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Reluctance to
accept the emergency situation—a pilot
who allows the mind to become paralyzed at the
thought that the airplane will be on the ground
in a very short time, regardless of the pilot’s
actions or hopes, is severely handicapped in
the handling of the emergency. An unconscious
desire to delay the dreaded moment may lead
to such errors as: failure to lower the nose
to maintain flying speed, delay in the selection
of the most suitable landing area within reach,
and indecision in general. Desperate attempts
to correct whatever went wrong at the expense
of airplane control fall into the same category.
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Desire to save
the airplane—the pilot who has been conditioned
during training to expect to find a relatively
safe landing area, whenever the flight instructor
closed the throttle for a simulated forced landing,
may ignore all basic rules of airmanship to
avoid a touchdown in terrain where airplane
damage is unavoidable. Typical consequences
are: making a 180° turn back to the runway
when available altitude is insufficient; stretching
the glide without regard for minimum control
speed in order to reach a more appealing field;
accepting an approach and touchdown situation
that leaves no margin for error. The desire
to save the airplane, regardless of the risks
involved, may be influenced by two other factors:
the pilot’s financial stake in the airplane
and the certainty that an undamaged airplane
implies no bodily harm. There are times, however,
when a pilot should be more interested in sacrificing
the airplane so that the occupants can safely
walk away from it.
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Undue concern
about getting hurt—fear is a vital part
of the self-preservation mechanism. However,
when fear leads to panic, we invite that which
we want most to avoid. The survival records
favor pilots who maintain their composure and
know how to apply the general concepts and procedures
that have been developed through the years.
The success of an emergency landing is as much
a matter of the mind as of skills.
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