A year-long study by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) concludes the last decades glass-cockpit revolution has not resulted in enhanced safety. In making its March 9, 2010, announcement, the Board said its results found single-engine airplanes manufactured between 2002 and 2006 and equipped with glass cockpits had a higher fatal accident rate than similar aircraft with conventional instruments. 288
NTSB: Glass Hasnt Made Us Safer
A year-long study by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) concludes the last decades glass-cockpit revolution has not resulted in enhanced safety. In making its March 9, 2010, announcement, the Board said its results found single-engine airplanes manufactured between 2002 and 2006 and equipped with glass cockpits had a higher fatal accident rate than similar aircraft with conventional instruments. The NTSB blamed complexity and lack of standardization among different aircraft and their glass panels, which has resulted in pilots failing to "understand the unique operational and functional details of the primary flight instruments in their airplanes."
Key Takeaways:
- A National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) study concluded that single-engine airplanes equipped with glass cockpits had a higher fatal accident rate (1.03 per 100,000 flight hours) compared to those with conventional instruments (0.43 per 100,000 flight hours).
- The NTSB attributed the higher fatal accident rate to the complexity and lack of standardization of glass panels, resulting in pilots not fully understanding their unique operational details.
- The study strongly recommended improved, equipment-specific pilot training, stating that extensive experience with conventional instruments is insufficient for safely operating glass cockpit-equipped aircraft.
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