Pilot-Related

It’s not a secret that the vast majority—almost 70 percent in 2010, according to the AOPA Air Safety Institute—of non-commercial general aviation accidents are caused by or result from loose nuts behind the wheel: pilots. According to the AOPA ASI 2011 Nall Report, which looked at all GA accidents during 2010, “Most pilot-related accidents reflect specific failures of flight planning or decision-making or the characteristic hazards of high-risk phases of flight.”

Editorial Staff

Friday, March 15, 2013 at 12:00 AM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

General aviation accidents are predominantly pilot-related, stemming from failures in flight planning or decision-making, and modern technologies like glass panels and in-cockpit weather data have not significantly improved safety.
An NTSB study identified key differences between pilots involved in weather-related accidents and those safely navigating similar conditions.
Accident pilots generally had fewer total flight hours, were less likely to hold an instrument rating (68% vs. 90%), performed worse on FAA written and practical exams, and had a higher incidence of previous mishaps or enforcement actions.
Non-accident pilots tended to have earned their first certificates before age 25, possessed more overall flight experience, and were more diligent in obtaining pre-flight weather information.

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Those failures—to plan adequately, to make good decisions or to engage in high-risk activity—are at the root of GA’s relatively flat total and fatal accident rates over the last decade. It’s reasonable, then, to ask what, if any, differences are there between pilots who become involved in accidents and those who don’t? Thankfully, the NTSB did this for us, even if it was several years ago. What can we learn from it?