A PERSONAL MATTER Analysis of GA Fatal Accidents

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A PERSONAL MATTER Analysis of GA Fatal
Accidents
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Your Presenter

• Brian Poole
• Office of Accident Investigation
• Federal Aviation Administration

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What Is An Aircraft
Accident?
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Aircraft Accident

• An Occurrence Associated With the Operation of an
  Aircraft Which Takes Place Between the Time Any
  Person Boards the Aircraft With the Intention of
  Flight and Until Such Time as All Such Persons
  Have Disembarked, and in Which Any Person Suffers
  Death or Serious Injury, or in Which the Aircraft
  Receives Substantial Damage

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Serious Injury

• An Injury Which (1) Requires Hospitalization for
  More Than 48 Hours, Commencing Within 7 Days From
  the Date the Injury Was Received (2) Results in
  a Fracture of Any Bone (Except Simple Fractures
  of Fingers, Toes, or Nose) (3) Causes Severe
  Hemorrhages, Nerve, Muscle or Tendon Damage (4)
  Involves Any Internal Organ or (5) Involves
  Second or Third Degree Burns or Any Burns
  Affecting More Than 5 Percent of the Body Surface

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Substantial Damage

• Damage or Failure Which Adversely Affects the
  Structural Strength, Performance, or Flight
  Characteristics of the Aircraft, and Which Would
  Normally Require Major Repair or Replacement of
  the Affected Component. Engine Failure or Damage
  Limited to an Engine Cowling, Dented Skin, Small
  Punctured Holes in the Skin Fabric, Ground Damage
  to Rotor or Propeller Blades, and Damage to
  Landing Gear, Wheels, Tires, Flaps, Engine
  Accessories, Brakes, or Wingtips are not
  Considered Substantial Damage

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General Aviation Accidents1930-2001
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General Aviation Fatal Accidents1930-2001
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General Aviation Fatalities1930-2001
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General Aviation Accidents1997-2001
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Homebuilt Aircraft Accidents1997-2001
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General Aviation Accident Rate For Hours Flown
1950-2001
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General Aviation Accident Rates by Purpose of
Flight 1983-2001
Accidents Per 100,000 Hours
Personal
Aerial Application
All GA
Instruction
Business
Corporate
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Homebuilt General Aviation Accident Rates
1983-2001
Accidents Per 100,000 Hours
Homebuilt
General Aviation
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Homebuilt General Aviation Fatal Accident
Rates1983-2001
Accidents Per 100,000 Hours
Homebuilt
General Aviation
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General Aviation Fleet, Activity and Fatal
Accidents By Type of Operation 1998
Operation
Percent of Fleet Percent of
Percent of Flight Hours Fatal
Accidents
61 35 65 16 13 5 6 14 6 6 11
0 2 8 2 2 5 3 2 10 4 5
3 15 100
100 100
Personal Business Instruction Corporation Aerial
Application Public Use Air Taxi Miscellaneous
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General Aviation Personal Flying Fatal Accidents
Breakdown of Broad Causes 1995 - 1999
Personnel - 1044 Pilot - 998 Others
(Aboard) - 4 Others (Not Aboard) -
55 Aircraft - 173 Propulsion System and
Controls - 131 Airframe - 21
Systems/Equipment/Instruments - 19 Environment -
19 Weather - 9 Object (Trees, Wires) -
6 Terrain/Runway Conditions - 4
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Primary Causes of General Aviation Fatal
Accidents

• Weather
• Attempted VFR into IMC conditions
• Maneuvering flight
• Maneuvering during low slow flight
• Buzzing or low level aerobatics
• Approach
• Improper IFR approach
• Steep turn/stall
• Test flying homebuilt aircraft
• Fuel mismanagement
• Midair collisions

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Accident Description

• When
• Where
• What
• Who
• Why
• NTSB Probable Cause

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What Caused This Accident?
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How Could This Accident Have Been Prevented?
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Accident Information
Date July 4, 1993 Time 805 PM
MDT Location Philip, South Dakota Aircraft
Type Avid Flyer, N42CJ Injuries 1 Fatality
1 Serious Injury
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Pilot Information
Age 51 Certificates Student Pilot Medical
Third Class Total Time 88 Hours Time in Type
85 Hours Time Last 90 Days 44
Hours Occupation Businessman
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NTSB Probable Cause

• The pilots selection of unsuitable terrain for
  takeoff and the pilot inadvertently stalling the
  airplane.

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Accident Information
Date August 7, 1993 Time 145 PM
EDT Location Wadesboro, North
Carolina Aircraft Type Midget Mustang,
CFYSJ Injuries 1 Fatality
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Pilot Information
Age 67 Certificates Airline Transport Pilot
- MEL Commercial Pilot -
SEL Instrument
Rating Medical Second Class Total Time
3,663 Hours Time in Type 3 Hours Time Last 90
Days 16 Hours Occupation Retired Navy
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NTSB Probable Cause

• The pilots intentional flight into IMC without
  the proper instrumentation which resulted in the
  pilots loss of aircraft control and in-flight
  breakup of the airplane.

