Controlled Flight into Terrain Accidents: System-Induced Errors

Controlled flight into terrain accidents are those in which an aircraft, under the control of the crew, is flown into terrain (or water) with no prior awareness on the part of the crew of the impending disaster. This paper examines recent experience with these accidents, seeing them as the result of errors generated by a complex air traffic control system with ample opportunities for system-induced errors. Such problem areas as pilot-controller communication, flightdeck workload, noise-abatement procedures, government regulation, visual illusions, and cockpit-and ground-radar warning devices are discussed, with numerous examples of recent accident cases. The failure of the human factors profession to play a more significant role in the air traffic complex is also considered.