Page 22 - World Airnews Magazine January 2020 Edition

EAA

EAA ACCIDENT CHALLENGE

hile fatal acci-
Wdent totals in

amateur-built aircraft remain
at historic lows, a slight in-
crease in the total for the last
12-month reporting period

shows the continuing neces-
sity for dedicated educational

efforts to push the total even

lower, according to the Experi-

mental Aircraft Association.

The Federal Aviation Admin-
istration reports that for the

12-month period from October
1, 2018, to September 30, 2019,
fatal accident totals for the
experimental category overall,
including amateur-built aircraft,

racing aircraft, those used for

exhibit only, research-and-de-
velopment, and some types
of light-sport aircraft, rose to Steering Committee that EAA has co-chaired for the past three

52 – five above the FAA’s “not to exceed” goal of 47 for the period. years. Efforts have also included more than 2,500 copies of the

Of that total, 39 fatal accidents were in amateur-built aircraft, an one-year old EAA Flight Test Manual now in the hands of ama-
increase of four from the previous reporting period. teur-built aircraft owners and the increasing use of an additional

FAA measures accident totals on an October-through-September safety pilot during initial flight testing in amateur-built aircraft.

annual basis to coincide with the federal government’s fiscal year. “With already very small numbers involved, a few additional ac-

In addition, the National Transportation Safety Board earlier this cidents can create a percentage-rate anomaly, so it’s important to

month noted that fatal accidents in all categories of general avia- focus on driving the overall accident numbers lower,” Elliott said.

tion increased in calendar year 2018 after several years of decline. “We must focus on training, situational awareness, and good pilot

“What this increase tells us is that enhancing safety is not simply skills to complement the ever-improving technology that is part of

a target number to be reached, but a continual effort to build on today’s aircraft cockpits.” Q

the positive foundation we have already

established,” said Sean Elliott, EAA’s vice
president of advocacy and safety. “We
are pleased that the accident totals re-
main below the challenge goal FAA issued
to us in 2010, when the agency asked us
to reduce the accident rate by 10 percent
over the ensuing decade. It is not enough
to simply reach a number, however; we
must keep a steady focus on making
improvements, especially as the num-
ber of general aviation flight hours have

increased over the past several years.”

Elliott noted that the overall fatal acci-
dent numbers for experimental category

aircraft remain much lower than other

recreational pursuits, such as boating,

skiing and snowboarding, and driving
all-terrain vehicles.
EAA has worked closely with the FAA
and NTSB on recommendations to reduce

fatal accidents, including through partic-

ipation in the FAA General Aviation Joint
World Airnews | January 2020
— 20 —