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 preliminary 2009 aviation accident statistics showed an overall decrease in U.S. civil aviation accidents, with Part 135 operations achieving their lowest accident rates in two decades and Part 121 having an almost perfect year.
• Conversely, general aviation (Part 91) showed a dismal performance, as while total accidents decreased, fatal accidents remained stagnant and accident rates increased due to fewer flight hours, possibly stemming from economic pressures affecting pilot proficiency and maintenance.
• The author asserts that this regression in general aviation safety is unacceptable and calls for the industry to actively improve safety, rejecting economic reasons for cutting corners on training, maintenance, or operational decisions.

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