Air transport pilot involvement in general aviation accidents

Abstract

General aviation (GA) fatal accident records of airport transport pilots (ATPs) were compared to those of private pilots (PVTs). ATPs are safer GA pilots than the PVTs. They have comparable exposure in GA airplanes and account for 7·5% of all certified to fly, but only 3·5% of the fatal accidents. ATPs are less often involved in pilot-induced accidents. Nearly 50% of ATP pilot-induced accidents occur during aerobatics. Often these risky aerial operations are performed below a safe altitude and are associated with the descriptors ‘careless’ and ‘reckless’. The ATP aerobatics-related fatality is likely to occur in a multi-wing aeroplane with which he has little experience. The ATP aerobatics-related accident is likely to be of the spin, stall, or controlled flight into terrain variety, and to occur in summer or early autumn.