Left Seat: The Psychology of Safety

J. Mac McClellan

Saturday, June 12, 2010 at 05:36 AM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

General aviation safety has seen little improvement for decades, with traditional metrics like advanced pilot ratings and total hours (beyond a few hundred) proving ineffective in predicting major accident risk.
Avemco's research suggests that while basic skills and experience reduce minor incidents, major accidents are primarily driven by pilot psychology and decision-making under stress.
Studies identify "expert" pilots who manage stress and make conservative choices, contrasting with "non-experts" who take undue risks, highlighting the need for new training standards focused on human behavior and risk management.
Separately, Continental Motors offers a program for prop strike inspections that eliminates financial uncertainty by either covering the inspection or allowing the purchase of a new engine at standard cost if significant damage is found.

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JUNE 2010 — THE GENERAL AVIATION safety record has changed very little in decades despite continuous efforts by regulators and the industry. On the other hand, the major airlines and corporate flight departments have made great progress in reducing the number of accidents. There are many reasons for the divergence in results for the two types of flying, but it’s clear that what we have been doing to improve general aviation safety isn’t working.

The insurance company Avemco has a very specific interest in reducing the number of general aviation accidents because those are the only airplanes it insures. The company covers only piston airplanes and, with this focus plus a solid financial position and a reputation for excellent claims service, has been able to earn a big share of that market segment.