Know you’re in the zone

I’ve never liked the terms “maneuvering” or “loss of control” as a description of phase of flight or as an accident causal factor, and here’s why: Neither paints a very clear picture of the chain of events that led up to the accident or explains the reasons why the pilot wasn’t able to recognize and prevent the accident from occurring. If you’ve ever taken off or landed an airplane—congratulations—you’ve safely accomplished low-altitude maneuvering without losing control. So while I agree with the NTSB that raising awareness is one part of the solution, for pilots, understanding the where and why is even more important.

It’s helpful to define low-altitude maneuvering so pilots understand why they should be cautious when flying in this environment. In terms of accidents, low-altitude maneuvering is flying at an altitude that doesn’t allow enough time or space to recover from a stall—or, worse, a spin. If the airplane departs controlled flight, there’s not enough altitude to recover and it will hit the ground. With a nod to the NFL for the term that means having the ball inside the opponent’s 20-yard line; pilots should think of this altitude regime as the “red zone.”

The AOPA Air Safety Institute team came up with the term “red zone” after meeting with Jeff Brausch at this year’s EAA AirVenture. Brausch shared with us an idea that he submitted as part of the EAA innovation competition and it got us thinking. His idea was low-tech but ingenious in its simplicity. He theorized that having a pilot-selectable LED light in the cockpit, coupled with a short positive-control checklist, could serve as a visible reminder for pilots flying in the low-altitude environment to focus their attention solely on the task of flying to avoid complacency, distraction, loss of command, and subsequent loss of control. I’m not sure pilots would willingly install a “dummy light” as a reminder to not crash, but the awareness and assessment of positive control that comes with the concept certainly has merit.

Another way to think of this comes from how fighter pilots are trained. I used to teach dogfighting tactics in the Navy and a phrase that you’d often hear instructors use with students was, “When you’re out of airspeed and altitude, then you’re out of ideas.” Point being, altitude and airspeed equals options. If the student are staring at the wrong end of a MiG while low and slow, they’re going have a bad day. Either the MiG was going to get them, or the ground would. The red zone concept makes the same point minus the threat of heat-seeking missiles. The ground is a pilot’s enemy and something that should be respected. Altitude is a pilot’s friend and with lots of air under your butt, you have time and options. But when things go wrong down low, options diminish quickly.

So how can we use the red zone concept to be safer and avoid low-altitude accidents? First, it’s important to understand there are lots of good reasons for flying in the red zone. The moment a pilot takes off, and during a portion of the landing phase, he or she is flying in the red zone. This applies universally, even for aircraft equipped with airframe parachute systems.

Different types of airplanes (and pilots) will have different red zone altitudes, but for light piston aircraft a good rule of thumb is any altitude below 2,500 feet agl. This also coincides with ASI’s recommendation for practicing sterile cockpit procedures. For twins, the altitude will likely be a bit higher and for parachute-equipped aircraft it’ll be lower. The point isn’t to split hairs over what altitude works for what airplane, but rather pick a number that works for you. Once you decide on an altitude, when flying use the mental call out, “Entering the red zone,” to focus your attention on flying because the enemy (the ground) is close. If we get our heads around the red zone concept, it’ll help us better understand that the low-altitude maneuvering environment is a normal part of flying. But inattention, distraction, poor airmanship, or aggressive/risky/unnecessary maneuvers down low have the potential to end badly—and don’t allow for second chances. If we recognize and respect the red zone, odds are our flying will be safe, fun, and end with a happy landing every time…fly safe!

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