2008 Nall Report - Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association

ACCIDENT ANALYSIS
with one exception, takes place in a relatively benign
environment. There is little exposure to weather.
When strong winds, icing, thunderstorms, or low ceilings
are prevalent, most training ceases. That helps
to keep instructional flying accidents low but shows
up later as new pilots attempt to gain experience in
areas where they have little exposure. Individual risk
tolerance plays a large part in how safely a new pilot
learns to deal with weather. One solution is for new
pilots to continue with advanced training or fly with a
seasoned mentor to learn weather and cross-country
lessons that could not be easily done early on.
The safety exceptions in instructional flying occur
in high-density traffic around airports and practice
areas. Instructional flights are involved in more
potential midair collision environments. CFIs and
students involved in training are often distracted
from scanning for traffic, and remembering to do
so requires a significant effort. Additionally, there
is a higher involvement in takeoff and landing accidents
because training flights make so many takeoffs
and landings.
The 189 instructional accidents in 2007 were a 10
percent increase from the 172 that occurred the
previous year, but fewer were fatal: 15, down from
21 in 2006.
Pilot-related instructional accidents in 2007 totaled
147, with 9 being fatal. This represents a
significant decline from the 18 fatal instructional
accidents in 2006.
Other Working Flights
75 total/25 fatal
Almost three-quarters of all flight time in this
category was logged by the professional crews of
corporate flight departments. (This is distinct from
business flights made by pilots who are not paid
specifically to fly.) Aerial observation, including
photography, surveys, pipeline and power line inspection,
and traffic reporting accounted for most
of the rest, but this category also includes uses as
diverse as skydiving operations, banner tows, and
professional air shows.
Accidents on corporate flights continued to be
extremely rare in 2007, with only five in more than
three million flight hours. Three of these were
fatal. No other type of activity dominated the accident
record. Not surprisingly, mishaps in air shows
and air races were the most lethal, with fatalities
Instructional
Aerial
application
Other
aerial work
Personal
Business
Other*
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80
11
15.2%
13.5% (189)
5.9% (15)
7.9%
7.0%
5.0% (70)
2.7% (7)
10.0%
19.3%
5.4% (75)
9.8% (25)
14.1%
3.1% (44)
4.3% (11)
5.0%
3.9% (54)
4.3% (11)
19.3%
20.4%
25.0%
33.3%
39.4%
25.9%
ATP
11.7% (163)
13.7% (35)
20.7%
Percent of flight time
Percent of all accidents
Percent of fatal accidents
Percent lethality
69.1% (965)
72.9% (186)
in Commercial eight out of 12. Fifteen accidents 29.2% occurred (408) in
29.8% (76)
public-use flights by governmental agencies, but
37.9%
only 47.8% (668)
Private three were fatal, as were five of 12 accidents
on ferry flights.
0.4%
Banner-tow and skydive operators
each
1.1% (16)
Sport had one fatal accident out of seven. All told,
1.6% (4)
46 of the accidents on 15.1% working flights were Percent considered
pilot-related, and 19 of these were fatal.
of pilots
Student
8.2% (115)
2.0% (5)
Percent of all accidents
None
1.4% (19)
Business 1.6% Flying (4)
44 total/11 fatal
Other/unknown
Mechanical
failures
Other
Fuel
management
Maneuvering
0.6% (8)
1.2(3)
15.8% (219)
7.5% (19)
8.7%
12.3% (170)
16.7% (42)
24.7%
11.7% (162)
Takeoff
11.9% (30)
and climb
18.5%
1.0% (14)
Cruise 2.8% (7)
Accidents by Type of Operation
50.0%
6.6% (91)
20.2% (51)
56.0%
Figure 18
* Includes test flights, positioning, and unknown.
50.2% (128)
Percent of fatal accidents
General aviation is a key 19.4% component (271) of the national
transportation system,
CFI on board
15.7%
providing
(40)
service to many
IFR cities pilot on board without adequate airline service. While the 47.2% (660)
45.5% (116)
airlines serve about 600 airports nationwide, GA
10.5% (147)
Second has pilot on direct board access to about 13.7% (35) 5,300 public-use airports.
Many GA pilots rely on their airplanes for business
transportation, 0 accounting 10 20 for 14.1 30 percent 40 of all 50 60
GA flying in 2007. Business flying is proportionately
much safer than other types of GA flying. Aircraft
used for business flights tend to be properly
equipped to handle challenging conditions, and the
pilots more experienced and instrument rated.
Percent of all accidents
Percent of fatal accidents
Business flying accounted for 44 accidents in 2007,
6.5% (90)
3.6% (9)
up six from the
10.0%
year before. Eleven of those Lethality accidents
were fatal, 3.6% (50) a
percent
Weather
16.3%
decrease
(41)
of four. Twenty-nine of
the accidents on business flights in 2007 were considered
Preflight pilot-related 1.2% (3) and nine of these were fatal;
82.0%
2.8% (39)
and taxi 7.7%
both represent decreases from the previous report.