Is Flight Training Getting Safer?

The AOPA Air Safety Institute and Liberty University School of Aeronautics study delves into 20 years of statistics.

Meg Godlewski

Friday, February 16, 2024 at 05:31 PM ET

Verified

Overall, reports suggest that flight training is getting safer. [Credit: Pixabay]

Key Takeaways:

Flight training safety significantly improved from 2000-2019, with the fatal accident rate nearly halved due to sustained industry efforts and updated training standards.
Loss of aircraft control, primarily due to stall/spin events at low altitude during critical phases like go-arounds or base-to-final turns, remains the leading cause of fatal instructional accidents (54%).
Other major causal factors include midair collisions (though reduced with ADS-B implementation), controlled flight into terrain (often in reduced visibility or at night), fuel mismanagement, and engine component failures.

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One of the first questions people ask before they begin flight training is “how safe is it?” If a study recently compiled by the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association Air Safety Institute and Liberty University School of Aeronautics is any indication, it is getting safer.

The study looked at flight training risks and innovations from 2000 to 2019 and took note of the number of accidents and their causes.