2008 Nall Report - Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association

2008 NALL REPORT
Other Accident Factors
Midair Collisions
10 total/4 fatal
In 2007 GA aircraft were involved in ten midair
collisions, four of which were fatal. The fatal accidents
included a collision between two competitors
rounding the first pylon in an air race at Reno and
a collision between a vintage P-51 and an amateurbuilt
P-51 replica during a formation landing at
Oshkosh. The other two fatal accidents both involved
instructional flights: A Cessna 172 practicing
maneuvers in dual instruction collided with a
departing V35B on a clear day, and a student pilot
flying solo hit a light twin on an instrument flight
plan. None of the remaining six caused serious
injuries. Three of these occurred in the traffic pattern
(one at a towered field), two during formation
flight, and one in low-altitude cruise flight.
Alcohol and Drugs
6 total/3 fatal
Alcohol and drug misuse continues to rank low as
an accident factor. Historically, these have been
cited as a cause or factor in about 1.1 percent of all
accidents. As a class, these accidents have a high
probability of ending in a fatality. In 2007, four accident
pilots were impaired by alcohol and two by
drugs. All but one of the alcohol-related accidents
was fatal. One of the fatals also caused serious injury
to a student pilot whose CFI was killed. None
of these accidents were attributed to illicit recreational
drugs, but two were caused by prescription
and/or over-the-counter medications.
Pilot Incapacitation
6 total/4 fatal
Pilot incapacitation is rare. Of the six incapacitation
accidents that occurred in 2007, one was the
result of a heart attack, and one a probable stroke.
Both were fatal. Two, one fatal, were attributed to
spatial disorientation. The remaining two were an
apparent murder-suicide that killed two, and a loss
of consciousness on short final that the pilot speculated
might have been caused by dehydration. He
suffered only minor injuries after a hard landing.
Ground Injuries: Off-Airport
13 total (6 accidents)/5 minor injuries, 4 serious
injuries, 4 fatalities
The thought of airplanes falling out of the sky,
causing death or injury on the ground, is a common
worry for nonpilots. This concern is often
cited as a reason to restrict or close GA airports,
even though statistics show it is far more fiction
than fact. In 2007 there were a total of six GA accidents
that resulted in thirteen off-airport ground
injuries.
One person was killed when his house was hit by
a light business jet attempting a go-around. Three
people on the ground were killed and four more
seriously injured in the crash of a light twin. Four
other accidents caused a total of five minor injuries
to off-airport individuals.
Propeller Strike Injuries
3 total/0 fatal
Propeller strike injuries usually result from either
an attempt to hand-prop an airplane or inadvertent
contact with a moving propeller by an individual
in the ramp area. The number of fatalities
from propeller strikes is very low, averaging two
per year. Three propeller strike accidents occurred
in 2007, one during hand-propping. The other two
were people (one passenger and one aircraft mechanic)
who walked into moving propellers.
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