One.

The NTSB in early April released preliminary general aviation accident data for 2008. No one should be happy. For example, there were 1559 accidents involving Part 91 operations, 275 of which involved fatalities. Those fatal accidents killed a total of 495 persons, one fewer than the previous year. One. After all the training improvements, the influx of new, well-equipped aircraft, all the new, high-tech equipment being installed in older ones, after weather-forecasting and observation enhancements on the ground and in the air, only one. And the accident rate jumped up, from 6.92 accidents per 100,000 hours in 2007 to 7.11 in 2008. This is despite an overall reduction in accidents, from 2007s 1650 to 1559 last year, and stems from fewer flying hours, a reduction of almost 10 percent. These results are pretty sorry for an industry desperate to be taken seriously.

Key Takeaways:

• Preliminary NTSB data for 2008 revealed a disappointing increase in the general aviation accident rate (Part 91) to 7.11 per 100,000 hours, despite fewer overall accidents, attributed to a nearly 10% reduction in flight hours.
• Fatalities remained high for Part 91 operations (495 deaths), and Part 135 operations saw their highest number of fatalities (66) since 2000.
• The author attributes these poor safety outcomes to pilots straying from fundamental safety practices (e.g., sufficient fuel, weather avoidance, maintenance), potentially due to factors like high fuel prices reducing proficiency training.

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