Common Errors for Commercial

Maneuvers
Preflight

Common Errors:

1. Failure to use or the improper use of checklist.

2. Hazards which may result from allowing distractions to interrupt a visual inspection.
3. Inability to recognize discrepancies.
4. Failure to assure servicing with the proper fuel and oil.
5. Failure to place and secure essential materials and equipment for easy access during flight.
6. Failure to maintain accurate records essential to the progress of the flight.
7. Improper adjustment of equipment and controls.
8. Excessively high RPM after starting.
9. Improper preheat of the engine during severe cold weather conditions.
10. Failure to assure proper clearance of the propeller.
Taxing

Common Errors: FAA-H-8083-3A (Chapter 2-9)

1. Improper use of brakes.

2. Improper positioning of the flight controls for various wind conditions.
3. Hazards of taxiing too fast.
4. Failure to comply with markings, signals, or clearances.
5. Failure to use or the improper use of the checklist.
6. Improper positioning of the airplane.
7. Acceptance of marginal engine performance.
8. An improper check of flight controls.
9. Hazards of failure to review takeoff and emergency procedures.
10. Failure to check for hazards and other traffic.
Take off

Common Errors: FAA-H-8083-3A (Chapter 5-2)

1. Failure to adequately clear the area prior to taxiing in to position on the active runway.
2. Abrupt use of the throttle.
3. Failure to check engine instruments for signs of malfunction after applying takeoff power.
4. Failure to anticipate the airplane’s left turning tendency on initial acceleration.
5. Overcorrecting for left turning tendency.
6. Relying solely on the airspeed indicator rather than developed feel for indications during lift off.
7. Failure to attain proper lift-off attitude.
8. Inadequate compensation for toque / P-factor during initial climb resulting in a sideslip.
9. Over-control of elevators during initial climb out.
10. Limiting scan to directly ahead of the airplane, resulting in allowing a wing (usually the left) to drop
immediately after lift-off.
11. Failure to attain / maintain best rate-of-climb airspeed (Vy).
12. Failure to employ attitude flying during climb-out, resulting in “chasing” the airspeed indicator.

Landings

Common Errors: FAA-H-8083-3A (Chapter 8-10)

1. Inadequate wind drifts correction on the base leg.

2. Overshooting or undershooting the turn onto final approach resulting in too steep or too shallow a
turn onto final approach.
3. Flat or skidding turns from base leg to final approach as a result of overshooting / inadequate wind
drift correction.
4. Poor coordination during turn from base to final approach.
5. Failure to complete the landing checklist in a timely manner.
6. Un-stabilized approach.
7. Failure to adequately compensate for flap extension poor trim technique on final approach.
8. Attempting to maintain altitude or reach the runway using elevator alone.
9. Focusing too close to the airplane resulting in a too high round out.
10. Focusing too far from the airplane resulting in a too low round out.
11. Touching down prior to attaining proper landing attitude.
12. Failure to hold sufficient back-elevator pressure after touchdown.
13. Excessive braking after touchdown.
Fundamentals Flight

Common Errors: FAA-H-8083-3A (Chapter 2-9)

STRAIGHT AND LEVEL FLIGHT:

 Attempting to use improper reference points on the airplane to establish attitude.

 Forgetting the location of preselected reference points on subsequent flights.
 Attempting to establish/correct attitude using flight instruments rather than outside visual
reference.
 Attempting to maintain direction using only ruder control.
 Habitually flying with one wing low.
 “Chasing” the flight instruments rather than adhering to the principles of attitude flying.
 Overly tight grip on the flight controls resulting in over control and lack of feel.
 Pushing or pulling on the flight controls rather than exerting pressure against the airstream.
 Improper scanning and / or devoting insufficient time to outside visual reference. (Head in the
cockpit).
 Fixation on the nose (pitch attitude) reference point.
 Unnecessary or inappropriate control inputs.
 Failure to make timely/measured control inputs when deviations are detected.
 Inadequate attention to sensor inputs in developing feel for the airplane.

LEVEL TURNS:

 Failure to adequately clear the area before beginning the turn.

