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Introduction to Glider Flying > Introduction to Glider Flying > Risk Management > Assessing Risk
Examining National Transportation Safety Board
(NTSB) reports and other accident research can help you to assess
risk more effectively. For e x a m p l e , studies indicate
the types of flight activities that are most likely to result
in the most serious acci-dents. For gliders, takeoff and landing
accidents consistently account for over 90 percent of the total
number of accidents in any given year.
Causal factors for takeoff accidents are evenly
divided between loss of directional control, collision with
obstructions during takeoff, mechanical factors, and a premature
termination of the tow. Accidents occurring during the landing
phase of flight consis-tently account for an overwhelming majority
of injury to pilots and damage to aircraft. This has proven
to be especially true during recent years in which approximately
80 percent of all glider accidents occurred during the landing
phase
Figure 1-6. Prior to flight, you should
assess your fitness, just as you evaluate the aircraft’s
airworthiness.
of flight. Accidents are more likely during
takeoff and landing because the tolerance for error is g r e
a t l y diminished and opportunities for pilots to overcome
errors in judgment and decision-making become increasingly limited.
The most common causal fac-tors for landing accidents include
collision with obstructions in the intended landing area. [Figure
1-5]
Figure 1-7. You must be able to identify
hazardous attitudes and apply the appropriate antidote when
needed.
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