Glass suites require specific training

Single-engine airplanes equipped with glass cockpits had no better overall safety record than airplanes with conventional instrumentation, but had a higher fatal accident rate, the NTSB found in a safety study released last month. The Safety Board determined that because glass cockpits are complex and vary from aircraft
to aircraft in function, design and failure modes, pilots are not always provided with all of the information they need to adequately understand the unique operational and functional details of the primary flight instruments in their airplanes. The Board pointed out that both aircraft manufacturers and the FAA are responsible for providing this information. It said generalized guidance and training are no longer sufficient to prepare pilots to safely operate glass-cockpit avionics; effective pilot instruction and evaluation must be tailored to specific equipment.