 Attempting to execute the turn solely by instrument reference.
 Attempting to sit up straight, in relation to the ground, during a turn, rather than riding with the
airplane.
 Insufficient feel for the airplane as evidenced by the inability to detect slips/skids without reference
to flight instruments.
 Attempting to maintain a constant bank angle by referencing the “cant” of the airplane’s nose.
 Fixating on the nose reference while excluding wingtip reference.
 “Ground shyness”—making “flat turns” (skidding) while operating at low altitudes in a conscious or
subconscious effort to avoid banking close to the ground.
 Holding rudder in the turn.
 Gaining proficiency in turns in only one direction (usually the left).
 Failure to coordinate the use of throttle with other controls.
 Altitude gain/loss during the turn.
CLIMBS AND CLIMBING TURNS:

 Attempting to establish climb pitch attitude by referencing the airspeed indicator, resulting in
“chasing” the airspeed.
 Applying elevator pressure too aggressively, resulting in an excessive climb angle.
 Applying elevator pressure too aggressively during level-off resulting in negative “G” forces.
 Inadequate or inappropriate rudder pressure during climbing turns.
 Allowing the airplane to yaw in straight climbs, usually due to inadequate right rudder pressure.
 Fixation on the nose during straight climbs, resulting in climbing with one wing low.
 Failure to initiate a climbing turns properly with use of rudder and elevators, resulting in little turn,
but rather a climb with one wing low.
 Improper coordination resulting in a slip which counteracts the effect of the climb, resulting in little
or no altitude gain.
 Inability to keep pitch and bank attitude constant during climbing turns.
 Attempting to exceed the airplane’s climb capability.

DESCENTS AND DESCENDING TURNS:

 Failure to adequately clear the area.

 Inadequate back-elevator control during glide entry resulting in too steep a glide.
 Failure to slow the airplane to approximate glide speed prior to lowering pitch attitude.
 Attempting to establish/maintain a normal glide solely by reference to flight instruments.
 Inability to sense changes in airspeed through sound and feel.
 Inability to stabilize the glide (chasing the airspeed indicator).
 Attempting to “stretch” the glide by applying back-elevator pressure.
 Skidding or slipping during gliding turns due to inadequate appreciation of the difference in
rudder action as opposed to turns with power.
 Failure to lower pitch attitude during gliding turn entry resulting in a decrease in airspeed.
 Excessive rudder pressure during recovery from gliding turns.
 Inadequate pitch control during recovery from straight glides.
 “Ground shyness”—resulting in cross-controlling during gliding turns near the ground.
 Failure to maintain constant bank angle during gliding turns.
Power ON Stalls

Common Errors: FAA-H-8083-3A (Chapter 4-12)

1. Failure to adequately clear the area.

2. Inability to recognize an approaching stall condition through feel for the airplane.
3. Premature recovery.
4. Over-reliance on the airspeed indicator while excluding other cues.
5. Inadequate scanning resulting in an unintentional wing-low condition during entry.
6. Excessive back-elevator pressure resulting an exaggerated nose-up attitude during entry.
7. Inadequate rudder control.
8. Inadvertent secondary stall during recovery.
9. Failure to maintain a constant bank angle during turning stalls.
10. Excessive forward-elevator pressure during recovery resulting in negative load on the winds.
11. Excessive airspeed buildup during recovery.
12. Failure to take timely action to prevent a full stall during the conduct of imminent stalls.
Power OFF Stalls

Common Errors: FAA-H-8083-3A (Chapter 4-12)

1. Failure to adequately clear the area.

2. Inability to recognize an approaching stall condition through feel for the airplane.
3. Premature recovery.
4. Over-reliance on the airspeed indicator while excluding other cues.
5. Inadequate scanning resulting in an unintentional wing-low condition during entry.
6. Excessive back-elevator pressure resulting an exaggerated nose-up attitude during entry.
7. Inadequate rudder control.
8. Inadvertent secondary stall during recovery.
9. Failure to maintain a constant bank angle during turning stalls.
10. Excessive forward-elevator pressure during recovery resulting in negative load on the winds.
11. Excessive airspeed buildup during recovery.
12. Failure to take timely action to prevent a full stall during the conduct of imminent stalls.
Steep turns

Common Errors: FAA-H-8083-3A (Chapter 9-1)

1. Failure to adequately clear the area.

2. Excessive pitch change during entry or recovery.
3. Attempt to start recovery prematurely.
4. Failure to stop the turn on a precise heading.
5. Excessive rudder during recovery, resulting in skidding.
6. Inadequate power management.
7. Inadequate airspeed control.
8. Poor coordination.
9. Gaining altitude in right turns and / or losing altitude in left turns.
10. Failure to maintain constant back angle.
11. Disorientation.
12. Attempting to perform the maneuver by instrument reference rather than visual reference.
13. Failure to scan for other traffic during the maneuver.

