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 study from AOPA and Liberty University reveals that flight training has become significantly safer, with the fatal accident rate halving between 2000 and 2019.
Loss of aircraft control, primarily from stall/spin events at low altitude during critical phases like go-arounds, is the leading cause, accounting for 54 percent of fatal instructional accidents.
Other significant causal factors include midair collisions (reduced by ADS-B), controlled flight into terrain (often in low visibility), and fuel mismanagement, with training updates and technological advancements contributing to overall risk mitigation.

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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.