APS Aims to Tackle Loss of Control for Single-Pilot Operators

A regular highlight of the NBAA conventions—which this year took place in Las Vegas—is the well-attended Single Pilot Safety Standdown, typically held the day before the show begins. The topics focus on single-pilot operations like fatigue, the intricacies of dealing with complex cockpit technology and loss of control inflight, still the largest single cause of industry fatalities. Three years ago, the NBAA Safety Committee created the popular single-pilot training video, Alone in the Cockpit specifically to address the problem.

While preparing for this year’s event, NBAA Safety Committee LOC-I lead Paul (BJ) Ransbury noticed a disturbing problem within the data specially gathered for the event by the NTSB. Ransbury, also president of Aviation Performance Solutions told Flying, “This is the second year in a row the NTSB has done this look-up for the LOC-I working group, but I believe this year is the first time I placed all the single-pilot graphs on one slide.” Ransbury noticed that the LOC-I risk (between 2009-2018) was 10 times greater for single-pilot operations than for those with two pilots aboard. “It was a stark reality check on single-pilot safety.”

Ransbury was certain APS could help at a time when the industry clearly needs assistance. The company yesterday launched the APS Single Pilot LOC-I Safety Initiative that includes a 1-hour advanced simulator session with all of its multi-day on-aircraft Upset Prevention and Recovery Training programs at no charge to the first 50 single-pilot operators who also participate in any initial APS on-aircraft UPRT program. APS believes that while on-aircraft UPRT is highly effective and significantly superior to simulator-only training, there are still critical UPRT scenarios that cannot safely be practiced in an airplane. This upgrade allows single pilots, generally less likely to add simulator training to their UPRT program, an opportunity to receive comprehensive training that will reduce their risk of Loss of Control In-flight (LOC-I).

APS says the extra simulator training may be taken at any time in the next 12 months at its Phoenix center, but the offer to sign up for the training is open only thru November 26, 2019.