Fact sheet general aviation safety

4/16/2018 Fact Sheet – General Aviation Safety
https://www.faa.gov/news/fact_sheets/news_story.cfm?newsId=21274 1/9
Federal Aviation
Administration
Fact Sheet – General Aviation Safety
For Immediate Release
April 4, 2018
Contact: Les Dorr
Phone: 202-267-3883
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and industry are working on a number of
key initiatives to improve general aviation (GA) safety: the GA Joint Steering
Committee (GAJSC), Equip 2020 for ADS-B Out, new Airman Certification
Standards (ACS), streamlining aircraft certification, the Got Data? External Data
Initiative, and the Fly Safe outreach campaign on Loss of Control.
The United States has the largest and most diverse GA community in the world,
with more than 220,000 aircraft, including amateur-built aircraft, rotorcraft, balloons,
and highly sophisticated turbojets. By working together, and focusing on data driven
solutions, government and industry are making a difference to put the right
technologies, regulations, and education initiatives in place to improve safety.
The FAA’s goal is to reduce the GA fatal accident rate by 10 percent over a 10-year
period (2009-2018). Inflight loss of control – mainly stalls – accounts for the largest
number of GA fatal accidents. Although the fatal accident rate is beginning to
decline, last year (FY17) 347 people still died in 209 general aviation accidents
The FAA and industry are focused on reducing general aviation accidents by
primarily using a non-regulatory, proactive, data-driven strategy to get results
— similar to the strategy the FAA uses in commercial aviation.
Reducing Risk
Using data, the FAA and industry are working together to identify risk, pinpoint
trends through root cause analysis, and develop safety strategies. The FAA and the
GA community carry out this work through the GAJSC.
Formed in the mid-1990s, the GAJSC recently has renewed its efforts to
combat GA fatal accidents. The government and industry group uses the same
approach as the Commercial Aviation Safety Team (CAST). It uses a data-
driven, consensus-based approach to analyze safety data to develop specific
interventions that will mitigate the root causes of accidents.
Recent accomplishments include more than 39 safety enhancements, (such as
training, procedures, and technology) to address loss of control. Examples
include a streamlined policy for angle of attack (AOA) system approvals

(http://www.faa.gov/news/press_releases/news_story.cfm?newsId=15714) and outreach
to the GA community on loss of control topics.With powerplant system and
component failures being the third leading fatal GA accident category, the
GAJSC analyzed fatal GA accidents involving total or partial engine power
loss. The GAJSC approved and initiated implementation of ten SEs directed at
engine issues and focus on improving engine technology, aiding the pilot in
decision making post-engine failure, and improving resources available to
mechanics, as well as their education and training.
The GA JSC began its study into Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT) accidents
in October 2017 and will finish its work sometime in 2018. CFIT is the second
largest risk in GA.
The GAJSC combines the expertise of many key decision makers across different
parts of the FAA, several government agencies, and stakeholder groups. The other
federal agencies are the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the
National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), which participates as an observer.
Industry participants include the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association,
Experimental Aircraft Association, General Aviation Manufacturers Association,
Light Aircraft Manufacturers Association, National Business Aviation Association,
National Air Transportation Association, National Association of Flight Instructors,
Society of Aviation and Flight Educators, and the aviation insurance industry. The
European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) also participates as an observer.
Other achievements include several web-based resource guides, information on
flying and medications, and overall GA community coordination on Loss of Control
and engine issue topics. Resources include targeted themes and articles in the FAA
Safety Briefing magazine.
The GA community and the FAA are moving toward using de-identified GA
operations data in the Aviation Safety Information Analysis and Sharing (ASIAS)
(http://www.faa.gov/news/fact_sheets/news_story.cfm?newsId=18195) program to
help identify risks before they become accidents. In March of 2014 the FAA started
a one-year project to illustrate the value, capabilities, and benefits of the ASIAS
program for the GA community. The project explored potential new information
sources such as General Aviation Flight Data Monitoring, voluntary safety reports,
manufacturer reports, and information collected from avionics and using new
common technologies such as iOS and Android personal electronic devices.
This project led to a broader expansion of GA in ASIAS. Tools are now available to
the GA community to help explore and understand their own flight data and look for
potential risks. Through this program, the FAA does not have access to any
individual pilot’s data as the system is hosted by a third party. The de-identified
aggregate data is used by the GA community through ASIAS to identify trends and
look for system risks that may need to be mitigated. Data from these programs will
be used for GA JSC initiatives and research conducted by the GA community. The
GAJSC is working with the community to incorporate their data into ASIAS so that it
may be used to identify risk.

