Senior Project Research Paper

Words: 1285
Pages: 6

Senior Project Research Paper In the past decade there have been over 180 airline crashes causing a multitude of fatalities. Plane crashes have a variety of different sources, such as, an air traffic control error, fuel starvation, design flaw, sabotage, hijacking and even bird strikes. In 2009, a US Airways airliner was forced to crash land in the Hudson river after losing both its engines to a flock of Canadian geese. In contrast with the scarcity of bird strikes, the majority of plane crashes are caused by pilot error. Pilot error, sometimes called cockpit error, is the pilots decision or failure to make a decision that results in a crash or collision. In 2004, pilot error was the top contributor to general aviation mishaps, showing to …show more content…
Sometimes pilots are blamed in dangerous weather conditions, because they failed to carry out their legal safety requirements. For example, if a pilot flies into a hurricane he is held responsible for ignoring flight regulations. Each pilot is expected to practice due diligence. The ruling of pilot error as the cause of an aviation accident in most situations can be easily argued for or against. For instance, the National Transportation Safety Board ruled that the crash of American Airlines Flight 587 was caused by excessive use of the rudder pedals on the part of the co-pilot who, at the time, was in control of the aircraft. Attorneys representing the deceased co-pilot argue that American Airlines' pilots have never been properly trained in the use of the pedals in extreme conditions. They also claimed that there was a flaw in the design that caused rudder failure and that the co-pilot's rudder inputs did not cause the crash that killed …show more content…
Each pilot must obtain a minimum of 1500 hours of training before they are hired by an airline, that is almost 63 days of solid training. The instructors give the students multi and single engine flight time, simulator time, and FAA knowledge tests. Ground school consists of lectures and test taking held in a classroom setting. Ground school is equally as important as flight training. It is important for a pilot to know all of the rules and regulations of flight. Phil Champagne, a pilot for American Airline received his education from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach Florida and earned his bachelors degree in Professional Aeronautics. Embry-Riddle is the most highly acclaimed institution devoted to the field. Champagne believes that his “training on aircraft systems and operation of the aircraft allows them to systematically evaluate each individual situation that could arise, and come up with a solution.” (interview). Over the 3 years at a regional airline and 30 years with American Airlines, Champagne has never felt unprepared for any events encountered during