Visual Flight into Instrument Meteorological Condition: A Post Accident Analysis
The phenomenon of encountering instrument meteorological conditions (IMCs) while operating an aircraft under visual flight rules (VFRs) remains a primary area of concern. Studies have established that pilots operating under VFRs that continue to operate under IMCs remains a significant cause of acci...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2020-04-01
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| Series: | Safety |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2313-576X/6/2/19 |
| _version_ | 1827719029472624640 |
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| author | Ayiei Ayiei John Murray Graham Wild |
| author_facet | Ayiei Ayiei John Murray Graham Wild |
| author_sort | Ayiei Ayiei |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The phenomenon of encountering instrument meteorological conditions (IMCs) while operating an aircraft under visual flight rules (VFRs) remains a primary area of concern. Studies have established that pilots operating under VFRs that continue to operate under IMCs remains a significant cause of accidents in general aviation (GA), resulting in hundreds of fatalities. This research used the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) database, which contained a total of 196 VFR to IMC occurrences, from 2003 to 2019, with 26 having formal reports. An explanatory design was adopted, commencing with a qualitative study of the 26 occurrences with reports followed by a quantitative study of all 196 occurrences. Factors investigated included the locations and date of the occurrences, involved aircraft (manufacturer, model, type), pilot details (licenses, ratings, h, and medical), number of fatalities, and causal factors. Fisher’s exact tests were used to highlight significant relationships. Results showed occurrences were more likely to end fatally if (1) they involved private operations, (2) pilots only had a night VFR rating, (3) the pilot chose to push on into IMCs, (4) the pilot did not undertake proper preflight planning consulting aviation weather services, and (5) the pilot had more than 500 h of flight experience. Further results showed occurrences were less likely to end fatally if the meteorological condition was clouds without precipitation, if the pilot held a full instrument rating, or the pilot was assisted via radio. Analysis of the data using the Human Factors Analysis and Classification System (HFACS) framework revealed that errors and violations occur with slightly greater frequency for fatal occurrences than non-fatal occurrences. Quantitative analyses demonstrated that the number of VFR to IMC occurrences have not decreased even though initiatives have been implemented in an attempt to address the issue. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T20:34:39Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-55677b42a83d4ca4954b48e87677d08f |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2313-576X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T20:34:39Z |
| publishDate | 2020-04-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Safety |
| spelling | doaj.art-55677b42a83d4ca4954b48e87677d08f2023-11-19T21:07:20ZengMDPI AGSafety2313-576X2020-04-01621910.3390/safety6020019Visual Flight into Instrument Meteorological Condition: A Post Accident AnalysisAyiei Ayiei0John Murray1Graham Wild2School of Engineering, RMIT University, Melbourne 3000, AustraliaSchool of Engineering, RMIT University, Melbourne 3000, AustraliaSchool of Engineering, RMIT University, Melbourne 3000, AustraliaThe phenomenon of encountering instrument meteorological conditions (IMCs) while operating an aircraft under visual flight rules (VFRs) remains a primary area of concern. Studies have established that pilots operating under VFRs that continue to operate under IMCs remains a significant cause of accidents in general aviation (GA), resulting in hundreds of fatalities. This research used the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) database, which contained a total of 196 VFR to IMC occurrences, from 2003 to 2019, with 26 having formal reports. An explanatory design was adopted, commencing with a qualitative study of the 26 occurrences with reports followed by a quantitative study of all 196 occurrences. Factors investigated included the locations and date of the occurrences, involved aircraft (manufacturer, model, type), pilot details (licenses, ratings, h, and medical), number of fatalities, and causal factors. Fisher’s exact tests were used to highlight significant relationships. Results showed occurrences were more likely to end fatally if (1) they involved private operations, (2) pilots only had a night VFR rating, (3) the pilot chose to push on into IMCs, (4) the pilot did not undertake proper preflight planning consulting aviation weather services, and (5) the pilot had more than 500 h of flight experience. Further results showed occurrences were less likely to end fatally if the meteorological condition was clouds without precipitation, if the pilot held a full instrument rating, or the pilot was assisted via radio. Analysis of the data using the Human Factors Analysis and Classification System (HFACS) framework revealed that errors and violations occur with slightly greater frequency for fatal occurrences than non-fatal occurrences. Quantitative analyses demonstrated that the number of VFR to IMC occurrences have not decreased even though initiatives have been implemented in an attempt to address the issue.https://www.mdpi.com/2313-576X/6/2/19accidentsaviationHFACSsafety occurrencesvisibilityweather |
| spellingShingle | Ayiei Ayiei John Murray Graham Wild Visual Flight into Instrument Meteorological Condition: A Post Accident Analysis Safety accidents aviation HFACS safety occurrences visibility weather |
| title | Visual Flight into Instrument Meteorological Condition: A Post Accident Analysis |
| title_full | Visual Flight into Instrument Meteorological Condition: A Post Accident Analysis |
| title_fullStr | Visual Flight into Instrument Meteorological Condition: A Post Accident Analysis |
| title_full_unstemmed | Visual Flight into Instrument Meteorological Condition: A Post Accident Analysis |
| title_short | Visual Flight into Instrument Meteorological Condition: A Post Accident Analysis |
| title_sort | visual flight into instrument meteorological condition a post accident analysis |
| topic | accidents aviation HFACS safety occurrences visibility weather |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2313-576X/6/2/19 |
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