Course Review
“56-Seconds to Live” begins with a compelling video demonstrating how quickly any pilot, regardless of their flight experience or instrument proficiency, can lose control of their aircraft when continuing VFR flight into deteriorating weather. The video depicts a helicopter pilot who carelessly ignores clear indications that he should delay, turn around, or land when he is still able. Instead, his desire to complete the flight compels him to press on with predictably fatal results. This story, though fictitious, is far too often a reality. Unintended flight in instrument meteorological conditions (UIMC), also referred to as inadvertent IMC is a common precursor to spatial disorientation and loss of control that leads to fatal accidents.
The course includes a historical accident data that validates how quickly pilots lose control when encountering scenarios like the one portrayed in video. Average time for fixed wing pilots is an average of about three minutes, while helicopter pilots usually lose control in a third of that time. Students are asked to assess the moments in the video that the pilot should have stopped the chain of events and lived to fly another day.
The course reviews hazardous attitudes, a deadly precursor to most fatal accidents. Pilots must be aware that traits such as resignation, machoism, anti-authority, impulsivity, and invulnerability can all adversely affect judgment and decision making, particularly when powerful influences are present.
The course introduces aeronautical decision making as a core skill that every professional pilot must possess to help them manage risk. The best way to stop UIMC accidents is to correctly respond to the information designed to help pilots avoid it altogether. The course introduces some traditional and non-traditional weather tools to help pilots make more informed decisions before and during flight.
Through enroute decision points, the course describes basic avoidance actions pilots should take to remain VMC. Examples discussed include delaying or canceling a flight, turning around, or diverting to the nearest airfield or safe landing area. The course also lists emergency recovery tips to consider and apply when visual references are insufficient for continued safe VFR flight.
The course closes with a summary of the US Helicopter Safety Team (USHST) and how to access more information about the more 56 Seconds to Live Online Course (for additional 1 hour of WINGS credit), and other active helicopter safety enhancement projects.
A summary of the course objectives is listed below:
- Identifying and managing preflight and in-flight risks
- Timely and effective application of critical aeronautical decision-making skills
- Preventing hazardous attitudes from compromising aeronautical decision making
- Performing a thorough preflight weather assessment and using it in your flight risk analysis
- Ensuring that avoidance is a primary method to prevent accidents
- Determining and using en route decision points to help you avoid VFR flight in deteriorating weather
- Managing in-flight stress when encountering unanticipated weather conditions
- Conducting a calm and controlled transition to instruments when no other safe options are available.