the report by the department 's office of the inspector general concludes that the faa can not determine how often pilots fly manually and has not ensured that airline training programs adequately focus on manual skills .
the federal depository library program ( fdlp ) but are becoming rusty and that pilots have a hard time staying focused on instrument screens for long periods .
airline pilots typically fly planes manually on landings and take - offs , leaving the aircraft under the control of automated technology 90 percent of the time .
but the federal aviation administration is n't making sure that airline training programs adequately focus on manual flying , according to the report , obtained by the associated press .
while automated systems have generally improved aviation safety , experts say the practice and the growing complexity of automated technology have raised concerns about flying skills .
an asiana airlines boeing 777 plane is seen in this aerial image after it crashed while landing at san francisco international airport in california on july 6 , 2013 .
an faa spokesman declined to washington ( ap ) — the government is falling short in ensuring airline pilots keep up their flying skills and get full training on how to monitor sophisticated automated control systems in cockpits , according to the transportation department 's internal watchdog .
reuters jed jacobsohn washington the federal aviation administration is failing to ensure that airline pilots maintain their flying skills so they can safely take control of an aircraft from automated systems during an unexpected event , according to a u.s. transportation department report released on monday .
pilots typically use manual flying skills only briefly during takeoffs and landings .