New Technology
The NextGen program includes innovative technologies and procedures to make
flying safer, greener, and more efficient. In March 2015, the FAA achieved a major
milestone by completing one of the largest automation changeovers in the history of
the agency: a new high-altitude air traffic control system, known as En Route
Automation Modernization (ERAM)
(http://www.faa.gov/news/press_releases/news_story.cfm?newsId=18695) . This system will
accommodate the technologies of NextGen, giving the U.S. a more powerful air
traffic system.
The FAA is working with manufacturers to define equipage requirements and
support NextGen by streamlining the certification and installation of NextGen
technologies, such as Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B). It is a
foundation of NextGen and transforms aircraft surveillance using satellite-based
positioning.
ADS-B enhances GA pilots’ awareness of other traffic and improves safety in areas
that radar cannot reach, such as Alaska and the Gulf of Mexico. Pilots flying
properly equipped aircraft can see graphical weather information on cockpit
displays, where they are in relation to nearby aircraft, and flight information such as
temporary flight restrictions.
The full benefits of ADS-B can only be realized if all of the planes that fly in
controlled airspace are equipped. The FAA has set January 1, 2020, as the
deadline to equip for ADS-B Out in controlled airspace.
(http://www.faa.gov/nextgen/equipadsb/) DOT and the FAA offered a $500 rebate
(http://www.faa.gov/go/equipadsb) incentive for GA aircraft owners who equip their
aircraft with required avionics technology. Accelerating compliance is critical to
ensuring that pilots, manufacturers, and retail facilities have adequate time and
capacity to equip aircraft in a timely and efficient manner, ahead of a 2020
regulatory deadline. Although the agency is no longer accepting new rebate
reservations, owners who have an existing reservation should complete the final
steps (https://www.faa.gov/nextgen/equipadsb/rebate/) .
Airman Testing Standards and Training
In collaboration with aviation training community experts, the FAA has updated key
elements of the airman certification system to include an enhanced focus on risk
management. In June, the FAA replaced the Practical Test Standards (PTS) for the
Private Pilot certificate in the airplane category and the Instrument Rating (also in
the airplane category) with the corresponding Airman Certification Standards (ACS).
(http://www.faa.gov/training_testing/testing/)
The ACS improves the PTS by adding task-specific knowledge and risk
management elements to each PTS Area of Operation and Task. By integrating
knowledge and risk management requirements with skill tasks, the ACS offers a
comprehensive presentation of the standards for what an applicant needs to know,
consider, and do in order to pass both the knowledge and practical tests for a
certificate or rating. This format helps applicants, instructors, evaluators, and other
stakeholders understand what the FAA expects in each phase of the certification

