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 between 2000 and 2019, with the fatal accident rate nearly halved due to sustained efforts by aviation bodies and updated training standards.
Loss of aircraft control, particularly stall/spin events at low altitude, remains the leading cause of fatal instructional accidents, followed by midair collisions (decreased with ADS-B) and controlled flight into terrain.
Key areas for continued focus include mitigating loss of control risks, improving energy management, addressing fuel mismanagement, and preventing component failures often linked to improper maintenance.

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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.