In March, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) released a brief statement stating the results of a study it conducted into the relative safety of general aviation airplanes equipped with glass-panel technologies. As we reported in our April issue, the NTSB concluded the last decades glass-cockpit revolution has not resulted in enhanced safety for the period and aircraft it studied. It came to such a conclusion, in part, because it found single-engine airplanes manufactured 288
Dissecting The NTSBs Glass-Panel Study
In March, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) released a brief statement stating the results of a study it conducted into the relative safety of general aviation airplanes equipped with glass-panel technologies. As we reported in our April issue, the NTSB concluded the last decades glass-cockpit revolution has not resulted in enhanced safety for the period and aircraft it studied. It came to such a conclusion, in part, because it found single-engine airplanes manufactured between 2002 and 2006 and equipped with glass cockpits had a higher fatal accident rate than similar aircraft with conventional instruments. At that time, very little else was known about the study, including the specific aircraft models involved, its methodology and other metrics, raising many questions. Since our April issue was finalized, the NTSB has released the full 91-page study results, including a separate seven-page letter detailing a series of recommendations to the FAA. These documents may be retrieved from the NTSB Web site using links published in the box in the upper right corner of the opposite page.
Key Takeaways:
- The NTSB study found that general aviation single-engine airplanes manufactured between 2002 and 2008 and equipped with glass cockpits experienced higher fatal accident rates compared to similar aircraft with conventional instruments, concluding that glass-cockpit technology has not enhanced safety for the period studied.
- Surprisingly, accident pilots flying glass-cockpit aircraft were often more experienced and highly certified, and the study identified a lack of specific FAA training requirements or comprehensive testing for pilots operating glass-cockpit piston-powered aircraft.
- Industry groups like GAMA and AOPA criticized the study's methodology, arguing it didn't adequately compare similar flight operations or consider the different ways glass-cockpit aircraft are used, and asserted that many NTSB recommendations are already being addressed by the industry.
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