Common Emergencies

When deciding which IFR emergencies to practice, it can be instructive to look at the overall accident record. Not only can we get an idea of which failures to practice, but also of their lethality. The good news is its uncommon for mechanical failures to result in fatalities, and the trend is for fewer of them. And theres better news well get to in a moment. …

Editorial Staff

Thursday, January 07, 2016 at 12:00 AM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

Analyzing accident records for IFR emergencies highlights powerplant issues as the most frequent mechanical failure in general aviation.
Fatalities resulting from mechanical failures are uncommon and have been trending downward, suggesting good news regarding safety.
The existing accident data only captures mechanical failures that led to an accident, meaning the true frequency of mechanical failures and the overall reliability of personal aircraft are likely higher than reported due to successful pilot interventions.

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When deciding which IFR emergencies to practice, it can be instructive to look at the overall accident record. Not only can we get an idea of which failures to practice, but also of their lethality. The good news is it’s uncommon for mechanical failures to result in fatalities, and the trend is for fewer of them. And there’s better news we’ll get to in a moment.

At right are two graphs adapted from the AOPA ASI 24th Joseph T. Nall Report, which discusses general aviation accidents in 2012. Clearly, powerplant problems lead the pack, and such failures definitely can affect IFR operations. Landing gear and brakes, not so much. And it’s not clear how the airframe failures manifested themselves. Did the airframe fail in turbulence, which presumably is an IFR problem, but with an easy cure: Don’t fly in thunderstorms.