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Accident Information
Date April 23 , 1994 Time 204 PM
EDT Location College Park, Maryland Aircraft
Type Beech Sierra, N93535 Injuries 4
Fatalities
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Pilot Information
Age 26 Certificates Commercial Pilot - SEL -
MEL Instrument Rating Medical Second
Class Total Time 422 Hours Time in Type 9
Hours Time Last 90 Days 60 Hours Occupation
Unknown
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NTSB Probable Cause

• The pilots improper flare and delayed recovery
  from the bounced landing. Factors contributing
  to the accident were the pilots failure to
  retract the landing gear during the aborted
  landing the exceeded allowable gross weight and
  the unfavorable wind conditions.

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Accident Information
Date May 9, 1996 Time 1250 PM
EDT Location Sunapee, New Hampshire Aircraft
Type Lake LA-4-200, N5040L Injuries 1
Fatality
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Pilot Information
Age 61 Certificates Commercial Pilot - SEL -
SES Instrument Rating Medical Second
Class Total Time 4330 Hours Time in Type 17
Hours Time Last 90 Days 2 Hours Occupation
Retired
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NTSB Probable Cause

• The pilots failure to maintain control of the
  airplane. Factors in this accident were the
  pilots lack of currency in type and model
  airplane, and not following the requirement for
  the pilot to have a flight instructor onboard
  during water landings.

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Accident Information
Date June 3, 1996 Time 441 PM EDT Location
Winslow, Maine Aircraft Type Cessna 320,
N78KA Injuries 1 Fatality
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Pilot Information
Age 41 Certificates Airline Transport Pilot
- SEL - MEL Medical Second Class Total Time
7500 Hours Time in Type Unknown Time Last 90
Days Unknown Occupation Unknown
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NTSB Probable Cause

• The pilots continued flight into known adverse
  weather conditions, and his loss of aircraft
  control, which resulted in an uncontrolled
  descent into terrain (river). The known icing
  condition was related factor.

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Accident Information
Date June 19, 1996 Time 810 AM
EDT Location Springboro, Ohio Aircraft Type
Piper, PA-31 Navajo, N62852 Injuries 1 Fatality
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Pilot Information
Age 41 Certificates Private Pilot - SEL -
MEL Instrument Rating Medical Third
Class Total Time 1198 Hours Time in Type
701 Hours Time Last 90 Days 39
Hours Occupation Doctor
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NTSB Probable Cause

• The pilots impairment of judgment and
  performance due to drugs which led to spatial
  disorientation and a loss of aircraft control.
  The weather was a factor.

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Accident Information
Date October 27, 1996 Time 255 PM
EST Location Merritt Island, Florida Aircraft
Type Kitfox Clasic IV, N11LG Injuries 2
Fatalities
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Pilot Information
Age 53 Certificates Commercial Pilot - SEL -
MEL Medical Third Class Total Time 585
Hours Time in Type 6 Hours Time Last 90 Days
Unknown Occupation Unknown
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NTSB Probable Cause

• The failure of the pilot to maintain airspeed
  above stall speed.

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Accident Information
Date February 27, 1997 Time 745 PM
CST Location Houston, Texas Aircraft Type
Quickie II, N89WL Injuries 1 Fatality
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Pilot Information
Age 30 Certificates Private Pilot -
SEL Medical Third Class Total Time 125
Hours Time in Type 8 Hours Time Last 90
Days 7 Hours Occupation Businessman
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NTSB Probable Cause

• The loss of engine power due to fuel starvation
  as a result of the pilots improper fuel
  management.

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Accident Information
Date June 10, 1998 Time 540 PM
EDT Location Delaplane, Virginia Aircraft
Type Beech F33A, N6033U Injuries 2
Fatalities
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Pilot Information
Age 73 Certificates Private Pilot - SEL
Instrument Rating Medical Third
Class Total Time 2800 Hours Time in Type
Unknown Time Last 90 Days Unknown Occupation
Unknown
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NTSB Probable Cause

• The pilots inadequate in-flight decision that
  lead to VFR flight into instrument meteorological
  conditions. Also casual was the pilots failure
  to maintain adequate terrain clearance resulting
  in collision with mountainous terrain.
  Contributing factors were low clouds, fog,
  mountainous terrain, obscuration, low altitude
  flying and the pilots self-induced pressure.

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Accident Information
Date November 21, 1998 Time 543 PM
EST Location Edgewater, Maryland Aircraft
Type RV-6, N956DB Injuries 1 Fatality
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Pilot Information
Age 56 Certificates Private Pilot - SEL -
MEL Instrument Rating Medical
Second Class Total Time 1345 Hours Time in
Type 31 Hours Time Last 90 Days 15
Hours Occupation Actor
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NTSB Probable Cause

• The pilots failure to maintain adequate
  altitude/clearance from the trees. Contributing
  to the accident was the pilots unfamiliarity
  with the geographic location and dark night
  conditions.

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Accident Information
Date August 11, 2001 Time 720 PM
EDT Location Rohrersville, Maryland Aircraft
Type Piper Arrow, N2869F Injuries 3
Fatalities
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Pilot Information
Age 57 Certificates Private Pilot -
SEL Medical Third Class Total Time 2000
Hours Time in Type Unknown Time Last 90 Days
Unknown Occupation Retired Military Dental
Technician
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NTSB Probable Cause

• NOT DETERMINED

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Be careful or you could end up being an accident
statistic!