Is Flight Training Getting Safer?

The AOPA Air Safety Institute and Liberty University School of Aeronautics study delves into 20 years of statistics.

Meg Godlewski

Friday, February 16, 2024 at 05:31 PM ET

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Overall, reports suggest that flight training is getting safer. [Credit: Pixabay]

Key Takeaways:

A recent study indicates flight training is becoming significantly safer, with the fatal accident rate nearly halved since 2000 due to sustained industry efforts and training changes.
Loss of aircraft control, primarily from stall/spin events at low altitudes during critical phases like go-arounds, accounts for 54 percent of fatal instructional accidents.
Other major causal factors include midair collisions (which have decreased with ADS-B introduction) and controlled flight into terrain (often linked to reduced visibility), as well as fuel mismanagement and component failures.
Innovations in training, such as updated airman certification standards emphasizing risk management and changes to slow flight maneuvers, are contributing to improved safety.

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One of the first questions people ask before they begin flight training is “how safe is it?” If a study recently compiled by the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association Air Safety Institute and Liberty University School of Aeronautics is any indication, it is getting safer.

The study looked at flight training risks and innovations from 2000 to 2019 and took note of the number of accidents and their causes.