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Energy Safety Management: Mitigating Loss Of Control Inflight, Juan Merkt

National Training Aircraft Symposium (NTAS)

Under the new Airman Certification Standards (ACS), the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has mandated for the first time that private and commercial pilot candidates demonstrate understanding of energy management in several areas of operation. Recognition by the FAA of the importance of energy management is a welcome development, given the potential lethal consequences of mishandling the airplane’s energy state. Poor management of the energy associated with vertical flight path and/or airspeed is a significant factor in loss of control in flight and runway excursions during landing, two leading causes of fatal accidents in aviation. While most pilots are familiar with …