Flight Training Fatalities Cut In Half
Flight training fatalities have been cut in half in the last 20 years according to stats compiled by AOPA and the Liberty University School of Aeronautics. The study found 287 fatal flight-training accidents from 2000 to 2019 in piston singles and light twins with six seats or less and engines no bigger than 500 horsepower. Loss of control, mostly stall/spin accidents, made up most of the total while midair collisions came in second. Controlled flight into terrain accounted for most of the rest. “The good news is that flight training is getting safer,” said Liberty SOA Director of Safety Professor Andrew Walton.
UND Finds 128 Damaged Cylinders After Unleaded Trial
The University Of North Dakota found 128 cylinders in its Piper Archer fleet exhibiting valve seat recession after about four months of using unleaded fuel in them. The school switched to Swift Fuels 94UL last summer but went back to 100LL at the end of October when problems started showing up. A thorough examination of the 76 Archers, 14 Seminoles and five Robinson R44 helicopters resulted in the final figure. The study, done by Dean Robert Kraus and Director of Maintenance Dan Kasowski, did not determine a cause for the damage. “We are continuing work with Lycoming and Swift Fuels to identify the specific causes of damage experienced here,” Kraus said.
