Why Are Flight Students Taught About the NTSB in Ground School?
By deconstructing previous accidents, pilots can learn from the mistakes of others and develop the skill to mitigate risk.
Question: Why do private pilot ground schools include instruction about accidents and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB)? I thought the point was not to crash?
Answer: Pilot candidates learn about the role of the NTSB because it's important to know what constitutes an accident or an incident, and when the agency needs to be notified. The criteria for both is listed under Part 830 in the (Federal Aviation Regulations/ Aeronautical Information Manual FAR/AIM).
Talking about accidents in ground school helps learners recognize risks that were not properly managed by the accident pilots. This leads to discussion about ways to identify and develop ways to mitigate those risks.
By deconstructing previous accidents, pilots can learn from the mistakes of others and develop the skill to mitigate risk by seeking an alternative course of action resulting in a better outcome.
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