Introduction of Glass Cockpit Avionics into Light Aircraft

http://www.ntsb.gov/publictn/2010/SS1001.pdf

National Transportation Safety Board. Safety Study NTSB/SS-01/10 PB2010-917001

In a span of only a few years, the cockpits of new light aircraft have undergone a transition from conventional analog flight instruments to digital-based electronic displays commonly referred to as "glass cockpits". These new displays integrate aircraft control, autopilot, communication, navigation, and aircraft system monitoring functions, applying technology previously available only in transport-category aircraft. The enhanced function and information capabilities of glass cockpits represent a significant change and potential improvement in the way general aviation pilots monitor information needed to control their aircraft. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) initiated this study to determine if the transition to glass cockpits in light aircraft has improved the safety records of those aircraft.