Briefing: April 2010

The AOPA Air Safety Foundations annual Nall Report found an increase in accidents involving amateur-built aircraft. The statistics from 2008 showed the highest rate of fatal accidents and fatalities in 10 years. The 27-percent lethality rate in these accidents was 10 full percentage points higher than that for accidents in type-certificated airplanes, according to the report.

Editorial Staff

Tuesday, January 06, 2015 at 12:00 AM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

The report highlights an increase in fatal accidents involving amateur-built aircraft and proposes new NTSB recommendations for periodic review of cockpit voice recorder data to monitor pilot work habits.
Efforts are underway to develop lead-free alternatives to 100LL aviation fuel, with Embry-Riddle testing SwiftFuel biofuel and General Aviation Modifications developing a petroleum-based solution.
New military unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) operations necessitate the creation of large, restricted airspace areas, while a court ruling affirmed a pilot's privacy rights regarding the disclosure of medical records between government agencies.

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Homebuilt accident rate rises
The AOPA Air Safety Foundation’s annual Nall Report found an increase in accidents involving amateur-built aircraft. The statistics from 2008 showed the highest rate of fatal accidents and fatalities in 10 years. “The 27-percent lethality rate in these accidents was 10 full percentage points higher than that for accidents in type-certificated airplanes,” according to the report.

A New kind of restricted airspace for a new kind of military flying
The Air Force has a plan to create some large, new restricted areas near Grand Forks, N.D., for military unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). The proposal is to restrict the airspace in three layers: The bottom layer would be from 6000 to 10,000 feet MSL, a second layer from 10,000 to 14,000 feet, and a third layer from 14,000 to 18,000. When one section was being used by a UAV, civilian aircraft could freely use the other two levels. Several transit areas are also proposed.