Slow flight

Common Errors: FAA-H-8083-3A (Chapter 4-2)

13. Failure to adequately clear the area.

14. Inadequate back-elevator pressure as power is reduced, resulting in altitude loss.
15. Excessive back-elevator pressure as power is reduced, resulting in a climb, followed by a rapid
reduction in airspeed and “mushing”.
16. Inadequate compensation for adverse yaw during turns.
17. Fixation on the airspeed indicator.
18. Failure to anticipate changes in lift as flaps are extended or retracted.
19. Inadequate power management.
20. Inability to adequately divide attention between airplane control and orientation.
Basic Instrument Maneuvers

Common Errors:

1. "Fixation," "omission," and "emphasis" errors during instrument cross-check.

2. Improper instrument interpretation.
3. Improper control applications.
4. Failure to establish proper pitch, bank, and power adjustments during altitude, bank, and airspeed
corrections.
5. Improper entry or rollout technique.
6. Faulty trim technique.
7. Failure to recognize an unusual flight attitude.
8. Consequences of attempting to recover from an unusual flight attitude by "feel" rather than by
instrument indications.
9. Inappropriate control applications during recovery.
10. Failure to recognize from instrument indications when the airplane is passing through a level flight
attitude.

Emergency Approach and Landing

Common Errors:

1. Improper airspeed control.

2. Poor judgment in the selection of an emergency landing area.
3. Failure to estimate the approximate wind speed and direction.
4. Failure to fly the most suitable pattern for existing situation.
5. Failure to accomplish the emergency checklist.
6. Undershooting or overshooting selected emergency landing area

Rectangular Courses

Common Errors: FAA-H-8083-3A (Chapter 6-4)

1. Practical application of the turn.

2. The division of attention between the flight-path, ground objects, and the handling of the airplane.
3. The timing of the start of the turn so that the turn will be fully established at a definite point over
the ground.
4. The timing of the recovery from the turn so that a definite ground track will be maintained.
5. The establishing of a ground track and the determination of the appropriate “crab” angle.
System Equipment Malfunctions

Common Errors: FAA-H-8083-3A (Chapter 4-12)

1. Failure to recognize the urgent versus non-urgent versus emergency situations

2. Failure to use emergency checklist for situation
3. Failure to maintain appropriate configuration and airspeed
4. Poor orientation, planning, and division of attention
5. Failure to continue to fly the airplane, then deal with the problem

S Turns

Common Errors: FAA-H-8083-3A (Chapter 6-7)

1. Failure to adequately clear the area.

2. Poor coordination.
3. Gaining or losing altitude.
4. Inability to visualize the half circle ground track.
5. Poor timing in beginning and recovering from turns.
6. Faulty correction for drift.
7. Inadequate visual lookout for other aircraft.

Turns Around A Point

Common Errors: FAA-H-8083-3A (Chapter 6-9)

1. Failure to adequately clear the area.

2. Failure to establish appropriate bank on entry.
3. Failure to recognize wind drift.
4. Excessive bank and / or inadequate wind correction angle on the downwind side of the circle
resulting in drift towards the reference point.
5. Inadequate bank angle and / or excessive wind correction angle on the upwind side of the circle
resulting in drift away from the reference point.
6. Skidding turns when turning from downwind to crosswind.
7. Slipping turns when turning from upwind to crosswind.
8. Gaining or losing altitude.
9. Inadequate visual lookout for other aircraft.
10. Inability to direct attention outside the airplane while maintaining precise airplane control.
Forward Slip Landing

Common Errors:

1. Improper use of landing performance data and limitations.

2. Failure to establish approach and landing configuration at appropriate time or in proper sequence.
3. Failure to maintain a stabilized slip.
4. Inappropriate removal of hand from throttle.
5. Improper technique during transition from the slip to the touchdown.
6. Poor directional control after touchdown.
7. Improper use of brakes.
Go Arounds

Common Errors: FAA-H-8083-3A (8-13)

1. Failure to recognize a condition that warrants a rejected landing.

2. Indecision.
3. Delay in initiating a go-round.
4. Failure to apply maximum allowable power in a timely manner.
5. Abrupt power application.
6. Improper pitch attitude.
7. Failure to configure the airplane appropriately.
8. Attempting to climb out of ground effect prematurely.
9. Failure to adequately compensate for torque/Pfactor.

