EAA Lauds Experimental Aircraft Safety News

Experimental amateur-built aircraft in 2017 achieved their safest year ever, according to the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA). The association based its findings on the recently finalized results of the FAAs 2017 General Aviation and Part 135 Activity Survey (GA Survey). Pilots of experimental amateur-built (E-AB) aircraft were involved in fatal accidents at a lower rate than has ever been recorded, with 2.63 fatal accidents per 100,000 flight hours last year, the association said. That fatal accident rate-2.63-breaks a record set the previous year, when E-AB pilots were involved in 3.6 fatal accidents per 100,000 flight hours, EAA added.

Tuesday, October 30, 2018 at 12:00 AM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

Experimental amateur-built (E-AB) aircraft achieved their safest year on record in 2017, with a fatal accident rate of 2.63 per 100,000 flight hours, outperforming FAA safety benchmarks for the fourth consecutive year.
Signature Flight Support has begun publishing piston aircraft fuel and service rates online, a step welcomed by the AOPA as a move towards greater transparency in FBO fees, though more is advocated for turbine aircraft and alternative parking.
The NTSB issued a Safety Alert highlighting the dangers of worn fuel selectors in personal aircraft, citing them as a factor in 104 accidents over 20 years, often leading to fuel starvation and engine power loss.

See a mistake? Contact us.

Experimental amateur-built aircraft in 2017 achieved their safest year ever, according to the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA). The association based its findings on the recently finalized results of the FAA’s 2017 General Aviation and Part 135 Activity Survey (GA Survey). “Pilots of experimental amateur-built (E-AB) aircraft were involved in fatal accidents at a lower rate than has ever been recorded, with 2.63 fatal accidents per 100,000 flight hours last year,” the association said. That fatal accident rate—2.63—breaks a record set the previous year, when E-AB pilots were involved in 3.6 fatal accidents per 100,000 flight hours, EAA added.

The lower E-AB fatal accident in 2017 rate came as the number of fatal accidents dropped from 32 in 2016 to 26 in 2017 and the estimated number of hours flown by that segment rose from about 890,000 to approximately 950,000. The association added that activity levels for E-AB aircraft have remained between 800,000 and 1,000,000 flight hours since 1999, despite economic ups and downs over the last 20 years. Even as overall general aviation operations are declining slightly, according to FAA statistics, E-ABs represent a growing share of personal flying activity each year.