NTSB Most Wanted List

First off, I wouldn’t change the order that the NTSB has already established besides medical fitness. I agree that Cockpit Image Recorders should be number one on the list because it will provide more substantial evidence in accident investigations as well as help keep pilots in line while they fly. Preventing the loss of control in the cockpit should be second on the list because every pilot should know how to keep an aircraft under control, especially in a stall. Most GA accidents have occurred during take-offs and landings in which resulted in a stall, therefore, preventing loss of controls should be second in the rankings. Fatigue related accidents contribute nearly 20 percent out of the 182 major accident investigations and that is why it should be third on the most wanted list. Following fatigue related accidents, distractions in the cockpit is another main concern and there should be more attempts made to reduce distractions. For a while now, pilots have been using laptops, tablets and cellphones to surf the web while flying, and these distractions need to be eliminated. Medical fitness is last on the list because a concrete medical certification system is already in place. I do not think medical fitness should have made it on this list because it is something that already has a set in stone process, which has worked for decades. One topic that I think should have made it on the list would be the regulation of checklist procedures both in the cockpit and during the preflight check. By properly going through and verbally announcing the checklist, the chances of missing an item are substantially lowered. Personally, I think the FAA will most likely respond to cockpit image recorders solely due to the purpose of catching pilot errors. If reports are submitted, the FAA will have a resource to look at for the investigation.

Reference:

Bellamy, W., III. (2016, January 14). NTSB's 5 Most Wanted Aviation Safety Improvements in 2016. Avionics Magazine. Retrieved from http://www.aviationtoday.com/av/commercial/NTSBs-5-Most-Wanted-Aviation-Safety-Improvements-in-2016_86948.html#.VwxPyHqM6JW