Picture from FAA
During flight training, there should always be a clear understanding between learners and flight instructors about who has control of the aircraft. A positive three-step process in the exchange of flight controls between pilots is a proven procedure and one that is strongly effective. When an instructor is teaching a maneuver to a learner, the instructor normally demonstrates the maneuver first, then has the learner follow along on the controls during a demonstration, and finally, the learner performs the maneuver with the instructor following along on the controls.
During this exchange, a visual check is recommended to see that the other person actually has the flight controls. There should never be any doubt about who is flying the aircraft. However, flight instructors should always be prepared to take control of the aircraft. When necessary, the instructor should take the controls and calmly announce, “I have the flight controls.”
Figure from FAA
Anxious learners can be incredibly strong and usually exhibit reactions inappropriate to the situation. If recovery is necessary, there is absolutely nothing to be gained by having the learner on the controls and having to fight for control of the aircraft. Learners should never exceed the flight instructor’s limits. Flight instructors should not exceed their own ability to perceive a problem, decide upon a course of action and physically react within their ability to fly the aircraft.
In 2017, a small plane crashed after a certified flight instructor (CFI) and a student wrestled over the flight controls.
The flight instructor reported that during an instructional flight, while on a short final, he told the student pilot to “pitch down” to maintain airspeed. He added that the student did not respond and that he again instructed the student to “pitch down now” while simultaneously pressing forward on the yoke. As he pushed forward on the yoke, the student “pulled back with equal force on the yoke,” he said.
Positive exchange of flight controls
Subsequently, the flight instructor pushed forward on the yoke “with greater force” than the previous attempt and stated “my plane” to the student, but “continued to wrestle the controls with the student” as the airplane entered an aerodynamic stall. The Cessna 172 then hit the runway threshold hard at the airport in Ravenna, Ohio. The nose landing gear collapsed and the airplane veered off the runway to the right. The fuselage and firewall sustained substantial damage.
During post-accident correspondence with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge, the flight instructor reported that he could not recall if, during preflight, he and the student pilot discussed the positive transfer of the flight controls.
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