Editing Controlled flight into terrain (section)

==Causes==
[[File:Korean Air Flight 801 NTSB animation.ogv|thumb|A reconstruction of the final moments of [[Korean Air Flight 801]], which crashed into a hill in [[Guam]] in 1997]]

While there are many reasons why an aircraft might crash into terrain, including poor weather and navigational equipment failure, pilot error is the most common factor found in CFIT accidents.<ref name="boeing"/>

Behind such events there is often a loss of [[situational awareness]] by the pilot, who becomes unaware of their actual position and altitude in relation to the terrain below and immediately ahead of them. Fatigue can cause even highly experienced professionals to make significant errors, which culminate in a CFIT accident.<ref>{{cite book |author1=Parmet, AJ |author2=Ercoline, WR |chapter=6, Spatial Orientation in Flight |title=Fundamentals of Aerospace Medicine |edition=4th |date=2008 |editor1=Davis |editor2=Johnson |editor3=Stepanek |editor4=Fogarty |publisher=Lippincott Williams & Wilkins |isbn=978-0781774666}}</ref>

CFIT accidents frequently involve a collision with terrain such as hills or mountains or tall artificial obstacles such as [[radio tower]]s during conditions of reduced visibility while approaching or departing from an airport. A contributing factor can be subtle navigation equipment malfunctions which, if not detected by the crew, may mislead them into improperly guiding the aircraft despite other information received from properly functioning equipment. CFIT is a constant hazard during [[aerial application]], [[close air support]], and [[aerial firefighting]] operations, which involve routine low-altitude flight along varying routes over terrain that may be unfamiliar to the pilots.