Recovery From Unusual Attitudes

Common Errors: FAA-H-8083-15A (Chapter 5-26)

1. Failure to keep the airplane properly trimmed. A flight deck interruption when holding pressures
can easily lead to inadvertent entry into unusual attitudes.
2. Disorganized flight deck. Hunting for charts, logs, computers, etc., can seriously distract attention
from the instruments.
3. Slow cross-check and fixations. The impulse is to stop and stare when noting an instrument
discrepancy unless a pilot has trained enough to develop the skill required for immediate
recognition.
4. Attempting to recover by sensory sensations other than sight. The discussion of disorientation in
Chapter 1, Human Factors, indicates the importance of trusting the instruments.
5. Failure to practice basic instrument skills. All of the errors noted in connection with basic
instrument skills are aggravated during unusual attitude recoveries until the elementary skills have
been mastered.
Soft Field Takeoff and Climb

Common Errors: FAA-H-8083-3A (Chapter 5-11)

1. Failure to adequately clear the area.

2. Insufficient back-elevator pressure during initial takeoff rolls resulting in inadequate angle of
attack.
3. Failure to cross-check engine instruments for indications of proper operation after applying power.
4. Poor directional control.
5. Climbing too steeply after lift-off.
6. Abrupt and/or excessive elevator control while attempting to level off and accelerate after liftoff.
7. Allowing the airplane to “mush” or settle resulting in an inadvertent touchdown after lift-off.
8. Attempting to climb out of ground effect area before attaining sufficient climb speed.
9. Failure to anticipate an increase in pitch attitude as the airplane climbs out of ground effect.

Soft Field Approach and Landing

Common Errors: FAA-H-8083-3A (Chapter 8-20)

1. Excessive descent rate on final approach.

2. Excessive airspeed on final approach.
3. Unstabilized approach.
4. Roundout too high above the runway surface.
5. Poor power management during roundout and touchdown.
6. Hard touchdown.
7. Inadequate control of the airplane weight transfer from wings to wheels after touchdown.
8. Allowing the nose wheel to “fall” to the runway after touchdown rather than controlling its
descent.

Short Field Takeoff and Max Performance Climb

Common Errors: FAA-H-8083-3A (Chapter 5-9)

1. Failure to allow enough room on final to set up the approach, necessitating an overly steep
approach and high sink rate.
2. Unstabilized approach.
3. Undue delay in initiating glidepath corrections.
4. Too low an airspeed on final resulting in inability to flare properly and landing hard.
5. Too high an airspeed resulting in floating on roundout.
6. Prematurely reducing power to idle on roundout resulting in hard landing.
7. Touchdown with excessive airspeed.
8. Excessive and/or unnecessary braking after touchdown.
9. Failure to maintain directional control.
Short Field Approach and Landing

Common Errors: FAA-H-8083-3A (Chapter 8-19)

1. Failure to allow enough room on final to set up the approach, necessitating an overly steep
approach and high sink rate.
2. Unstabilized approach.
3. Undue delay in initiating glidepath corrections.
4. Too low an airspeed on final resulting in inability to flare properly and landing hard.
5. Too high an airspeed resulting in floating on roundout.
6. Prematurely reducing power to idle on roundout resulting in hard landing.
7. Touchdown with excessive airspeed.
8. Excessive and/or unnecessary braking after touchdown.
9. Failure to maintain directional control.
Steep Spiral

Common Errors: FAA-H-8083-3A (Chapter 9-2)

1. Failure to adequately clear the area.

2. Failure to maintain constant airspeed.
3. Poor coordination, resulting in skidding and/or slipping.
4. Inadequate wind drift correction.
5. Failure to coordinate the controls so that no increase/decrease in speed results when straight glide
is resumed.
6. Failure to scan for other traffic.
7. Failure to maintain orientation.
Chandelle

Common Errors: FAA-H-8083-3A (Chapter 9-4)

1. Failure to adequately clear the area.

2. Too shallow an initial bank, resulting in a stall.
3. Too steep an initial bank, resulting in a failure to gain maximum performance.
4. Allowing the actual bank to increase after establishing initial bank angle.
5. Failure to start the recovery at the 90° point in the turn.
6. Allowing the pitch attitude to increase as the bank is rolled out during the second 90° of turn.
7. Removing all of the bank before the 180° point is reached.
8. Nose low on recovery, resulting in too much airspeed.
9. Control roughness.
10. Poor coordination (slipping or skidding).
11. Stalling at any point during the maneuver.
12. Execution of a steep turn instead of a climbing maneuver.
13. Failure to scan for other aircraft.
14. Attempting to perform the maneuver by instrument reference rather than visual reference.
Lazy 8’s

