Controlled flight into terrain

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Controlled flight into terrain (CFIT) is a term developed by engineers at Boeing in the late 1970s. It describes an accident whereby an airworthy aircraft, under complete control of the pilot(s), inadvertently flies into terrain (or an obstacle, or water). The pilots are generally unaware of the danger until it is too late. In civil and especially private aviation, CFIT may be humourously referred to as rock-filled cloud or 'cumulogranite' when it is caused by terrain being obscured by clouds.

A crash due to mechanical failures (such as engine flameout, autopilot malfunction, etc.) should not be considered CFIT, since in these circumstances the aircraft is probably not fully airworthy or controllable.

CFIT incidents have the following characteristics:

Can occur with pilots at all levels of experience — even highly experienced professionals.
Usually involve impact with significantly raised terrain such as hills or mountains.
Are usually associated with pilot fatigue or disorientation.
Usually occur near an airport.
Often occur in conditions of cloud or reduced visibility.

Notable incidents

Some of the most famous incidents of CFIT are:

The crash of Eastern Air Lines Flight 401 near Miami, Florida on December 29, 1972. The pilot, co-pilot, and navigator had become fixated on a faulty landing gear light and had failed to realize that the auto pilot had been switched off. The distracted flight crew did not recognize the plane's slow descent and the completely airworthy aircraft struck the ground in the Everglades, killing 101 out of 176 passengers and crew.

The crash of Air New Zealand Flight 901 into Mount Erebus, Antarctica on November 28, 1979. There is still disagreement over the exact causes of the crash, but it is commonly accepted that the pilots' loss of situational awareness and whiteout conditions at the time were contributory factors leading to the crash. All 257 people on the plane were killed.

The crash of Pakistan International Airlines Flight 268 on approach to Kathmandu on September 28, 1992. This is a difficult approach as the airport is located in an oval-shaped valley surrounded by mountains. Flight 268 was approximately 900 feet below the designated approach path and impacted a steep cloud-covered hillside. All 167 people on the plane were killed.

The crash of American Airlines Flight 965 on December 20, 1995. The Boeing 757-223 impacted tree-covered mountainous terrain near Cali, Colombia. The crew failed to recognize a series of navigational errors they had made, and forgot they had deployed the speedbrakes. All eight crew members and 152 of the 156 passengers were killed.

Controlled flight into terrain

Notable incidents

See also