NTSB Issues Safety Recommendation A-14-108 to FAA Regarding Attitude Indicator Limits

The National Transportation Safety Board, identified by reference number ANC13GA036, has issued Safety Recommendation A-14-108 to the Federal Aviation Administration. This directive addresses critical safety concerns related to the use and interpretation of attitude indicators in aviation. The NTSB is urging the FAA to issue specific guidance for pilots that clarifies the inherent pitch and bank indication limits associated with these instruments. Under current regulations, the pitch indicating range is required to be at least plus or minus 25 degrees. However, when an aircraft operates at a pitch angle that exceeds this specified indicating limit, the reliability of the instrument is compromised. The recommendation highlights two potential failure modes in such scenarios. First, the pitch indicator may stop and remain fixed at the limit value until the aircraft's pitch returns to within the operational limitation. Second, the pitch indicator may tumble, rendering it useless for immediate situational awareness. The NTSB emphasizes that pilots must understand these limitations to maintain accurate spatial orientation during extreme flight attitudes. By providing clear guidance on how these instruments behave when pushed beyond their design parameters, the FAA can help ensure that aviators are better prepared to handle situations where standard visual cues from the attitude indicator may be misleading or absent. This proactive measure aims to reduce the risk of loss of control incidents stemming from instrument misinterpretation.