Night Flight Challenges Reflected in Data, Says Air Safety Institute

A new report analyzing night flight accidents identifies the top four causal factors.

Meg Godlewski

Friday, June 09, 2023 at 03:52 PM ET

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Flying at night presents its own set of challenges that you might not be used to. [Credit: Adobe Stock]

Key Takeaways:

AOPA ASI's analysis of 2017-2021 night flight accidents reveals that altered pilot behavior, rather than aircraft performance, leads to disproportionately fatal outcomes, accounting for 16% of all fatal general aviation accidents.
The leading causal factor for night accidents is loss of control in flight, frequently stemming from spatial disorientation due to visual illusions and difficulty discerning the horizon in low light conditions.
Many pilots are merely current for night flight but lack true proficiency, often getting "caught out" at night without sufficient experience beyond basic takeoffs and landings.
To mitigate risks, pilots should prioritize routine night proficiency training with a CFI, focusing on diverse maneuvers like climbs, turns, and stalls, alongside proper cockpit organization and using appropriate equipment such as colored-lens flashlights.

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The laws of physics do not change when the sun goes down, therefore, the aircraft flies the same at night as it does during the day—it is the pilot that behaves differently. And sometimes, this leads to accidents.

Recognizing that the cloak of night influences the outcome of accidents, the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) Air Safety Institute (ASI) is offering new analysis of night flight accidents. The purpose is to identify the causal fa c tors in accidents that occur at night and to help pilots develop strategies to mitigate these factors. The report looks at accidents that happened during night flying from 2017 to 2021. For the purpose of the report, “night is defined as beginning at dusk and ending right before dawn.”