The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association Air Safety\nInstitute (ASI) announces a new safety campaign, VFR into IMC: Avoidance and\nEscape.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The campaign, which runs through December 31, is designed to\nfocus efforts and outreach on addressing the most significant cause of\nweather-related accidents in general aviation (GA)\u2014visual flight rules into\ninstrument meteorological conditions (VFR into IMC). \u201cVFR into IMC is among the\ntop five causes of fatal GA accidents, which are largely preventable,\u201d said ASI\nSenior Vice President Richard McSpadden. \u201cAnd it\u2019s not only VFR pilots who get\ntrapped; about one-third of these accidents involve instrument-rated pilots.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The campaign includes a new VFR into IMC safety spotlight\nbased on a research study from the Air Safety Institute that reveals pilots\nencounter these conditions every other week on average. \u201cThe nature of these\naccidents typically results in a fatality,\u201d McSpadden continued. \u201cExperience\nalone is no guard against them. In fact, instrument-rated commercial pilots are\ntwice as likely to be involved in VFR into IMC accidents compared to their\nnon-instrument-rated counterparts. Often thought of a single cause, VFR into\nIMC plays a role in several other types of accidents including loss of control\nin-flight (LOC-I) and controlled flight into terrain (CFIT). The campaign\u2019s\nmaterial, programs, and upcoming events are conveniently packaged in a new\nonline resource center with links to the new safety spotlight, videos,\npodcasts, articles, and webinars. The center will be updated throughout the\nyear as more materials and events become available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n