process, from the FAA knowledge exam to the practical test. It also helps everyone
understand how knowledge, risk management, and skill work together for safe
operation in the NAS.
Aeronautical Data
In 2016, the FAA launched the Got Data? External Data Access Initiative
(https://www.faa.gov/got_data/) to give the private sector better access the FAA’s
aeronautical data and spur innovation. The goal is to help industry be in a position
to create innovative products and technologies that improve safety and efficiency.
The initiative includes data such as airports, navigation aids, fixes, obstacles,
holding, approaches, and Temporary Flight Restriction information. Based on
stakeholder feedback, the FAA is delivering new features such as the Data
Innovation Center, geofenced aeronautical chart product data in consumable
formats, and automated digital product downloads. The FAA has also expanded the
digital Terminal Procedures Publication, Coded Instrument Flight Procedures, the
8620-2 for all fixes, and added new symbology to charts.
Aircraft Design
On August 30, 2017, a final rule (https://www.faa.gov/news/updates/?newsId=88746)
overhauling airworthiness standards for general aviation airplanes officially went
into effect. The FAA expects this rule will enable faster installation of innovative,
safety-enhancing technologies into small airplanes, while reducing costs for the
aviation industry.
These performance-based standards implement forward-looking, flexible rules that
encourage innovation. Specifically, the rule revolutionizes standards for airplanes
weighing 19,000 pounds or less and with 19 or fewer passenger seats by replacing
prescriptive requirements with performance-based standards coupled with
consensus-based compliance methods for specific designs and technologies. The
rule also adds new certification standards to address GA loss of control accidents
and in-flight icing conditions.
The rule addresses recommendations presented in 2013 by a 55-member
rulemaking committee that included representatives from the FAA, European
Aviation Safety Agency, National Civil Aviation Agency of Brazil, Civil Aviation
Administration of China, Transport Canada, Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand,
several airplane and avionics manufacturers, and industry groups.
Streamlining Certification
NORSEE
On March 31, 2016, the FAA published a new policy
(http://rgl.faa.gov/Regulatory_and_Guidance_Library/rgPolicy.nsf/0/1790b02f18333
57486257f9200592110/$FILE/PS-AIR-21.8-1602.pdf) (PDF) to help aircraft owners
voluntary install safety equipment on airplanes and helicopters that is not required
by the agency’s regulations. It will reduce costs and streamline the installation of
Non-Required Safety Enhancing Equipment (NORSEE) into the general aviation
fleet.The policy is the result of collaboration under the GAJSC andexpands the
2014 FAA policy, which simplified the design approval requirements for a cockpit
instrument called an angle of attack (AOA) indicator

(http://www.faa.gov/news/press_releases/news_story.cfm?newsId=15714) . AOA devices can
be added to small planes to supplement airspeed indicators and stall warning
systems, alerting pilots of a low airspeed condition before an aerodynamic stall
occurs. Such stalls are particularly dangerous during takeoff and landing.
NORSEE includes avionics, electronic instruments, displays and mechanical
equipment. Equipment approved as NORSEE increases overall situational
awareness; provides additional information other than the aircraft primary system;
provides independent warning, cautionary, or advisory indications; and provides
additional occupant safety protection. Examples of NORSEE equipment include:
traffic advisory systems, terrain awareness and warning systems; attitude
indicators; fire extinguishing systems; and autopilot or stability augmentation
systems.
The policy has the flexibility to accommodate the installation of new technology
safety enhancements into Part 23, 27, and 29 aircraft that are determined to be a
minor change to type design. The benefits must outweigh the risk. The policy will
reduce equipment costs by allowing the applicants the flexibility to select various
industry standards that suit their product, as long as it meets the FAA’s minimum
design requirements. NORSEE approval under the policy is not an approval for
installation on the aircraft – it just makes the equipment eligible for installation on
the aircraft.
Angle of Attack Indicators
On February 5, 2014, the FAA took an important step to help improve safety in
small aircraft by simplifying design and production approval requirements for an
AOA indicator. AOA indicators provide the pilot with a visual aid to prevent loss of
control of the aircraft in the critical phases of flight. Previously, cost and complexity
of indicators limited their use to the military and commercial aircraft. Under new
FAA guidelines, AOA devices can be added to small airplanes to supplement
airspeed indicators and stall warning systems, giving pilots an additional tool to
avoid a dangerous aerodynamic stall and subsequent loss of control.
The FAA continues to work to improve RVSM Letter of Authorization (LOA)
process
Since January 2005, Reduced Vertical Separation Minimum (RVSM) has allowed
pilots to fly domestically with 1,000 feet of vertical separation rather than the
previous 2,000 feet at cruising altitudes. On January 27, 2014, the FAA issued a
policy that streamlined the process for granting approval to use RVSM. The FAA
now considers previous operator and aircraft experience to determine the extent of
the evaluation, reducing the amount of time it takes for operators to receive an
authorization.
The FAA aims to make the authorization process more efficient with an August
2017 Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that would eliminate the need for U.S.-
registered operators to apply for RVSM authorization when their aircraft meet
altitude-keeping requirements and are equipped with qualified Automatic
Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) Out systems.