Common Errors: FAA-H-8083-3A (Chapter 9-6)

1. Failure to adequately clear the area.

2. Using the nose, or top of engine cowl, instead of the true longitudinal axis, resulting in
unsymmetrical loops.
3. Watching the airplane instead of the reference pints.
4. Inadequate planning, resulting in the peaks of the loops both above and below the horizon not
coming in the proper place.
5. Control roughness, usually caused by attempts to counteract poor planning.
6. Persistent gain or loss of altitude with the completion of each eight.
7. Attempting to perform the maneuver rhythmically, resulting in poor pattern symmetry.
8. Allowing the airplane to “fall” out of the tops of the loops rather than flying the airplane through
the maneuver.
9. Slipping and / or skidding.
10. Failure to scan for other traffic.
Eights-on-Pylons

Common Errors: FAA-H-8083-3A (Chapter 6-12)

1. Failure to adequately clear the area.

2. Skidding or slipping in turns (whether trying to hold the pylon with rudder or not).
3. Excessive gain or loss of altitude.
4. Over concentration on the pylon and failure to observe traffic.
5. Poor choice of pylons.
6. Not entering the pylon turns into the wind.
7. Failure to assume a heading when flying between pylons that will compensate sufficiently for drift.
8. Failure to time the bank so that the turn entry is completed with the pylon in position.
9. Abrupt control usage.
10. Inability to select pivotal altitude.
Power-OFF 180° Accuracy Approach and Landing

Common Errors: FAA-H-8083-3A (Chapter 8-23)

1. Downwind leg too far from the runway / landing area.

2. Overextension of downwind leg resulting from tailwind.
3. Inadequate compensation for wind drift on base leg.
4. Skidding turns in an effort to increase gliding distance.
5. Failure to lower landing gear in retractable gear airplane.
6. Attempting to “stretch” the glide during under-shoot.
7. Premature flap extension / landing gear extension.
8. Use of throttle to increase the glide instead of merely clearing the engine.
9. Forcing the airplane onto the runway in order to avoid overshooting the designated landing spot.
Pilotage and Dead Reckoning

Common Errors: FAA-H-8083-3A (Chapter 9-1)

Pilotage
1. Disorientation, especially right from left.
2. Failure to consider pattern of landmarks.
3. Misinterpretation of chart symbols.
4. Checkpoints, failure to fix on the course.
5. Inappropriate selection of checkpoints.
6. Flight progress, failed to maintain record.
7. Neglected fuel flow management.
8. Failure to maintain flight prerequisites.
9. Failure to frequently reset Heading Indicator to compass.
10. Cockpit management inadequate.
11. Collision avoidance, poor traffic scanning.
12. Flight plan opening and / or closing ignored.

Dead Reckoning
1. Calculations incomplete or inaccurate.
2. Failure to monitor and update ETA.
3. Nautical versus statute mile confusion
4. Failure to maintain flight progress record.
5. Failure to frequently reset Heading Indicator to compass.
6. Wind direction and speed not verified.
7. Position, precise location undetermined.
Navigation Systems and Radar Services

Common Errors:

1. Station turning and identification faulty.

2. Misinterpretation of navigational signals.
3. Plotting and determination of fixes faulty (Radial versus bearings confusion)
4. Audio control panel is confusing to pilot.
5. NOTAM’s not checked, stations Out of Service.
6. Checklist and or items bypassed.

Diversion

Common Errors: FAA-H-8083-3A (Chapter 9-1)

1. Precise position location unknown.

2. Failure to monitor and check landmarks.
3. Failure to compute reciprocal of radial.
4. Facility frequency selection incorrect.
5. Diversion situation not recognized.
6. Uncertainty and indecision.
7. Miscalculation of course navigation data.
Lost Procedures

Common Errors:

1. Not having the heading indicator set to the Magnetic Compass.

2. Failure to find a prominent landmark and identify it on the sectional.
3. Failure to have sufficient altitude to gain a better view of the terrain.
4. Failure to utilize the radio aids in the area to help determine position.
5. Failure to ask for assistance if unable to determine position.
Cross Country Flight

Common Errors:

1. Picking poor checkpoints.

2. Picking checkpoints too far apart.
3. Not noting the takeoff time.
4. Becoming unsure of position.
5. Using in correct frequencies.
Post Flight Procedures

Common Errors: FAA-H-8083-3A (Chapter)

1. Hazards resulting from failure to follow recommended procedures.

2. Poor planning, improper technique, or faulty judgment in performance of postflight procedures.