It’s common knowledge that texting and driving is a bad idea, but what about texting and flying? With strict operating protocols, is cell phone distraction even an issue for pilots?

A near-miss in 2010 involving a pilot that – while texting — forgot to lower his airplane’s landing gear shows that pilots can get distracted just as easily as drivers.

According to The Atlantic:

As the old chestnut has it, there are two kinds of retractable-gear pilots: Those who have forgotten to put the gear down, and those who will.

Precisely because of this danger, there are countless drills, mnemonic devices, cockpit alert systems, “flow checks,” and other safeguards meant to increase the likelihood that you will have “three green” before landing. These are three green lights showing that the wheels on the nose and the right and left wings are all down and locked. I’ve never been in an A320 cockpit during a fight, but here’s more or less the idea of how the three-green indicator would look in an A320. Those green triangles would be glowing and hard to ignore.

And of course all pilots are supposed to use checklists — above all two-person crews of professional airline pilots. They obviously didn’t do so in this case, and that obviously looks bad for them and the airline. At least they recognized the problem before it was really too late and went all the way down for a “gear up” landing. These need not be fatal, or even dangerous, but they certainly mess up the airplane and cause a lot of trouble.

Luckily no one was hurt in the incident, but this case of human error — which could have been easily avoided — cost the airline a significant amount of money and credibility.

While pilots are supposed to follow certain flight protocols and landing checklists, these precautions are clearly not foolproof. Any number of things can cause a pilot to become distracted — cell phones, passengers, and medical issues are just a few of the things that can lead to a mistake in the air.

Human error in vehicle operation is inevitable. So here at Air Power, we provide a diverse range of aviation equipment designed to anticipate problems before they escalate (and basically protect pilots from their worst tendencies).

We are dedicated to providing our aviation customers with a range of high-quality airframe parts and aircraft components that are designed to withstand minor miscalculations on the part of the operator — including a line of durable landing gear products. From wheels to disc brakes, each item in our catalog is reliable and built to last. We also provide a series of aircraft sensors and probes and aircraft indicators that maximize your awareness and control over what’s going on with your plane.

Air Power allows you to conduct anything from normal day-to-day procedures to mission-critical operations with the certainty that your aircraft is functioning safely and reliably. Make sure you prepare for every possibility — take a look at our complete catalog and find the landing gear components that meet your aircraft’s needs today.