Flying VFR into IMC is one of the top causes of aviation accidents around the world. Australia is no exception. The often fatal outcomes of these accidents are even more tragic because they are avoidable.
The key to prevention is thorough pre-flight planning and a personal minimums checklist. This minimises poor or incorrect decision-making caused by the stress of flying into marginal weather.
Common factors
Most inadvertent VFR flights into IMC have common factors:
- rushed and incomplete pre-flight planning
- misinterpreting/underestimating of threats associated with weather forecasts
- overconfidence in adverse conditions
- overestimating cloud heights and visibility
- using phrases like "scud running", "she'll be right, I've done this in worse conditions" and "we're close to our destination".
- pressure from passengers to go
- pressure from yourself to go.
All the resources listed below are available on the website. You can also visit the weather and forecasting page of the Pilot safety hub.
Resources
Videos
- AvSafety investigation - Deteriorating weather
- 178 seconds to live video - updated (fixed wing)
- 56 seconds to live video (helicopters)
- Explaining the rules video - VMC criteria for fixed wing
- Explaining the rules video - VMC criteria for helicopters
Articles
- VFR into IMC
- I'm good, just ask me: the killer factor in weather crashes
- Caught in the clouds
- I'm good, just ask me: the killer factor in weather crashes
- Change of mind led to deadly flight
Audios
Online store
- Aviation meteorological services booklet
- AvSafety card - flying into bad weather
- AvSafety card - weather checklists
- Want to avoid IMC?
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