess the current flight conditions as well as preflight planning and in your cockpit decision
their decisions. Just because the “Go” decision making. Be diligent in your instrument scans
was made does not mean the flight must be and always maintain situational awareness,
completed as planned. Early recognition of especially when workload is high. Set personal
potential CFIT conditions can allow a pilot to stop minimums that will give you an extra margin of
the error chain and prevent an accident. Land safety. Together we can eliminate CFIT from the
as soon as possible when visibility or conditions list of common accidents.
deteriorate.
Situational Awareness Summary

It is a fact that CFIT accidents often take place in  The key to avoiding CFIT is diligence in
low visibility scenarios and in mountainous maintaining situational awareness
terrain. However, CFIT accidents are not limited throughout flight, and using the
to those conditions, and many take place on flat appropriate tools to do so.
or rising terrain as well. Furthermore, studies
show that half of CFIT helicopter accidents took  Despite advances in cockpit technology
place in VMC conditions. These statistics and navigation, CFIT accidents continue
demonstrate that CFIT is caused by more than to take place.
just weather phenomena. Ultimately, loss of
situational awareness causes these crashes.  CFIT occurrences take place in all types
Distractions, high workload, or fixation on certain of conditions and terrain.
flight elements can lead to a potential CFIT
scenario. Pilots must maintain a clear mental  It is crucial that pilots recognize the
picture of their helicopter’s location relative to the hazards of operating in low visibility at
terrain and objects around it. Understanding that low altitudes.
CFIT can take place in any phase of flight, in all
weather conditions, and during both day and
night is one step towards preventing its References
occurrence. Good pilot judgment and flying
within aircraft and pilot capabilities will further Further information can be found in Ch 17 of the
reduce its likelihood. Helicopter Instructor’s Handbook at
http://www.faa.gov/library/manuals/aviation/medi
a/FAA-H-8083-4.pdf and in Ch 14 of the
Helicopter Flying Handbook at
http://www.faa.gov/library/manuals/aircraft/media
/faa-h-8083-21A.pdf and in the Reality of
Aeronautical Knowledge at
http://www.ihst.org/portals/54/Reality_Aeronautic
al_Knowledge_21MAY12.pdf and in AC 61-134
GA CFIT Awareness at
http://rgl.faa.gov/Regulatory_and_Guidance_Libr
ary/rgAdvisoryCircular.nsf/list/AC%2061-
134/$FILE/ac61-134.pdf or at www.IHST.org
Eliminating CFIT
New technology makes maintaining situational
awareness easier for helicopter pilots. The
Enhanced Ground Proximity Warning System
(EGPWS) presents pilots with positional
awareness relative to terrain that is easy to see
and understand. This type of instrument is
slowly being introduced to new aircraft, but it
may never be standardized for smaller or GA

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CFIT – How Does It Happen?

Situational Awareness Summary

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