Fatal accidents in amateur-built aircraft fell to a historic low during the Federal Aviation Administration’s 2017 fiscal year, which ended September 30. The decline beat the FAA’s not-to-exceed goals and extended a run of safety gains in the Experimental category.
From October 1, 2016, to September 30, 2017, there were 27 fatal accidents in amateur-built aircraft. That is 18 percent fewer than the 33 recorded in fiscal 2016. There had been 40 in fiscal 2015 and 51 in fiscal 2014. As a result, the total has dropped 47 percent in four years, even though pilots logged more flight hours every year.
The wider Experimental category improved as well. Besides homebuilts, that group includes racing aircraft, exhibition planes, research-and-development aircraft and some light-sport models. Its fatal accidents fell from 49 to 45 over the same 12 months. That final number is nearly 25 percent under the FAA goal, which set a ceiling of 59 fatal accidents.
Safer than skiing
Sean Elliott, vice president of Advocacy and Safety at the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA), presented the figures at the FAA General Aviation Safety Summit in late October. He called them historic lows and said the trend is a credit to everyone who works on safety.
Elliott noted that fatal accidents in this kind of flying remain far rarer than in other recreational pursuits. Paddle sports, skiing, snowboarding and riding all-terrain vehicles are all more dangerous by that measure. In fact, he said, the odds of dying in an amateur-built aircraft accident are lower than the odds of being killed by lightning.
Meanwhile, EAA has worked with the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board on ways to cut fatal accidents. That includes its role in the FAA General Aviation Joint Steering Committee, which EAA co-chairs. The association also runs the Founder’s Innovation Prize, a contest for ideas that reduce loss-of-control accidents in amateur-built planes. Other priorities include transition and recurrent training. Another is using a second safety pilot when a new homebuilt is first flight tested.
According to Elliott, this work builds on two long-running EAA programs, Technical Counselor and Flight Advisor. It also draws on safety material in Sport Aviation, the group’s main magazine. He said lowering accident totals further will stay a challenge, but it remains central to the EAA goal of bringing more people into aviation.
EAA describes itself as the most engaged community of aviation enthusiasts in the world. Its 200,000 members and 1,000 local chapters share a passion for flying, while many also build and restore recreational aircraft.