NTSB Most Wanted

1) I would re-rank the NTSB's top 5 improvements for 2016 as follows:

1. Prevent loss of control in flight
2. Fatigue related incidents
3. Reducing distractions
4. Medical Fitness
5. Cockpit Image Recorders

   I chose preventing the loss of control in flight as my most important because next to the common sense factor in it, the article by Bellamy (and on the ntsb website) states that loss of control in flight has been the cause of over 40% of accidents in the GA sector from 2011-2011 (Bellamy 2016/ntsb.gov). A reason I think that this statistic is so large is because some of these pilots fly maybe once or twice a year enough to keep themselves current and to take the ol' plane out when there isn't a cloud in the sky. I think the lack of practiced recurrent training by the FAA could be to blame here considering that a private pilot is required to complete a flight review once every 24 calendar months and needs 3 takeoffs and landings in the past 90 days to carry passengers. In my opinion that doesn't seem like much especially if you're just coasting by on those bare minimums to keep yourself current. I understand this isn't the issue for all of these accidents, but when you factor in brand new student/private pilots and sports pilots who only fly a couple times a year the lack of experience can be a cause to these accidents.

  The second most important is reducing fatigue related incidents, although it has improved a whole lot since the Colgan accident and before. Fatigue will always be that sleeping demon waiting to be triggered and with the pressures that some companies put on their pilots and the workloads that are taken on, it's an issue that should maintain atop the list.

   Reducing distractions is my number 3, but it's a close decision between that and fatigue. I think distractions have become increasingly worse through these past 6 years with the technology boom. I mean nowadays part 121 carriers equip their pilots with some form of tablet to help reduce workload. It's easy to see how having a tablet or even your cellphone in the cockpit for a long trip or during a period of low work activity can lead to distractions. The use of tablets has become almost necessary for 121 operators and although the FAA has created a final rule against using smartphones or laptops while operating the aircraft, it'll be interesting how the tablet is considered.

   Fourth I chose medical fitness because we all are aware of the tests and examinations pilots must go through to maintain their medical certificates. The article by Bellamy mentioned an increase of positive tests for over-the-counter sedative medication and I think that could contribute to fatigue incidents. The increase of these sedative medications doesn't bode well for the NTSB because ever since the GermanWings suicide last year they've been on high alert for symptoms of depression. Those kind of mental issues can be tough to pinpoint though because without monitoring the person everyday and intensely, you can't tell someone is depressed. I think the FAA or pilot world could improve on their mental evaluations of employees, but I don't see it as an issue that is pressing.

   Lastly I have Cockpit image recorders at the bottom of my list. The reason being is that in the cockpit there is already a flight data recorder that reads the inputs made on the flight controls and can paint the story of what happened in the accident. With actual image recording in the cockpit not only seems invasive to the pilots, but further cements the idea/theory that accident analyzers have come up with using the FDR. I think it's an economic investment not worth the consideration due to it's risk if images/video were to get leaked and the fact that it's redundant in nature since the flight data recorder exists as well. Not only do I rank this item last on my most wanted list but I would even go as far to say that it doesn't need to be on the list at all.

   Now an item that has been left off the list which I think should be included is automation dependency. For the most part (in EMU's and WMU's  pilot programs) they start the student pilots off with aircraft equipped with a glass cockpit. Now they try and teach their students to focus on the gauges and fly the plane, but as a pilot gets more experienced in the glass cockpit, it becomes much easier to get dependent on all of the capabilities that it has to offer. It's a great technological advancement and has reduced the workload of  the pilot immensely, but there have been plenty of incidents (think Air France 447 accident) where the pilots completely shut down and forgot how to fly the plane when the automation stopped working.

  I think the FAA will respond to the reducing distractions and medical fitness the most. The reason I think this is because they've already addressed the distractions one a little bit with that final rule created for 121 operators in April of 2014. I think they'll address the medical fitness one because it affects the public image of aviation the most. Plus if they're able to reduce that amount of positive tests for over-the-counter sedative medication it could go hand in hand with reducing fatigue in flight.

Works Cited

 Bellamy, W., III. (2016, January 14). NTSB's 5 Most Wanted Aviation Safety Improvements in 2016. Retrieved April 10, 2016, from http://www.aviationtoday.com/av/commercial/NTSBs-5-Most-Wanted-Aviation-Safety-Improvements-in-2016_86948.html#.VwroN6QrLIV

 Prevent Loss of Control in Flight in General Aviation. (n.d.). Retrieved April 10, 2016, from http://www.ntsb.gov/safety/mwl/Pages/mwl7_2015.aspx