Engagement & Outreach
Fly Safe
On June 6, 2015, the FAA and GA groups launched the Fly Safe national safety
campaign to educate the GA community on how to prevent Loss of Control (LOC)
accidents. An LOC accident involves an unintended departure of an aircraft from
controlled flight. LOC can happen because the aircraft enters a flight regime that is
outside its normal flight envelope and may quickly develop into a stall or spin. It can
introduce an element of surprise for the pilot. LOC happens in all phases of flight. It
can happen anywhere and at any time. There is one fatal accident involving LOC
every four days. Join the campaign at #FlySafe and follow it on Facebook, Twitter,
and Instagram.
Weather
Most weather-related GA accidents are fatal, and a failure to recognize deteriorating
weather continues to be a frequent cause or contributing factor of accidents. The
GAJSC has produced several safety enhancements related to weather as part of
their work on loss of control in flight. The 2014 FAA and industry’s Got Weather?
national safety outreach campaign reached approximately 4.5 million people.
Helicopter Safety
The FAA partners with the International Helicopter Safety Team (IHST
((www.IHST.org)) ) and the U.S. Helicopter Safety Team (USHST) to promote safety
and reduce civil helicopter accidents and fatalities worldwide. The IHST was formed
in 2005 to lead a government and industry cooperative effort to address factors that
were contributing to an unacceptable helicopter accident rate. Prior to 2006, the
number of worldwide civil helicopter accidents was rising at a rate of 2.5 percent per
year. Since 2006, the worldwide civil helicopter fleet has grown by 30 percent but
the number of accidents has decreased in key global regions by 30 to 50 percent.
IHST members establish partnerships with countries with significant helicopter
operations and encourage overseas industries to perform accident analysis and
develop safety interventions. Partners include government and industry participants
from the United States, Canada, Brazil, Mexico, New Zealand, India, Russia, and
multiple countries in Europe, Central Asia, and the Middle East.
Since its creation as a regional sub-team of the IHST in 2013, the USHST has
focused on the U.S. civil helicopter community and especially on fatal accidents.
Comparing 2016 to 2013, the U.S. civil helicopter industry experienced a 30 percent
accident rate reduction, from 4.95 accidents per 100,000 helicopter flight hours to
3.45 accidents per 100,000 helicopter flight hours. In addition, the number of fatal
accidents has been cut nearly in half and the fatal accident rate is down 47 percent
compared to 2013.
In 2017, the USHST completed an extensive analysis of fatal accidents using the
same approach as the CAST and the GAJSC. The analysis focused on the three
occurrence categories that contributed to the most fatal helicopter accidents from
2009-2013: loss of control – inflight (LOC-I), unintended flight into IMC (UIMC), and
low altitude operations (LALT). The team developed 22 Safety Enhancements to be

