The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has issued a study that concludes the introduction of digital primary flight displays, often referred to as glass cockpits, in single-engine aircraft have no better overall safety record than conventional instrumentation.
NTSB said that because glass cockpits are both complex and vary from aircraft to aircraft in function, design and failure modes, pilots are not always provided with all of the information they need to understand fully the unique operational and functional details of the primary flight instruments in their airplanes.
Based on the findings, NTSB made six recommendations to FAA: 1) enhance pilot knowledge and training requirements; 2) require manufacturers to provide pilots with information to better manage system failures; 3) incorporate training elements regarding electronic primary flight displays into training materials and aeronautical knowledge requirements; 4) incorporate training elements regarding electronic primary flight displays into initial and recurrent flight proficiency requirements for pilots of small, light general aviation airplanes equipped with those systems; 5) support equipment-specific pilot training programs by developing guidance for the use of glass cockpit simulators other than those that are approved by FAA as flight training devices; and 6) inform the general aviation community about the importance of reporting malfunctions or defects with electronic flight, navigation and control systems.
The complete safety study will be available at www.ntsb.gov in several weeks, the safety board said.
