Not Just For Jets Anymore

Forty percent. In any context that’s a sizable percentage. In ours, 40 percent represents the share of fatalities aviation-safety advocates pin to one category of crashes: loss-of-control accidents (LOC). Reducing LOC accidents and their fatalities led the FAA to put two available tools at the top of its 2013 list of most-desired general-aviation safety enhancements. The winners? Airbag seatbelt systems and angle-of-attack (AoA) indicators.

D Higdon

Wednesday, June 18, 2014 at 12:00 AM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

Loss-of-control (LOC) accidents account for a significant portion of aviation fatalities, often due to pilots misinterpreting airspeed indicators during critical maneuvers, highlighting the need for more reliable safety tools.
New Angle-of-Attack (AoA) indicator systems are now significantly cheaper, simpler to install (often requiring only a logbook entry), and easier to approve, making them more accessible to general aviation aircraft owners.
Unlike airspeed, AoA indicators provide a direct and accurate measure of lift regardless of flight variables like attitude, G-loading, or density altitude, offering pilots crucial real-time alerts to high-alpha, low-airspeed conditions before a stall occurs.

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The FAA and industry cite solid evidence that airbag seatbelt systems hold significant potential to reduce injuries and fatalities when accidents occur. (For more on airbags in the cockpit, see the article in the August 2010 issue of Aviation Safety.) Meanwhile, using AoA indicators, supporters contend, can reduce LOC accidents. Now, new products are available, and relatively simple installation and approval processes mean aircraft owners can more easily use AoA systems for safe pitch control.