Finds The Introduction Of "Glass Cockpits" In GA Aircraft Has
Not Led To Safety Improvements
The NTSB adopted a study Tuesday
concluding that single engine airplanes equipped with glass
cockpits had no better overall safety record than airplanes with
conventional instrumentation, so-called "steam gauges."
The safety study, which was adopted unanimously by the Safety
Board, was initiated more than a year ago to determine if light
airplanes equipped with digital primary flight displays, often
referred to as "glass cockpits," were inherently safer than those
equipped with conventional instruments.
The study, which looked at the accident rates of over 8,000
small piston-powered airplanes manufactured between 2002 and 2006,
found that those equipped with glass cockpits had a higher fatal
accident rate then similar aircraft with conventional
instruments.
The Safety Board determined that because glass cockpits are both
complex and vary from aircraft to aircraft in function, design and
failure modes, pilots are not always provided with all of the
information they need -- both by aircraft manufacturers and the
Federal Aviation Administration -- to adequately understand the
unique operational and functional details of the primary flight
instruments in their airplanes.
NTSB Chairman Deborah A.P. Hersman
(pictured, right) highlighted the role that training plays in
preventing accidents involving these airplanes.
"As we discussed today (Tuesday), training is clearly one of the
key components to reducing the accident rate of light planes
equipped with glass cockpits, and this study clearly demonstrates
the life and death importance of appropriate training on these
complex systems," said Hersman. "We know that while many pilots
have thousands of hours of experience with conventional flight
instruments, that alone is just not enough to prepare them to
safely operate airplanes equipped with these glass cockpit
features."
Nearly all newly manufactured piston-powered light airplanes are
equipped with digital primary flight displays. And the number
of older airplanes being retrofitted with these systems continues
to grow.
"While the technological innovations and flight management tools
that glass cockpit equipped airplanes bring to the general aviation
community should reduce the number of fatal accidents, we have not
-- unfortunately -- seen that happen," said Hersman. "The data tell
us that equipment-specific training will save lives. To that end,
we have adopted recommendations today responsive to that data --
recommendations on pilot knowledge testing standards, training,
simulators, documentation and service difficulty reporting so that
the potential safety improvements that these systems provide can be
realized by the general aviation pilot community."
Based on the study findings, the NTSB made six safety
recommendations to the FAA:
- Enhance pilot knowledge and training requirements.
- Require manufacturers to provide pilots with information to
better manage system failures.
- Incorporate training elements regarding electronic primary
flight displays into training materials and aeronautical knowledge
requirements.
- Incorporate training elements regarding electronic primary
flight displays into initial and recurrent flight proficiency
requirements for pilots of small light general aviation airplanes
equipped with those systems, that address variations in equipment
design and operations of such displays
- Support equipment-specific pilot training programs by
developing guidance for the use of glass cockpit simulators other
than those that are approved by the FAA as flight training
devices.
- Inform the general aviation community about the importance of
reporting malfunctions or defects with electronic flight,
navigation and control systems through the Service Difficulty
Reporting system.