consistent with the flight following the direct route. has it been checked? Complacent acceptance of common weather patterns can  have huge impacts on safety. The forecast was for clearing  after the rain shower, but what was the dew-point spread?  The winds are greater than forecast. Will this create reduced  visibility in dusty, snowy areas or exceed wind limitations? A search was initiated about 4 hours after the helicopter did  not arrive at the destination hospital, and the wreckage was  located the following morning. Physical evidence observed  at the accident site indicated that the helicopter was in level  flight at impact and was consistent with CFIT. [Figure 13-10] CFIT is a type of accident that continues to be a major safety  concern, while at the same time difficult to explain because  it involves a pilot controlling an airworthy aircraft that is  flown into terrain (water or obstacles) with inadequate pilot  awareness of the impending disaster. While conducting crop spraying, a new agent is used.  Does that change the weight? Does that change the flight  profile and, if so, what new hazards might be encountered?  When things are going smoothly, it is time to heighten your  awareness and become more attentive to your flight activities. Advanced avionics have created a high degree of redundancy  and dependability in modern aircraft systems, which can  promote complacency and inattention. Routine flight  operations may lead to a sense of complacency, which can  threaten flight safety by reducing SA. One constant in CFIT accidents is that outside visibility is  limited, or the accident occurs at night and the terrain is not  seen easily until just prior to impact. Another commonality  among CFIT accidents is lack of SA. This includes not only  horizontal awareness, and knowing where the helicopter is  over the ground, but also vertical awareness. Loss of SA can be caused by a minor distraction that diverts  the pilot’s attention from monitoring the instruments or  scanning outside the aircraft. For example, a gauge that is  not reading correctly is a minor problem, but it can cause an  accident if the pilot diverts attention to the perceived problem  and neglects to control the aircraft properly. Training, planning, and preparation are a pilot’s best defenses  for avoiding CFIT accidents. For example, take some time  before takeoff to become familiar with the proposed flight and  the terrain. Avoidance of CFIT begins before the helicopter  departs the home location. Proper planning, including applied  risk mitigation must occur before the aircraft is even started.  Thorough assessment of terrain, visibility, pilot experience  and available contingencies must be conducted. If necessary,  delay or postpone the flight while on the ground. The decision  to abort the flight is much easier to make in the planning room  than in the air. In case conditions deteriorate once in flight.  Have contingency options available.  There are numerous common behavioral traps that can  ensnare the unwary pilot. Pilots, particularly those with  considerable experience, try to complete a flight as planned,  please passengers, and meet schedules. This basic drive to  achieve can have an adverse effect on safety and can impose  an unrealistic assessment of piloting skills under stressful  conditions. These tendencies ultimately may bring about  practices that are dangerous and sometimes illegal and may  lead to a mishap. Pilots develop awareness and learn to avoid  many of these operational pitfalls through effective SRM  training.  [Figure 13-9] While many CFIT accidents and incidents occur during  nonprecision approaches and landings, great measures have  been taken to improve instrument training, equipment and  procedures. For the qualified pilot, instrument flight should  not be avoided, but rather, trained as a viable option for safely  recovering the aircraft. Like any other training, frequent  instrument training builds confidence and reassurance. Good instrument procedures include studying approach  charts before leaving cruise altitude. Key fixes and airport  elevation must be noted and associated with terrain and  obstacles along the approach path. Pilots should have a good  understanding of both approach and departure design criteria  to understand fully the obstacle clearance margins built into  them. Some pilots have the false belief that ATC provides  obstacle clearance while en route off airways. The pilot is  ultimately responsible for obstacle clearance. An emergency medical services (EMS) helicopter departed  for a night flight to transport an 11-day-old infant patient  from one hospital to another. No record was found indicating  the pilot obtained a weather briefing before departure. The  pilot had a choice of taking either a direct route that crossed  a remote area of rugged mountainous terrain with maximum  ground elevations of about 9,000 feet or a route that was  about 10 minutes longer and followed an interstate highway  with maximum ground elevations of about 6,000 feet. Radar  data, which show about 4 minutes of the helicopter’s flight  before coverage was lost due to mountainous terrain, are  13-15 Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT)  Awareness Operational Pitfalls