implemented by the industry and the FAA. The Safety Enhancements address
technology, simulation, risk management, and outreach solutions in the effort to
reduce fatal accidents.
Total U.S. Accidents
2001-05 Baseline: 184 accidents, 29 fatal accidents, 55 fatalities
2013: 146 accidents, 30 fatal accidents, 62 fatalities
(41% decrease in accidents)
U.S. Accident Rate (per 100,000 flight hours)
2001-05 Baseline: 7.97 accident rate, 1.27 fatal accident rate, 2.36 fatality rate
2013: 4.95 accident rate, 1.02 fatal accident rate, 2.10 fatality rate
(57% decrease in accident rate)
Online Resources
The FAASTeam’s website (http://www.faasafety.gov/) is a good resource for pilots to
help improve their skills and knowledge. The site hosts the FAA WINGS pilot
proficiency program. It also contains online pilot training materials and includes
courses to help a pilot avoid the pitfalls of VFR flight into Instrument Meteorological
Conditions. Pilots, flight instructors, and mechanics are encouraged to register
online.
Amateur-Built Aircraft
Amateur-built and other experimental aircraft were involved in almost 25 percent of
U.S. fatal general aviation accidents over the past five years and account for an
estimated five percent of total general aviation fleet hours. With the help of targeted
safety enhancements developed by the FAA and GAJSC industry participants, and
new policies, this segment of the GA industry is showing significant improvement.
Loss of control remains the leading cause of fatal accidents involving amateur-built
aircraft. The FAA’s Airmen Transition to Unfamiliar Airplanes Advisory Circular (AC
90-109A) helps plan the transition to any unfamiliar fixed-wing airplanes, including
type-certificated (TC) and/or experimental airplanes. It provides information and
guidance to owners and pilots of experimental, simple, complex, high-performance,
and/or unfamiliar airplanes. It also provides information to flight instructors who
teach in these airplanes.
The FAA also continues to promote AC 90-116, Additional Pilot Program (APP) for
Phase I Flight Test. The AC provides information and guidance for flight testing
experimental aircraft. The APP was developed to improve safety by enhancing
Builder/Owner Pilot (BP) skills and mitigate risks associated with Phase I flight
testing of aircraft built from commercially produced kits through the use of a

qualified additional pilot and powerplant testing. The APP is an optional program
which provides another pathway to conducting Phase I flight testing. The traditional
option for a pilot to test their aircraft solo during Phase I is not covered or affected
by this AC, and remains an option for those who choose to do so in accordance
with their aircraft’s operating limitations.
Aviation Universities and Experts
Working through the Aviation Accreditation Board International (AABI) and the
University Aviation Association (UAA), the FAA is partnering with the aviation
academic community to leverage their expertise and develop best practices for
improving flight training.
Background
The General Aviation Accident Rate
Over the last two years, we have begun to see a slight increase in GA flight hours.
This is partially due to strong numbers in the turbine/jet segment of GA and
reverses a trend seen over the last few years.
From 2004 to 2009, fatal accidents from Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT) have
been reduced by approximately 50 percent.
However, until 2014, the general aviation fatal accident rate appeared to have
remained relatively static based on the FAA’s flight hours estimates. Since then, the
fatal accident rate is decreasing, the preliminary estimate for FY 2017 is a fatal
accident of 0.84 with 209 GA fatal accidents with 347 fatalities. In FY 2016, the
fatal accident rate was 0.89 with 219 GA fatal accidents with 413 fatalities. In FY
2015, the fatal accident rate was 0.99 with 238 GA fatal accidents with 384
fatalities. In 2014, the fatal accident rate was 1.09 fatal accidents per 100,000
hours, with 252 fatal accidents. In 2013, the fatal accident rate was 1.11 fatal
accidents per 100,000 hours, with 259 GA fatal accidents. In 2012, the fatal
accident rate was 1.09 fatal accidents per 100,000 hours flown, with 267 GA fatal
accidents. In 2011, the fatal accident rate was 1.12 fatal accidents per 100,000
hours flown, with 278 GA fatal accidents. In 2010, the fatal accident rate was 1.10
fatal accidents per 100,000 hours flown, with 272 GA fatal accidents.
Previous seven-year GA fatal accident rates and numbers:
GA Fatal Accidents per 100,000
Hours
GA Fatal
Accidents
GA
Fatalities
FY10 1.10 272 471
FY11 1.12 278 469
FY12 1.09 267 442
FY13 1.11 259 449
FY14 1.09 252 435
FY15 0.99 238 384
FY16 0.89 219 413

This page was originally published at: https://www.faa.gov/news/fact_sheets/news_story.cfm?newsId=21274
FY17
(est)
0.84 209 347
The Top 10 Leading Causes of Fatal General Aviation Accidents 2001-2016:
1. Loss of Control Inflight
2. Controlled Flight Into Terrain
3. System Component Failure – Powerplant
4. Fuel Related
5. Unknown or Undetermined
6. System Component Failure – Non-Powerplant
7. Unintended Flight In IMC
8. Midair Collisions
9. Low-Altitude Operations
10. Other
###

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