Good News, Bad News

In early April, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) released its preliminary 2009 aviation accident statistics. There is good news in the NTSBs numbers, which "show an overall decrease in U. S. civil aviation accidents." Most of the good news belongs to those engaged in on-demand operations under Part 135, which achieved the lowest number of accidents and fatal accidents the industry segment has enjoyed in two decades. Hats off to them. But that good news is tempered once again (see "One," in our May 2009 issue) by a dismal showing among Part 91 operators. And Part 121, scheduled, operators would have had a perfect year except for the February 12, 2009, crash of a Colgan Air Bombardier DHC-8-400 operating as Continental Connection Flight 3407 outside Buffalo, N.Y., which killed 50.

Key Takeaways:

• The NTSB's 2009 preliminary statistics showed an overall decrease in U.S. civil aviation accidents, with Part 135 (on-demand) operations achieving their lowest accident and fatal accident numbers in two decades.
• Conversely, Part 91 (general aviation) displayed a "dismal showing"; while total accidents and fatalities slightly decreased, the accident and fatal accident *rates* increased due to a significant drop in flight hours, indicating a worsening safety trend relative to activity.
• The author attributes these concerning Part 91 trends to economic pressures potentially leading to reduced pilot proficiency, deferred maintenance, and poor operational decisions, urging the industry to address this regression before external intervention.

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